The environmental regulative industry in Nigeria was started in the aftermath of the dumping of toxicant waste of Italian beginning in the southern portion of the state in 1988. This led to the edict that brought about The Federal Environmental protection bureau which was saddled with the duty of environment. In its responsibilities as stated in the edict were set up and order national guidelines, standards and criterions for H2O quality, air quality and atmospheric protection, noise degrees, gaseous emanations and outflowing bounds etc. ; to supervise and command risky substances, supervise and enforce conformity. This edict besides gave the bureau the enforcement powers to come in and inspect industries and installings without anterior notice. Besides stated in the edict was the power to prehend and ticket with mulcts and punishments anyone who creates any signifier of obstructor to the enforcement officers in the transporting out of responsibilities or declare falsely to hedge conformity regulations. ( Adegoroye 1994 )
As a new and budding scientist/engineer in the industry, I was in the regulative sector of a State Government ( Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency ) . This is an bureau of the State which is implicitly saddled with the duties of holding a safe oasis for the citizens as it concerns the environment. This bureau is smaller and localised and it has the same maps as its Federal arm.
The legal powers of this bureau cut across all strata of the society and in its responsibilities are ;
( a ) Reding the State Government on all environmental direction policies.
( B ) Giving way to the personal businesss of the Agency on all environmental affairs.
( degree Celsius ) Fixing periodic maestro program to heighten capacity edifice of the Agency and for the environment and natural resources direction.
( vitamin D ) Transporting out appropriate trials on insect powders, weedkillers and other agricultural chemicals.
( vitamin E ) Transporting out public enlightenment and educate the general populace on sound methods of environmental sanitation and direction.
( degree Fahrenheit ) To supervise and command disposal of solids, gaseous and liquid wastes generated by both authorities and private installations in the State.
( g ) Monitoring and commanding all signifiers of environmental debasement from agricultural, industrial and authorities operations.
( H ) Setting, monitoring and enforcing criterions and guidelines on Industrial Effluent, Air Emissions ( Vehicular & A ; Stationary ) .
( I ) Surveying and supervising surface, belowground and drinkable H2O, air, land and dirt environment in the State to find pollution degree in them and roll up baseline informations.
( J ) Promoting co-operation in environmental scientific discipline and engineerings with similar organic structures in other contrives and international organic structures connected with the protection of environment, and
( K ) Co-operation with the Federal, State and Local Governments, statutory organic structures and research bureaus on affairs associating to environmental protection.
From this Primary maps of the bureau the undermentioned missions were set in position ;
aˆ?Provide leading to chart a new class for clean air, which is antiphonal to relevant demands in Lagos State and complies with precedence facets of the clean air act ordinances.
aˆ?Address outstanding solid and risky waste direction concerns and take part as appropriate in the national deliberations on reauthorization of the risky waste programme.
aˆ?Utilize originative agencies to turn to the precedence needs for clean and safe H2O in Lagos State and take part as appropriate, in national deliberations n reauthorization of H2O programmes.
aˆ?Enhance capableness to fund environmental clean-up when necessary and to supply better service for private party actions.
aˆ?Promote pollution bar and market-based attacks for continued environmental advancement.
aˆ?Develop an environmental planning capableness, which emphasizes risk-based analysis, good scientific discipline and sound informations and unfastened communicating and informed engagement
( Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency website www.lasepa.org [ assessed 22/10/10 ] )
With the missions of the bureau, working in the bureau became a really important and bold determination for me and the clip to construct on the cognition of what my theoretical and a obscure apprehension of sustainability was while undergoing a 6 month internship in a similar bureau ( Federal ) .
Industrial monitoring and conformity visits of industries were the chief concerns, the topographic points of involvement are normally the emanations from the industry, the wastewater wastes and the production country ; these 3 are the topographic points where there are end products from the industry into the environment and it is worthy to observe that this are the countries in which the overall efficiency of the procedures of the site in inquiry can be evaluated.
