By Dorothy Musyoka
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) recently conducted a comprehensive inspection in Nairobi County’s Industrial Area, focusing on ensuring compliance with environmental regulations among several facilities.
The targeted inspections, which included visits to Enterpride, Oryx, Road Track Solutions Limited, and Palm Oil Transporters Limited, aimed to assess adherence to Effluent Discharge Licenses (EDL) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements.
During the inspection, Enterpride and Oryx were found to be operating without the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licenses.
Palm Oil Transporters Limited was issued a notice for failing to comply with previous Improvement Orders.
“Enterpride and Oryx were issued an order to obtain Environmental Impact Assessment licences. Palm oil transporters were issued a notice for failing to comply with previous Improvement Orders and lacked a proper water drainage system,” stated NEMA.
The facility also lacked a proper water drainage system, posing a risk of untreated effluent discharge into the environment. The company must now take immediate action to rectify these issues to avoid further penalties.
The inspection exercise underscores NEMA’s commitment to enforcing environmental standards and protecting Kenya’s natural resources from pollution.
Effluent Discharge Licenses are crucial in preventing untreated wastewater from being released into water bodies, which can have severe environmental and public health impacts.
NEMA urges the general public, particularly businesses and industries, to ensure they obtain the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment licenses for any new projects and Effluent Discharge Licenses for facilities that discharge wastewater.
NEMA also emphasizes the importance of providing compliance documents upon visitation by gazetted environmental inspectors.
The authority remains steadfast in its mission to promote sustainable environmental management practices across Kenya, safeguarding the well-being of communities and the natural environment.