IPNews-Monrovia,Liberia-30 April 2018: Credible reports emanating from the world’s largest single natural rubber producer-Firestone Rubber Plantation says the company might soon be shutdown for its continuous refusal to comply with government Environmental Laws.

According to impeccable sources at the company tells this paper that the company is currently operating with an expired environmental license which runs contrary to environmental standards and procedures prescribed by the Environmental Protection Agency-EPA

A communication in the possession of this paper, detailed Firestone Management continuous refusal to ahead to EPA regulations since September 2017, following the expiration of its environmental license in the wake of series of communications send it by authorities of the EPA to comply with government policy on Environmental Protection, especially the protection of lives in the concession area.

The communication further detailed that the Management of firestone has uprightly rejecting the payment of assessment, testing laboratory simples and specimens’ examination fees charged by the EPA in accordance with the Act creating the EPA.

In a EPA communication address to Edmundo L. Garcia,  President & Managing Director, Firestone Liberia Inc., a copy of which is in the possession of this paper requested the company to ahead to procedures in accordance with Part III Section 29 of the Environment Protection and Management Law of Liberia (EPML) (2003), which mandates the EPA to charge appropriate fees that will enable the recovery of its justifiable costs from year to year of administering the permit approval process. Such fee is not a tax owed the government but is a service fee for activities to be carried out during the permitting period. Said amount is also used to monitor the proponent’s operation in line with Part III Section 24 & 25 of the above law.

Since the enactment of the EPML, there has been no amendment to affect Part III Section 29.

The communication further informs Mr. Garcia, that failure to ahead to all procedures of the EPA, especially Environmental Permit regulations, and the  Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia, may lead to  drastic penalties including but not limited to fine of up to Fifty Thousand United States Dollars(US$ 50,000.00), closure, imprisonment and or criminal prosecution where applicable under the laws of Liberia.

The ESIA Procedure Guidelines and the Terms and Conditions of the Environmental Permit issued to Firestone Liberia Inc., requires a seventy-two (72) hours ultimatum, commencing from the date of delivery of this notice to finalize the renewal of its expired Environmental permits consistent with the Environment Protection and Management Law of Liberia.

It may be recalled in November 2009, the people of Kpan-yah town, in lower Margibi county, compliant about the pollution of their water sources by Firestone rubber plantation.

The Kpan-yah town residents speaking through their town-chief, John Powell, explained how the company polluted their drinking water and call on government of Liberia and international human rights groups to investigate the life-threatening situation.

Additionally, in 2009, the government of Liberia through the Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency-EPA headed than by now Asst. Prof, of Forest Economics and Policy at the University of Liberia Jerome Nyenkan, tested the water sources and held Firestone rubber plantation culpable for the pollution.

“Firestone got this pollution. It has actually taken place. It is attributable to Firestone operations,” said EPA head than Jerome Nyenkan.

In an effort to further verify the report, our team of reporters visited the head office of the Environmental Protection Agency-EPA , but was told the institution will provide other details soon as current Executive Director, Nathaniel Blama is currently attending the International Climate Change Submit in Berlin Germany, returns.

When this paper contacted the Public Relations Manager , Firestone Liberia Inc., his phone ring endlessly without a call return.

But an indepth research conducted by this paper established that the existing Act creating the EPA requiring the payments of fees to the EPA is still enforce and has not been repealed.

The research further detailed that the Act gives EPA gives the legal rights to charge fees conducting full assessment and evaluation such as Biological Environment; Physical Environment Geology, and topography; Human Environment; Impact Prediction and Evaluation which is a critical step in EIA.