By By: Staff Writer
The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Green Forest to immediately shut down all operations at its Camps 1, 2, and 3 after inspectors found what the agency called “massive environmental degradation and pollution.”
The Montserrado County District #1 mining company was hit with three enforcement notices during the EPA’s ongoing nationwide compliance sweep. The orders include a halt order for pollution, a non-compliance notice for operating without an environmental permit, and a full closure of all Green Forest operations. The notices were served to the company’s Public Relations Officer, Chris Zanga.
EPA Director of Environmental Research and Radiation Safety Rafael Sarji Ngumbu said the company’s activities caused extensive damage and pose serious risks to public health and nearby ecosystems. He added that Green Forest began large-scale mining without an EPA permit, violating Liberia’s Environmental Protection and Management Law.
The alleged violations fall under Sections 56, 69, 90, and 109 of the law, which carry penalties including fines and prison time.
Under the order, Green Forest must immediately stop all work, including processing plants and heavy machinery use. The company has seven working days to start environmental restoration and submit a remediation plan to the EPA for review. It must also complete the full permitting process and comply with all regulations before any future operations are considered.
The shutdown is part of the EPA’s broader push to crack down on illegal mining and enforce environmental standards nationwide.
