allAfrica.com: Kenya: Nema Clamps Down On Polluters With New Rules (Page 1 of 2)

A battery manufacturing factory in Nairobi's industrial area, Associated Battery Manufacturers, regularly sends blood samples of its workers to Britain for analysis, just in case they have lead poisoning in their blood.

For this activity, the company spends about Sh350,000 annually. "We strive to offer our employees the best medical care and we also offer them good diet during the day," says John Kinyanjui, the managing director of Associated Battery Manufacturers.

Working at a lead recycling or processing plant is not a light matter. Protective clothing must also be worn at all times. But this is as far as the employees go. Lead is among the pollutants that can affect a large population of people living near such factories.

"We control emission from our factory by feeding the resultant gas into machines that purify it," says Kinyanjui.

Kenya, East Africa's manufacturing powerhouse, is facing the heavy task of dealing with pollution. Just like heavily industrialised China, Kenya has had the difficult task of dealing with pollutants such as lead, dust, noise, carbon dioxide, sulphur oxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, among other pollutants which environmentalists say cause health hazards.

Analysts say environmental watchdogs in China are getting strict with companies that pollute the air. But this has had a negative impact on the Third World-China has resorted to relocating its gas emitting factories to Africa.

African countries like Kenya offer China cheap labour and easy access to land to set up base. Besides, some African governments do not mind the pollution caused by factories provided there is a reciprocal job provision for the growing manpower.

"This is not right. We cannot invite pollutants into our country just because they are offering employment to our people. What about the health of our people" poses Kinyanjui.

Recently, residents of Nakuru town opposed the setting up of a Chinese battery- making firm in the town's industrial area, saying it would pollute the environment.

And in Athi River township, the controversy surrounding plans to construct a Sh536 million cement factory deepened, with environment regulators saying the firm should seek an alternative site. The company owners, however, insist the project is still on.

Residents of Kitengela are opposing the construction of the Chinese owned Catic Cement plant, arguing that it will make the residential area inhabitable because it will emit dust and noise.

Already, the small town of about 500,000 people has two cement manufacturing plants and several metal and steel products factories. Several household goods manufacturers are based in the town located 17kms to the south of capital Nairobi.

It is in the backdrop of these public concerns that the environmental watchdog, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has drafted new Air Quality and Noise Pollution and the chemicals regulations-which should take effect in June.

On the spotlight are manufacturing plants, petroleum refinery, gas stations, grain millers, vehicle owners and owners of sand or mineral extraction fields. Companies whose production by-products include such pollutants are to be asked to acquire special emission licences that spell out emission limits.

The new regulation by Nema is a blessing to environmental health campaigners but scares manufacturers who will have to revise their production processes to cut the amount of emissions to the environment. This could cost factories more money because of investment in new air quality control machinery.

The regulation will set a limit on the amount of emissions by manufacturers. Nema has trained 120 police officers to help in prosecution of offenders.

Industries that will breach the limit will be liable to a Sh1.5 million fine. Heavy polluters must buy special permits at between Sh50,000 and Sh150,000 if they are to continue operating in the country. The Kenya Association of Manufacturers views these license requirements as a burden to manufacturers .

At a meeting with five ministers and key government officials last week, Steven Smith, the chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) said: "Those charged with the oversight of the environment need to conduct their task in a manner that also stimulates and gives incentives to the required investment in the country...we must stop making them barriers to investors.

"The key concern for business is the multiplicity of regulations whose cost and uncoordinated implementation has tended to harm investment. Compliance cost is increasing which has become a burden to manufacturers," said Smith.

The new regulation intends to control emission of pollutants such as dust, black smoke, sulphur oxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide among other health hazards.

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