As novice in the industry, I besides worked in the research lab services unit as an helper scientific officer this in add-on to field reviews. The responsibilities as assigned were the analysis of the assorted merchandises ( nutrient, pharmaceuticals etc. ) produced by assorted big graduated table industries and SME ‘s to guarantee conformity with regulative criterions ; this I can merely paraphrase as indirectly analyzing the efficiency of the procedures which give out this merchandises and more frequently than non, where there are defects it is non improbable to happen that the industry/product maker is non cognizant or intentionally overlook the issues of holding efficient procedures which is an of import factor in the clamor for a more sustainable development in recent times.
Emission: Industries are required to put in equipment which will cut down pollution in their gaseous wastewaters and chemical discharges ; this was made a criterion for the start-up of companies and for companies already in operation. The emanations from these industries processing in the running of the equipment is normally monitored and this is frequently compare with the WHO criterions and this is to guarantee that lives around are non endangered thereby presenting the sustainability inquiry. The emanations are besides analysed for the particulate contents. The quality of air at assorted distances to the industry is analysed for degrees of Carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) , Oxides of Nitrogen ( NOx ) , Oxides of sulfur ( SOx ) and particulates. CO2 being the major Greenhouse gas, NOx and SOx are the major causes of acerb rain and particulates are the major cause of lung related complaints. Normally the industries under the auspices of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ( MAN ) are easy to be coordinated in this strategy and with sensible recommendations from the bureau member industries were able to entree and measure their emanation and comply with the ordinances but bulk of little graduated table industries in the state have been saddled with the duty of bring forthing its ain power, paving its ain route to increase handiness and supplying its ain H2O supply coupled with the economic recession in the state, carried on with production and paying less attending to the environmental issues. With this scenario the bureau ever rely on the information from occupants to be able to transport out its regulative maps in such instances because this “ mini-industries ” do non ever chow any marks and sometimes the merchandise come in labels of some other reputable industries. (
Effluents: Coming under strict analysis is normally the waste H2O from these sites/industries which is a manner to guarantee that the H2O being channelled into the big H2O organic structures is non in any manner a menace to the aquatic ecosystem and this analysis ever go every bit far as taking samples which come under intensive trials in the laboratory subdivision of the bureau. These consequences are besides compared with the WHO criterions to guarantee that the toxicity degree of these wastewaters is non in any manner a menace to the worlds, workss and aquatic home ground.
Adegoroye ( 1994 ) outlined the instance in 1991 of the wastewater from a detergent doing mill, being discharged into an unfastened drain and the drain empties into a river which is the beginning of imbibing H2O about 600metres down the watercourse. Another instance was in that of a pigment mill given out outflowing and doing a rise in the temperature of the H2O organic structure in which the drain empties and this caused the devastation in the aquatic home ground, there were fishes seeable seen afloat and dead and appropriate countenances were issued to hold these several industries change the state of affairs, but this normally does non come without some signifier of opposition which is why there is demand for the strengthening of the Torahs and holding in topographic point appropriate and stiffer punishments for defaulters.
PRODUCTION AREA: Another country of high concern which is normally inspected for noise degrees, the degree of exposure to toxic reagents/materials, show of necessary warnings/cautions/directives, proviso and appropriate usage of protective equipment, this to guarantee that the workers are non exposed to short or long footings hazards of disablement, complaints or diseases. This country peculiarly being of involvement as sustainability has come under the wide province including the societal provinces of the people. Take for case the instance of a mill worker who has hearing damage after working for approximately 15years in the machine production country and non given the necessary protective wears such as ear stoppers. Provision of the necessary protective equipment provides a sense of security for the workers in these industries which are cardinal factors in their societal lives.
Soil quality analysis subdivision trades with the degree of toxic ions in the soil/sand around industries and this is checked against mention degree to find if the activity of such industries is doing a alteration in dirt composing. Besides Petroleum storage armored combat vehicle farms besides come under examination to look into the if there is a oils ooze into the environing evidences of the armored combat vehicle farms and besides H2O organic structures, these analyses are required to guarantee that there is no ooze of oil into the H2O organic structures which can cut down the dissolved O degrees and destruct the aquatic ecosystem.
