In its continued effort to rid Ogijo community in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State of lead contamination, the State Government, through the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), evacuated illegally dumped slags from affected communities.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Officer of the agency, Luke Adebesin, that the remediation exercise, which happened to be an ongoing engagement, commenced earlier in the week.
The statement said that the move was part of the State Government’s concerted efforts to address environmental concerns associated with lead contamination and other hazardous materials within the industrial town.
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The evacuation of the illegally dumped slags was aimed at removing potential sources of lead contamination from the environment and reducing the risks they might pose to residents, workers and other stakeholders in the affected communities.
The exercise is known to be a major component of the State Government’s commitment to restoring the environmental integrity of Ogijo and ensuring that communities affected by industrial activities enjoy a safer and healthier environment.
Speaking on the remediation exercise, the General Manager of OGEPA, Hon. Kehinde Bello, reassured residents of Ogijo of the determination of the State Government to achieve a comprehensive clean-up of the affected areas.
Bello stated that OGEPA would continue to deploy appropriate environmental management measures to address identified sources of contamination, noting that the evacuation of the illegally dumped slags remained an important component of the ongoing remediation process.
He, therefore, urged residents and other stakeholders to support the exercise by cooperating with OGEPA officials and avoiding activities capable of further contaminating the environment, particularly the indiscriminate dumping of industrial waste and slags.
The General Manager reiterated the commitment of the Ogun State Government to sustaining the remediation exercise until the affected areas were adequately cleaned up, assuring residents that the ultimate goal was to restore Ogijo to a safe, healthy, and environmentally sustainable industrial community.