The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), headed by Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, has provided first-hand information as it relates to a ship allegedly entering the country to dump 200 tons of gypsum, a radioactive chemical waste that poses danger to the environment, at the Port of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, with the agency allegedly taking US$100,000 from the ship.
At a media briefing yesterday, Prof. Tarpeh explained that on September 1, 2021 the EPA received a letter from a vessel, MV SS DAUNTLESS, that the ship was leaving the port of Lome, Togo, and heading for the Port of Buchanan, Liberia, with 200 tons of gypsums to be disposed of. He said because of the implication surrounding the matter, and taking into consideration what occurred some 30 years ago, they contacted the Ministry of National Defense, which in turn instructed the Coast Guard officers to monitor the Buchanan waters.
According to him, on September 12, 2021 the ship docked at the Port of Buchanan, but without the consignment of gypsum waste. According to the crew members they had dumped the chemical in Lome. Environmentalists inspected the ship to ascertain the fact, and it was realized that the ship had no waste in it. However, the EPA needed to investigate and ascertain whether, indeed, the gypsums were dumped in Lome.
Prof. Tarpeh said, because they could not prove whether the chemicals were dumped in Liberian waters yet, they could not impound the boat; as such, they demanded that the boat sign an indemnity bond, valued at US$100,000, in case the investigation proves that the gypsums were dumped in Liberian waters.
Delving deeper into the matter, the EPA boss disclosed that the ship informed them that it emptied the waste before leaving the port in Lome, but the EPA is yet to confirm the information, as it was the agent of the same ship who spoke to the agency about the ship dumping in Lome. He said the EPA is still trying to independently verify the information and not holding on to only the information provided by the ship and its agent in Togo.
He continued that because they could not impound the ship due to the lack of evidence, it was instructed to sign an indemnity bond, which state, “The Undersigned company, owners/affiliate of the Vessel MV SS DAUNTLESS, hereby indemnifies the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia against liabilities which may accrue or imposed in the event of any violation related to allegations that hazardous waste has been dumped within the territorial limits of the Republic of Liberia by the vessel herein above.
“We hereby undertake to pay to the EPA within calendar 28 days of receipt of written demand from the EPA any sum together with interest and costs not exceeding US$100,000, which is either agreed in writing between us and the owners of the vessel and yourselves to be due to you in respect of the claim or for which the owners are held liable by means of a final enforceable and un-appealable arbitration award or a final enforceable and un-appealable judgment of a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction.
“The undertaking is given without prejudice to all rights and defences which may be available to owners and/or any rights of limitation of liability according to international conventions or Liberian laws. This undertaking shall be subject to Liberian laws and will expire if legal proceedings have not been commenced before a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction within one year after the completion of the investigation and determination of the claim.”
The EPA boss clarified that no money changed hands, but a bond to hold the ship if found guilty of the act.
Meanwhile, Prof. Tarpeh has disclosed that the agency has completed the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), a national environmental document/instrument required of every member country of the Paris Convention on Climate Change to be completed every five years. He said a preliminary NDC was put together in 2015, the year that Liberia officially became a member, but needed to be revised.
He disclosed that the NDC was completed, and subsequently submitted in July and approved by the United Nations. He thanked EPA’s international partners and the leadership of President George M. Weah.