Sustainability steps of the bureau does non halt at merely environmental quality, besides of import in its responsibilities are the environmental engineering which include:
1. Waste direction, here industries are advised to come up with a comprehensive waste direction strategies and in most instances where there are a big figure of industries like in the instance of industrial estates, a general waste strategy is ever advised to guarantee that the industries have a well-planned and construction procedure for the temperament if its wastes.
2. Waste use: there has been a great concern universe over to hold less waste from procedures, thereby advancing the civilization of reuse and this is been the advice to industries to maximize their procedures and have less waste and in instances where there are waste that can be reused, so this will cut down the sum of waste traveling to landfills.
A batch of work is been done in the publicity of research into waste recycling engineerings and this is encouraged to the industries and in instances there have been a joint commission between the bureau and the maker ‘s association to come up with thoughts and engineerings. The public is besides being enlightened on the demand to research the renewable beginnings of energy in which the state is blessed so much and
Environmental Conservation is besides a line of responsibility of the bureau and this are done in the undermentioned countries:
1. Marine and Coastal Management and monitoring: The bureau is saddled with the duty of guaranting that the aesthetic value of beaches is non destroyed and besides the a speedy response to the clean-up of oil slipperinesss from blow-outs to forestall any devastation to the marine wildlife and the aquatic ecosystem
2. Biodiversity: The bureau is concerned with the extinction of species and there has been concerted attempt towards the guaranting that none of the activities of worlds either domestic or industrial is in any signifier a menace to any coinage of any ecosystem.
3. Flood, Erosion and Land direction: Due to the increasing hazard of urban deluging the bureau has helped in the run against any signifier of building that is in the way of a H2O organic structure, this has been the major cause of urban implosion therapy.
4. Afforestation and desertification: With wood being a major beginning of fuel for cooking in a few of the rural countries, there has been a uninterrupted felling of braid for lumber either for building intents or as a beginning of fuel and this has led to the enlightenment run in which the bureau embarked on to do people more in the know of the impending dangers of uninterrupted deforestation. ( S. I. Omofonmwan and G. I. Osa-Edoh, 2008 ) . The wood is a natural sink for C and besides helps in forestalling eroding.
5. Energy and Mineral Resources: There has been a great concern universe over about the security of supplies of oil which is the chief energy resource in the state, the bureau has taken the bull by the horns and proposed the installing of solar panels for its ain electricity. With the function of the bureau being a regulator, it has besides taken it upon itself to be a function theoretical account by going a innovator in the use of renewable beginnings of energy.
6. Parks and Protected countries: Owing the increasing rural-urban migrations there has been an addition in the demand for building in the metropoliss and this is led to the loss of Parkss which are meant to be a topographic point for socializing and relaxation which is a paramount demand for societal sustainability, the bureau is increased its run, in concurrence with the urban and regional bureau to deter the usage of public countries for domestic or industrial intents.
From the foregoing, the procedures of supervising these activities of the industries as it applies to what is churned out into the environment is to guarantee that less investing is put into clean up and carbon gaining control enterprises, besides guarantee that there is a more contributing environment where life is non endangered for us and future coevalss.
In general, manmade activities either it is domestic or industrial are monitored closely to avoid the forcing of the environment to its bound and thereby doing it non contributing and taking to extinction.
Workshops are organised from clip to clip and this involves stakeholders from the industries, the populace and authorities where issues and affairs naming for concern are debated and besides look into the advancement of work that is being done by each sector in accomplishing a cleansing agent environment which is less unsafe for us and future coevalss. The industries are besides advised to hold in-house wellness and safety forces where such does non be and where it does be, it is normally advised to ever transport out everyday audit of the industrial procedures to determine where there is demand to hold efficiency betterment and non holding to ever wait for the regulators before the cheques and corrections since it is our corporate duty to salvage our universe and do it a sustainable one.
Independently follow up visits are carried outs where necessary and to guarantee that recommendations were carried out to the later and execution in the instances where the needed environmental demands are non in topographic point. These visits are done without a anterior cognition of these industries to be able to truly measure the degree of conformity and in certain state of affairss fines/ punishments are given where it has become a instance of carelessness or refusal to follow appropriate recommendations ; these punishments goes every bit far as closing down production till the appropriate recommendations are followed and adhered to.
