Monrovia- The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, over the weekend, highlighted massive improvements since he became the head of the EPA.

By Francis G. Boayue

According to him, he met US$325.00 as the actual bank account of the EPA as of February 2024 and became Executive Director of the EPA during a time when there was low morale, divided employees, bad reputation, lack of compliance, dilapidated infrastructures, with a deplorable business for employees.

“The findings from the joint presidential transition team (JPTT) for the EPA revealed that five Years Strategic Plan, 2022-2026, about 80% not completed. Bank statement Jan 2018-Dec 2023: Not available as well. Financial Report for 2023, Not available. No payroll and personnel listing provided 2018 December (a) Payroll and (b). Financial Report for last 6 years under the CDC, Not available,” Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo stressed.

In a year-end media engagement with the press, over the weekend, highlighting the successes, challenges, and areas of collaboration of the EPA, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, said the EPA under his watch has improved rapidly in just eight months ranging from capacity-building of staff, the establishment of six new offices, increment in salaries, and pensions, overhauling of the financial management system, and increase in revenue collections.

Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, appointed on February 16, 2024, and due to several court proceedings, started work on May 4, 2024, serving the EPA as Executive Director for the last eight months, further said the EPA since taken over has collected more than 200k in fines to central Government Revenue, given over 350 compliance inspections and issued notices, provided more than 60 Environmental Permits, Identified more than 170 non-compliance and corrected
more than 20 non-compliance, adding that the EPA has imposed more than 15 fines and issued four halt orders and two restoration directives.