ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL LAWS

Environmental Pollution Control Laws
• Federal environmental protection agency (FEPA) decree No. 58 of 1988 amended to FEPA acts of 1992
• National environmental protection (pollution abatement in industries and facilities generating wastes) regulation 1991
• Environmental impact assessment decree No. 86 of 1992
• National environmental protection (management of solid and hazardous wastes) regulation of 1991
• Factories decree of 1987
• Land use decree of 1978
National Environmental Protection (pollution abatement in industries and facilities generating wastes) Regulation 1991
It stipulates that industries are supposed to have a pollution monitoring unit at each site to analyse all discharge and make monthly report to FEPA. Accidental or unusual discharge must be reported to FEPA within 24 hours.
Factories Decree of 1987 (as amended to factories act)
Certain provisions or sections of this law are to protect the environment from pollution and contamination e.g section 45 (2) states that no stationary internal combustion shall be used unless provision is made for conducting the exhaust gases from the engine into the open air. It provides the protection of workers, in connection with the process dust, fume or other impurity of such a character and to such an extent as to be likely injurious to persons employed therein e.t.c.
Environmental Impact Assessment Decree (as amended to FEPA act of 1992)
This law compels every major development project, which is likely to have an adverse impact on the environment, to be subjected to an environmental impact assessment. Older projects that have polluted the environment will be audited and re-organised for safer production and services.
The Environmental Sanitation Edicts
These edicts exist in many states of the federation with slight modification in titles. For instance in Kogi state, we have the sanitation Edict No. 12 of 1998. The major provisions of these edicts include the establishment of bodies responsible for environmental sanitation, prescription of environmental offences and penalties. In terms of scope, it covers sanitation issues of waste disposal, industrial and commercial pollution, noise pollution control and pest and vector control e.t.c.
POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF WATER
There are other substances that may contaminate water under certain conditions if present in high concentrations. The table below is a list of substances that are toxic and their maximum allowable concentrations in water according to World Health Organization (WHO):

Toxic substances Maximum allowable levels (mg/l)
Selenium (Se) 0.05
Arsenic (As) 0.01
Lead (Pb) 0.05
Cyanide (CN) 0.2
Mercury (Hg) 0.01
Barium (Ba) 1.0
Fluorides (F) 0.8-1.0

If these substances have values in water higher than that quoted above, they will cause ill-health and death ultimately.
Potential Hazards of Air
Hazardous substances are emitted into the air by a number of sources
Toxic substances Sources
Abestos Construction, demolition of existing structures, abestos mining, soil erosion
Mercury Choroalkali manufacture, battery manufacture and solid waste incinerator
Benzene Petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries and industrial solvents
Arsenic Copper smelting and glass manufacture
Fluorides Aluminium smelting and phosphate fertilizer manufacture
Radioactive substances


Potential Hazards of Soil
Sulphur present in fumes is responsible for acid rain and consequently lowers the pH of the soil.
Chlorine and nitrogen oxides are other common gaseous pollutants which combine with water and pollute the soil.
Magnesite dust affects very adversely the soil property such as rise in pH, decrease in exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and available P and K to almost a critical level.