ACTIVITIES, OPERATIONS AND PROCESSES OF ALL INDUSTRIES THAT MAKE USE OF FOSSIL FUEL CONTRIBUTES TO THE SOOT POLLUTION PROBLEM IN PORT-HARCOURT

Nigerians should disregard the statement credited to the Management of Indorama Petrochemical, that the company is not contributing to the soot pollution concern and problem in Port-Harcourt. The statement is not only political and speculative, but misleading, deceptive, counterproductive and capable of undermining the environmental protection effort of the Federal Government. Such statements are capable of distracting and derailing the Soot Pollution Technical Committee set up by the Federal Government to formulate and implement realistic and effective strategies and action plans to improve the air quality around Port-Harcourt and its environs. Such false impressions can only be used to bamboos, excite and impress radio journalists, incompetent professionals and unsuspecting members of the public.

When we (the "foot soldiers" of the FG Technical Committee) commence Air Emission Audit and Air Emission Inventory from Industries, companies and institutions, we will determine the level of compliance of Indorama Petrochemical Companies to Air Emissions from all sources (mobile and stationary). As a major stakeholder, Indorama and other companies should own up being part of the Port-Harcourt air pollution problem, take responsibility to cooperate and support FG and the Rivers State Government to improve the air quality, rather than becoming crafty and defensive in an attempt to exonerate themselves.

Air pollution is a complex problem with a wide variety of sources.We are better informed about the kind of air pollution we are exposed to and are increasingly unwilling to let the problem continue, let alone worsen. We require growing political commitment, effective environmental planning, management processes and technologies at a larger scale, necessary for improving the quality of air in Port-Harcourt and its environs. In order to convert these reasonable attitudes into action, we need to deal with these complex and difficult issues connected to the problem and implement strategies and action plans to systematically address the short and long-term causes of this air pollution.

Stopping the growth in motor vehicle, marine vessels, aircraft, industries, power generating plants and the general use of fossil fuel is neither feasible nor desirable, given the economic and other benefits of increased mobility, industrial processes and developmental projects. The challenge, then, is to manage the growth of motorized transport, industrial processes and developmental projects so as to maximize its benefits while minimizing its adverse impacts on the environment and on society. Such a management strategy will generally require economic and technical measures to limit environmental impacts, together with public and private investments in clean fuel, vehicles, transport infrastructure and cleaner technologies in industrial processes.

As part of our duty of care to the environment and the society, we should continue to challenge and also work in partnership with a variety of public and private organizations to improve Port-Harcourt air quality. A broad range of stakeholders is essential for successful air quality management. Wide-ranging participation by all interested groups and organizations is vital. It involves the identification of the significant sources, types, scales and consequences of potential air pollution and the expertise, arrangements and capabilities of organizations and individuals which are relevant to air pollution risks identification, assessment and management; including: information collection and analysis, prioritization of issues, formulation of strategies and assessment of strategies, review of strategies and action planning, These stakeholders include:

· Those who possess expertise in air quality management and/or have important information about different aspects of the issue;

· Those whose interests are directly affected by urban air quality management issues;

· Those who control or influence important instruments or mechanisms of management;

· Those whose actions directly impact on the air quality situation.

This “Black Smoke” and "Soot Pollution" in Port-Harcourt and its environs has stimulated public awareness and interest in air quality issues. It is enabling more support for researching new air quality management strategies and actions by the government. In this life threatening situation resulting from deteriorated air quality and air pollution in Port-Harcourt, Indorama Petrochemical should strive to conduct or sponsor a program of research, testing, and development of methods for sampling, measurement, monitoring, analysis, and modeling of air pollutants, short-term and long-term effects of air pollutants, including epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and field studies, as necessary to identify and evaluate exposure to and effects of air pollutants on human health; identify and assess the risks to human health from both routine and accidental exposures to individual air pollutants and combinations thereof, instead of unnecessarily boasting of zero air pollutants emissions and zero pollutants (effluent) discharges before non-technical experts (radio journalists).

