Congo Town – A group of young climate activists, under the banner “Coalition of Green Ambassadors and Human Rights Activists” on Thursday petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure the establishment of an Environmental Court in Liberia.
The team of activists from six diverse institutions in the country who stormed the grounds of the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town where the EPA has been hosting a National Environment Conference, said the establishment of such court will lead to robust action against environmental pollution and forest degradation, amongst other.
Reading the petition on behalf of the Green Ambassadors, Isaac Kpakon said there are numerous threats faced by the environment but there remains lack of technical and sustainable environmental approaches to safe its inhabitants.
According to Kpakon, Liberians and others around the world are victims of environmental issues across Liberia and as such action must be taken to raise concern.
“We conglomerate as institutions to form the green March, we have no second place to act and this is why we are here to hand deliver our petition and we hope you can take visible action,” Kpakon said.
Kpakon said nothing is being done to save Liberians from pollution, deforestation, erosion and land degradation which puts millions of Liberians lives at risk due to negligence from perpetrators.
According to him, there are numerous concessionaires also involved with environmental pollution, but the EPA is doing too little to help address the situation.
“We the Green Ambassadors and Social Activists are deeply concerned about the failure of the EPA to address the threats emerging from private manufacturer industries, illicit mining activities and other vices affecting the environment,” Kpakon stressed.
While concessionaire made exclusively to benefit minority of public actors, the silence and political gains overriding the climate and environmental justice as well as multi-sectoral approach must come to an end immediately,” the young climate activist noted.
They have expressed the need for government to protect the climate in line with international protocols and agreement.
Receiving the petition, EPA Deputy Director Randolph Doubayou said the petition by the youth is in line with the Environmental Protection Laws of Liberia, specifically a clause that speaks to citizens suit.
Citizens Suit, under the EPA Law demand and suggests that ever citizens across Liberia have the right to sustainable, healthy and conducive environment.
It further states that anyone who activity hinders your right to exist, that person, in consistent with the Polluter-Paye Principle must be made to destitute damages, abuse and unhealthy posture he or she gives to the environment.
“I think this is your demonstration of the law, however, some of the issues raised here are grave and some are relatively harsh but again, as the EPA, it is our responsibility to ensure that everything about the environment is protected,” Doubayou said.
Doubayou also clarified that the Environmental Court by law has already been established by the Environmental Protection Law of 2003.
“The court is established per that law and the only thing missing is the appointment of judges to be assigned at the court and that particular authority does not lie in the purview of the EPA, it lies with the Judiciary,” Doubayou noted.
However, he said the advocacy to ensure that the court is functional is in the interest of the EPA.
Doubayou at the same time noted that most judges at the court do not have an understanding on environmental issues, as such taking legal action against perpetrators of threats to the environment is difficult.
Meanwhile, Doubayou said the EPA will ensure that the petition is acted on appropriately.
