Lawmaker Picks Bone With EPA, NPHIL

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

Margibi County district number one Representative, Tibelrosa Summoh Tarponweh has accused the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) of allegedly wasting highly concentrated chlorine within his district.

According to a press release from Representative Tarponweh’s office signed by him, a 20ft container of the alleged highly concentrated chlorine was transported to his district, specifically the Disco Hill community located in lower Margibi County.

The release furthered that this occurred on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 by employees of the EPA and the NPHIL and escorted by some alleged heavily armed police officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP).

Representative Tarponweh noted in the release that his district particularly the Disco Hill Community strongly rejected this act on the part of the two government’s agencies.

“Residents of my district, specifically the Disco Hill Community have strongly rejected the dumping of an alleged highly concentrated chlorine by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL),” the release noted.

The release continued that following the notification of Representative Tarponweh’s office by the residents, he advised members of the disposal team to firstly carry out sensitization before the disposal exercise, something he noted that the team did not do.

“Upon notifying my office, I advised the disposal team to embark on a vigorous awareness and sensitization campaign for residents of the affected community, inform them of the danger or non-danger the disposal of the chlorine would have caused, but the authorities of the EPA and NPHIL did not do so,” he stressed.

The Margibi County district number one Representative noted in the release that the residents, particularly youth and elders resist the wasting of said substance within their community, adding that it could create serious health hazard in the community.

He further lamented through the release that he frowns at what he calls the arbitrary use of armed police officers against peaceful citizens in situation that according to him needs only proper information dissemination and awareness, thus, terming said action by the police officers as counterproductive.

Meanwhile, efforts made to contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) did not materialize up to press time.