During the audit, the Technical Committee will establish the air quality monitoring stations present or absent in Indorama Petrochemicals company, the type of air quality and air emissions monitoring, technologies i.e(1) passive samplers 2) active samplers, 3) continuous analyzers, and 4) remote sensors being used, as well as the technical capabilities and competence of the sampling personnel in line with global best practice and required to guarantee the reliability of the sampling results they are boasting about.

Support to Tackle the Black Soot Pollution Concern in Port-Harcourt

Rivers state is one of the most vibrant states in Nigeria. It is so rich with communities culture, heritage, and history; and, it is emerging as ‘the place to be’ for new businesses, entrepreneurs and new investments concept. However, the state is currently experiencing an array of serious environmental challenges and problems that threaten to undermine its fast economic development prospects.

 (1) The predominant part of the Rivers’s population is located in the city of Port-Harcourt and its environs.

 (2) The growth in the amount and complexity of air pollution brought about by urbanization, industrial development, and the increasing use of motor vehicles, has resulted in mounting dangers to the public health and welfare, including injury to agricultural crops and livestock, damage to and the deterioration of property, and hazards to air and ground transportation;

 (3) While residents have become used to environmental hazards, such as multiple oil spills which have damaged livelihoods and farmlands, general industrial pollution, pollution in oil industries, unsafe practices, such as illegal refinery operations, open burning of refuse, tires, farmlands, bushes, etc. they currently face a new kind of danger: rising black amorphous carbon (soot) particles in the air.

 (4) The situation of increased pollution from mobile transportation sources is also on the increase in per capital vehicle ownership, thus resulting to high congestion on the Port-Harcourt city roads and increase in the concentration of pollutants in the air, consequently, increasing health risk on human population

 (5) Every year, it is estimated that several premature deaths are caused by poor air quality. For those affected, air pollution reduces life expectancy – but amazingly, there is very little awareness of the problem, making air pollution an invisible public health crisis that affects much of the people in the state. Air pollution is bad news for everyone. Groups such as children, older people and people with asthma and other such existing medical conditions are particularly vulnerable, and low-income and ethnic minority groups are also disproportionately affected.

 (6) Any exposure to air pollution can be harmful. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that there is no safe level of exposure to the pollutant PM2.5 (tiny particles of pollution).

(7) Air pollution prevention (that is, the reduction or elimination, through any measures, of the amount of pollutants produced or created at the source) and air pollution control at its source is the primary responsibility of Federal, States and local governments;

 (8) A Federal financial assistance and leadership is essential for the development of a cooperative Federal, State and local programs to prevent and control air pollution.

 (9) While residents have become used to environmental hazards, such as multiple oil spills which have damaged livelihoods and farmlands, general industrial pollution, pollution in oil industries, unsafe practices, such as illegal refinery operations, open burning of refuse, tires, farmlands, bushes, etc. they currently face a new kind of danger: rising black soot particles in the air.

 We concerned about air pollution from various sources and the various unsafe practices escalating the pollution incidents (traffic, power generating plants, industries, illegal refineries, open burning) etc and plan to launched an independent campaign to warn Rivers people of the dangers of air pollution, toxic pollutants and measures to be taken to reduce the current air pollution level and improve the air quality. We aim to encourage behaviour that helps cut air pollution and our exposure to it. We also need to persuade government to take action so that all activities, operations and businesses on the Rivers state environment fully comply with legal limits for air quality.

The purposes of the Air Quality Management Strategy and Action Plan is—

 (1) to protect and enhance the quality of Rivers’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population;

 (2) to initiate and accelerate a national research and development program to achieve the prevention and control of air pollution;

 (3) to provide technical and financial assistance to State and local governments in connection with the development and execution of their air pollution prevention and control programs.

 (4) to promote and assist the development and operation of air pollution prevention and control programs, as well as encourage reasonable actions consistent with international best practices in pollution prevention.

