By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia has taken sweeping enforcement actions against three companies for breaching environmental laws, in what marks a renewed push under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration to uphold environmental justice and corporate accountability.
Addressing a major press conference in Monrovia on Friday, October 17, 2025, EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo vowed that the agency would no longer tolerate negligence or “business as usual” in enforcing Liberia’s environmental protection laws. “We are guided to apply our environmental laws without fear or favor,” he declared.
Among the most significant actions announced was a US $125,000 fine against ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) for polluting rivers in Nimba County. The EPA said a section of AML’s overburden stockpile collapsed after heavy rain, contaminating the Viellie and Gbai Rivers—vital water sources for nearby communities—with toxic substances including lead, iron, selenium, and chromium.
The EPA also levied an additional US $60,000 environmental research fee for a full-scale ecological assessment of the affected river corridor. AML’s failure to promptly notify the EPA and local communities, as required by its permit, further compounded the violation.
In another case, Monrovia Breweries Incorporated (MBI) was fined US $20,000 for improper disposal of brewers’ spent grain in Bomi County, which led to creek and wetland pollution. The EPA cited MBI for failing to implement previously agreed corrective measures, and imposed an additional US $5,000 restoration monitoring fee. Under a new Environmental Restoration Order, the company must clean up and rehabilitate the polluted site or risk having its environmental permit suspended.
Similarly, Elsin Transport & Logistics faced an US $8,000 fine after dumping palm kernel waste without EPA approval at the Wein Town Landfill. Although tests confirmed the material was non-hazardous, the company acted without a certified disposal license—violating the Environmental Protection and Management Law.
Dr. Yarkpawolo used the occasion to highlight three major national developments: Liberia’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) targeting a 64% emission reduction by 2035, the arrival of a €100,000 Elemental Analyzer donated by the IAEA to enhance water-quality research, and preparations for Liberia’s Pavilion at COP30 in Brazil to promote the country’s ARREST Agenda and environmental initiatives.
“These enforcement actions send a clear signal that the EPA means business,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said. “Environmental violations will not be tolerated. Companies must comply or face the consequences.”
The EPA chief reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting public health and the environment while collaborating with local communities, ministries, and global partners. “Together,” he added, “we will safeguard Liberia’s natural heritage and ensure a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
