Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, says it has commenced monitoring of sites remediated by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP in Ogoniland.
Recall that stakeholders and evironmental rights advocates, have recently chided the agency to produce its laboratory reports and certification, of the remediated sites reportedly completed by HYPREP.
The Environmental Rights Action, as well as the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, , had charged HYPREP to produce the DPR and NOSDRA’s certification of the solutions used by contractors for the ongoing clean-up in Ogoniland.
To this end, NOSDRA on its verified Twitter handle has announced that the agency has begun collection of samples for analyses as a preclude for certification of the remediated sites.
The agency explained that samples collected will be analyzed at NOSRDA’s reference laboratory, as lot two and lot eight both in Alode, Eleme LGA of Rivers State, have been sampled currently.
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It added that the agency was working with stakeholders including, HYPREP, Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment.
“NOSDRA in line with its statutory mandate as the lead Agency on all matters related to oil spills has commenced monitoring of sites remediated by HYPREP in Ogoniland.
“This includes collection of samples for analyses as a prelude for certification of the sites.
“Samples collected will be analyzed at NOSDRA Reference Laboratory.
To ensure transparency, collected samples were shared with all stakeholders present to conduct their own analyses.”