 (5) to create an Inter-agency Task Force to coordinate the soot prevention and control program.

 (6) to conduct a program of research, testing, and development of methods for sampling, measurement, monitoring, analysis, and modeling of air pollutants, including the establishment of a state network to monitor, collect, and compile data with quantification of certainty in the status and trends of air emissions, deposition, air quality, surface water quality, forest condition, and visibility impairment, and to ensure the comparability of air quality data collected in different local government and states

 (7) to conduct, and promote the coordination and acceleration of, research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, and control of air pollution;

 (8) to encourage, cooperate with, and render technical services and provide financial assistance to air pollution control agencies and other appropriate public or private agencies, institutions, and organizations, and individuals in the conduct of such activities;

 (9) to conduct investigations and research and make surveys concerning any specific problem of air pollution (soot pollution) in cooperation with any air pollution control agency with a view to recommending a solution of such problem, such problem may affect any community or communities in the state other than Port-Harcourt and its environs in which the source of the matter causing or contributing to the pollution is located;

 (10) to establish technical advisory committees composed of recognized experts in various aspects of air pollution to assist in the examination and evaluation of research progress and proposals and to avoid duplication of research.

 (11) to conduct and promote coordination and acceleration of training for individuals relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, and control of air pollution.

 (12) to conduct a research program on the short-term and long-term effects of air pollutants, including epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory and field studies, as necessary to identify and evaluate exposure to and effects of the air pollutants on human health;

In the interests of our health, we are calling for Rivers state and Federal government to work towards compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for air quality.

Education - Explaining the Problem

Effective education remains our most powerful tool for achieving long-term, behavioural change within the state

Infrastructure - Providing Tools to Change Behaviour

Make it easy for people to do the right thing by installing the right infrastructure(air quality monitoring stations, air emissions monitoring devices, air pollution/air pollution control devices in the right places and providing information, instruction, training etc to the right people (operators, maintenance crew, supervisors, managers) This is the key to achieving behaviour change.

Enforcement - Reinforcing the Message

The Air Pollution Prevention Programs will include consequences or penalties to reinforce the message that air pollution is not acceptable. It is critical to ensure people are aware of the penalties of unsafe practices and create a reasonable probability that non-compliance will be detected, prosecuted and purnished.

 Public Enlightenment Campaign will provide the public with a process to:

? Learn about local air pollution and other environmental health risks and impacts

? Build the stakeholders consensus necessary to take effective action

? Mobilize a stakeholders partnership to take action to reduce the air pollution impacts and risks

? Build long-term capacity within Rivers state to understand and reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts and risks.

? Develop a practical tool for stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and address the air pollution and other environmental health risks.

? Reduce levels of the toxic air pollution,

? Provide technical assistance and resources to industries, government, organizations and environmental experts which form stakeholder groups to address and reduce the most significant risks, especially through voluntary programs.

? Outline a method to develop a comprehensive understanding of air pollution and other local environmental risks and impacts: considering combined risk resulting from multiple sources and risk resulting from our vulnerabilities.

We wish to work with various establishment, voluntary organizations/NGOs, communities, companies, institutions, donor agencies, charities and support organizations in order to achieve the program’s aims and objectives. We are determined to mobilize the means required to implement this initiative through a revitalized partnership

We intend to achieve the goal of an improved air quality and a pollution free air target through this campaign tagged “#Action for Clean Air - Raise your Voices and not the Black Smoke”, by using government, corporate sponsorship and other funding required to convey, support and promote series of workshops, focus groups, stakeholders meetings, scientific symposium, conferences, media outreach, posters, billboards and street art to raise awareness on air pollution, unsafe practices and air quality improvement action plans, through a framework of education, infrastructure and enforcement

Since the air we breathe within Port-Harcourt could be harming our health. We can take action now, by raising our voices and supporting this campaign

Join the campaign to make sure we all breathe clean air everywhere in Rivers state!