The Ogun State Government has begun a major environmental clean-up in Ogijo following investigations into alleged lead contamination linked to used lead-acid battery recycling facilities operating in the area. According to Punch News, the remediation exercise follows environmental assessments and health tests conducted to determine the extent of the suspected pollution.
The clean-up includes the evacuation of hazardous slag that was allegedly dumped in communities surrounding the recycling plants. Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) General Manager, Kehinde Bello, said the exercise could take several weeks due to the large volume of waste that must be removed.
Bello assured residents that the government would no longer tolerate indiscriminate disposal of hazardous materials. He added that battery recycling companies have been directed to upgrade their operations by installing automated battery-breaking equipment and complying with revised slag management guidelines to prevent future contamination.
OGEPA’s Director of Hazardous Material Management, Babatunde Lawal, explained that the remediation programme would also involve bioremediation, including planting vegetation capable of absorbing lead from contaminated soil to restore affected areas.
Meanwhile, the agency’s Director of Inspectorate and Compliance, Tunde Bolarinwa, said surveillance of battery recycling facilities would be intensified to ensure strict compliance with the state’s environmental regulations. He warned that operators who violate the new directives would face appropriate sanctions.
The clean-up exercise follows the earlier establishment of a 15-member Joint Monitoring Committee by the Ogun State Government to oversee the activities of battery recycling facilities, strengthen environmental compliance, and address concerns over alleged lead poisoning in the Ogijo community.
Source: Punch News
