Thursday, March 28, 2024

ECZ finds Larfage Cement guilty of pollution

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The Enviromental Council of Zambia (ECZ)says the country’s major cement making company, Larfarge Cement( formerly Chilanga cement) has contravened the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act (EPPCA) of 1990.

ECZ Acting Senior Communications Officer Chama Nyendwa said in a statement obtained by ZANIS, yesterday, that Larfage Cement has been found guilty of operating the factory contrary to the Act.

Ms Nyendwa said for this reason the ECZ has slapped a 14 days ultimatum to address the normalise operations in accordance with the Act.

This means Lafarge Zambia has 21 days to stop cement particles or dust from being strewn or being emmitted in the perimeters of the factory after which further action shall be taken.

ECZ has further given Lafarge –Chilanga’s air emission license validity period from one year to six months for non compliance as provided by the law.

Ms. Nyendwa requested that Larfarge submit stack air emission reports every two weeks for the next six months. This will allow ECZ to increase the frequency of monitoring the facility.

She said findings by ECZ team of inspectors dispatched to Lafarge Cement in Chilanga on 8th March 2009 followed complaints from the public.It has been established that the company has increased an abnormal amount of pollution into the open environment of 1.6 km radius.

The team revealed that Larfarge did not put in place adequate remedial measures to mitigate against the impact of the pollution on human health and the environment.

Ms. Nyendwa says the cement firm failed to report the pollution in question immediately to regulatory authorities as evidenced on surrounding buildings, motor vehicles and plants.

She said clean up and remediates affected areas against the pollution arising from the incident in the surround community up to 1.8 kilometers north-west of the plant.

She stressed that ECZ provided environmental educational sensitization public awareness by way of public meetings.

ZANIS/KC/ENDS/MM

10 COMMENTS

  1. Okay this is good for the people living close to this company.Well done unless you do not appreciate 🙂

  2. It is a question of an industrial area being in a residential area or a residential area being in the Industrial area

  3. Zambia need change in the implementation of environmental policies, we are still sticking to very old laws guiding our environment.We need to can come up with best ideas which will favor our environment and the public to enhence further production.Lets NCC look into this circumstances.All we need, is to fine any company breaking or violeting the policies.Some company shud be evening compensating the public for pollution coz the health status in most polluted places in Zed is below averange…I hope the govt will consider this
    Its not time for paper work, its time to act

  4. Its sad that a company can be so irresponsible that it has to take ECZ to realise the environmental degredation being caused. Court case will do as the damage caused to the local population might be severe.

  5. LT this is very generalised. Lafarge Cement (former Chilanga Cement) has two operating Plants in Zambia – the Ndola one and Tukule in Lusaka. So to which Plant are these emissions linked to???

  6. hi!,I love your writing so so much! proportion we keep up a correspondence more about your post on AOL? I require an expert on this house to resolve my problem. Maybe that is you! Taking a look ahead to peer you.

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