By: Laymah Kollie
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia has imposed hefty fines on several companies, including ArcelorMittal Liberia, Elsin Transport & Logistics, and Monrovia Breweries Incorporated, for violating national environmental laws.
Speaking at a press briefing in Monrovia, EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing Liberia’s environmental regulations “without fear or favor” under the leadership of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.
“We are guided to move beyond business as usual and apply our environmental laws without fear or favor,” Dr. Yarkpawolo stated. “Environmental violations will not be tolerated.”
Dr. Yarkpawolo also announced three key national developments:
• Liberia has formally submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), targeting a 64% reduction in emissions by 2035, with 10% from domestic resources and 54% conditional on international support.
• The EPA has received a €100,000 Elemental Analyzer from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to strengthen the country’s Blue Economy and water-quality research.
• Liberia will host a national Pavilion at COP30 in Brazil, showcasing the ARREST Agenda, NDC 3.0, and the Atlas of Liberia’s Natural Beauty and Wonders to attract sustainable investment.The EPA fined Elsin Transport & Logistics US$8,000 for unauthorized disposal of palm kernel waste. The company had imported 17 containers of palm kernel shells from Nigeria but dumped two containers at the Wein Town Landfill without EPA supervision an act that violated the Environmental Protection and Management Law (EPML).
Dr. Yarkpawolo said the company has since hired a certified waste firm to handle the remaining materials, but warned that further sanctions will follow if the fine remains unpaid.
In the most severe case, ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) was fined US$125,000 for polluting the Viellie and Gbai Rivers in Nimba County. According to EPA investigations, heavy rainfall caused a section of AML’s overburden stockpile to collapse, releasing contaminated sediments into the rivers critical water sources for nearby communities.
Laboratory tests revealed high levels of iron, lead, selenium, and chromium, far exceeding national water-quality standards.
AML was also ordered to pay an additional US$60,000 environmental research fee to fund a comprehensive river assessment.
The EPA said AML failed to notify the agency and local communities within 72 hours of the incident, as required by law.
Monrovia Breweries Incorporated (MBI) faces a US$20,000 fine for polluting creeks and wetlands in Blagai and Karnga Towns, Bomi County, with improperly disposed brewers’ spent grain.
The EPA found that MBI failed to implement previously agreed corrective actions and issued an Environmental Restoration Order requiring the company to clean up residual waste, install containment systems, rehabilitate degraded land, and monitor water quality.
MBI must also pay a US$5,000 restoration monitoring fee, with non-compliance risking permit suspension or revocation.
Dr. Yarkpawolo concluded the briefing by stressing the agency’s dedication to environmental justice and corporate accountability.
“These cases send a clear message: environmental violations will not be tolerated,” he emphasized. “Together with our partners, we will continue to uphold environmental justice, public health, and national dignity across Liberia.”
