‘Oil Pollution: NOSDRA Moves To Enforce Standard Of Operation’ 17 July 2019

Worried by the impact of oil pollution on ground water and environment by the activities of oil & gas companies, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has disclosed its intention to begin the enforcement of Standard Of Operation (SOP) by mid-August this year. The director-general of NOSDRA, Mr Idris Musa stated this in Abuja yesterday during a meeting with Deport and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) on ‘Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines for Facility Inspection in the Mid and Downstream Oil Sectors’.

He said though the agency is interested more on compliance than sanctioning defaulters, that defaulting companies would pay the sum of N500, 000 and above depending on the gravity of the offence. Musa noted that the essence of the meeting was to acquaint stakeholders with environmental management practices and compliance monitoring of oil facilities in the mid and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry in Nigeria in line with the agency’s statutorily responsibilities. The DG disclosed that the meeting was also part of the strategies to evaluate and address safety concerns as well as ensure minimal environmental pollution in the operations of deports, tank farms, terminals and retail outlets/ filling stations.

…In his presentation, the NOSDRA director of Special duties, Mr John Lahu lamented that increased levels of activities in the mid and downstream sectors led to incidences of groundwater pollution, farmland contamination, fire outbreaks and tanker accidents across the country. He hinted that the enforcement was part of the agency’s renewed determination towards achieving its mandate to protect the environment and ensure sustainable development in Nigeria. Responding, the executive secretary of DAPPMAN, Mr Olufemi Adebayo assured NOSDRA that petroleum marketers in Nigeria would work with the agency to make Nigerian and workplace environment safe for habitation and would avoid acts capable of adversely affecting the environment.