The bureau besides ensures that an Environmental Impact appraisal is carried out by both private and public administrations to demo what the activity is to be carried out, possible environment to be affected, its effects on the environment and what extenuation steps have been put in topographic point. ( Nerry Echefu and.E Akpofure )
Bing in a regulative industry and apprehension that the best manner to take is by illustrations, it was compulsory for all worker to travel through the wellness and safety preparation in which the BASIC regulations and ordinances of working in specified environments viz a viz how to handle/operate reagents/equipment severally. Emphasis is besides topographic point on the “ rejuvenation ” of the environment and this led to the “ Plant a tree ” twenty-four hours which is now an one-year civilization in the bureau and this is all in an event to demo that even outside the aesthetic value with we add to our environment, we besides can hold a cleaner and fresher environment by merely an act of seting a tree and salvaging the future coevalss. Though sustainable development can be implied from the act that set up the bureau to the activities which it carries out but it is merely implicitly stated
The barriers associated with the regulative industry in Nigeria in its function of presenting sustainable development in transporting out its responsibilities is normally that of statistics, this is seemingly no available and when there is, it is ever non really dependable. There has been call for a overhauling of the National statistics committee to enable successful execution of a long term program of sustainability in the state. ( M.A.Adeyinka et al, 2005 ) . Another barrier in the efficient airing of the regulative responsibilities of the bureau lies in the imbrication of maps of the bureau with some other bureaus of the authorities and this is ever met with protestation by the industries, so the bureau is working closely with other bureaus with similar responsibilities to guarantee that regulative responsibilities are carries out efficaciously and without duplicate. ( Adegoroye, 1994 )
A careful scrutiny of what obtains here in the UK in the same regulative sector was seen to hold common countries of involvement with what was applicable in my short work experience but the attack to a sustainable environment is more expressed and concise. The environment bureau here in the UK has about the same maps in its regulative maps of the activities that go on in the environment to guarantee a sustainable development/living. The bureau performs the functions of reding, modulating, implementing regulations, conformity monitoring amongst others.
To be a function theoretical account in what it preaches, the bureau has set for itself marks in the functions of decrease in its C emanation, decrease in its use of energy, decrease in the sum of stat mis driven by the bureau in transporting out its responsibilities, avoiding the sending of wastes to landfills, decrease in the usage of H2O and finally the bureau in Waless is be aftering to travel to its ultramodern energy salvaging edifice which is seen as a intent built energy salvaging edifice. The edifice is been awarded as one of the most environmentally friendly offices in the UK by the 2010 Building research Constitution ‘s Environmental Assessment methods ( BREEAM ) . Its is built to utilize rainwater to cut down H2O ingestion, bring forth its ain electricity, heat and hot H2O from sunlight, most stuffs coming from the old edifice stuffs recycled on site and besides have natural chilling.
In its leading by illustrations besides the bureau has undertaken the usage of every bit much recycled merchandises as possible an illustration being the rug in the bureau which is made from woven reclaimable stuffs.
The bureau has besides put in topographic point some inducement driven strategies which is aimed at promoting industries either private or public cut down their emanations and thereby bettering their efficiency which leads to a decrease in their energy measures.
In the twelvemonth 2003, the environmental bureau in Waless developed for the Welshman assembly og authorities a “ sustainability appraisal tool ” for concerns runing in Waless but this was later to be called “ concern development tool ” which is to be able to assist concern hold a set mark and aim on how to prolong itself.
TO conclude, it is of import to province that though there exist similarities in the responsibilities of the Lagos province environmental protection bureau and the environmental bureau in the UK but here in the UK, the sustainable development subject is more emphatic and at the bow forepart and concerns are non merely compelled to follow by these regulations and ordinances but there are variable inducements in topographic point to cut down cost of energy measures for the concern or have a criterion attached to its products/services ( eg the C trust criterion )
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.environment-agency.gov.uk/aboutus/122986.aspx
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.environmental-protection.org.uk/about/what-we-do/
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sepa.org.uk/about_us/what_we_do/compliance_assessment/compliance_assessment_scheme.aspx
