EPA Fines Monrovia Breweries

Authorities of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) have on Monday, July 6, 2020 fined Monrovia Breweries Incorporated US$ 5,000 for violating the Environmental Protection and Management Law (EPML).

Monrovia Breweries Incorporated has been instructed to deposit the amount in Government of Liberia Revenue at the Liberian Revenue Authority (LRA) within 72 hours.

See a full text of Acting Executive Director, Hon. Randall M. Dobayou’s statement below.

EPA Press Statement On MBI Fine

July 06, 2020

I present my compliments and wish to inform you that on Friday, 3 July 2020, a team of EPA Inspectors visited the premise of the Monrovia Breweries Incorporated (MBI) to conduct routine environmental inspection and follow up on your company’s implementation of recommendations proffered by the Agency during its 10 April 2019 audit verification visit to the company. As you may be aware, a team of EPA technicians conducted an assessment on the aforementioned date and recommended among others that MBI obtain an effluent discharge permit and chemical registration and importation license for chemicals imported. This recent visit was thus intended to assess the company’s implementation of recommendations made by the previous technical team as well as to assess the company’ compliance status as per its operation permit.

Regrettably, however, the inspectorate team led by the chief inspector of Montserrado county Stephen S. Gongehn was denied access to MBI’s facility with the Chief of Security on duty holding firm that MBI management had instructed that the EPA should serve prior notice before being allowed to inspect the facility. The EPA takes serious exception to this non-compliant posture and has decided to send a strong warning to other would-be offenders that the Agency is serious about its mandate of safeguarding the environment.

Please be reminded that denying environmental inspectors access to your facility is a violation of Part IX Section 95 of the Environmental Protection and Management of Liberia (EPML) and an affront to Section 8.0 of your operation permit which gives inspectors the right to unhindered access to your facility, at any given time, for the purpose of monitoring your adherence to the terms and conditions of the permit and compliance to the provisions of the Law. Subsection 3 of section 95 of the EMPL states that anyone who interferes with the Inspector’s duties commits an offence and is liable on a conviction of a fine not exceeding 5000 USD or imprisonment for one year or both.

On this basis and After Careful review of the situation in keeping with the spirit to ensure sustainable environmental protection, the management of Monrovia Breweries Incorporated is hereby fined the amount of five thousand United States Dollars (5,000 USD) to be paid, within 72 hours of receipt of this communication, in Government revenue through the Liberian Revenue Authority (LRA) with an official receipt presented to EPA. Failure to comply with this notice of violation may lead to the cancellation of your operation permit.

Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem and consideration as we strive for environmental sustainability for now and successive generation. 

Kind Regards,

Randall M. Dobayou II

ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO