The Ogun State Government has commenced a remediation exercise in Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area, to address lead contamination linked to Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling activities and safeguard public health.
The exercise follows a comprehensive process audit of all Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) facilities in the industrial town, alongside tests conducted on soil, water, air and blood samples collected from residents.
Flagging off the exercise, the General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Kehinde Bello, said the government has begun evacuating slag illegally dumped in various communities due to its hazardous nature.
According to Bello, the exercise is aimed at protecting residents who may have been unknowingly exposed to lead contamination.
“The evacuation of this slag will take us weeks to complete because lots of them are illegally dumped in many communities surrounding the ULAB facilities, as the state government is determined to evacuate them in the overall public interest and well-being of the residents,” he said.
He assured residents of Ogijo that the era of indiscriminate dumping of hazardous slag had come to an end.
Bello said the state government has directed all ULAB operators to upgrade their operations by deploying automatic battery breakers, a move expected to significantly reduce slag generation and ensure compliance with approved slag management procedures.
Also speaking, the Director of Hazardous Material Management at OGEPA, Babatunde Lawal, said the remediation exercise goes beyond slag evacuation.
He explained that the government will undertake a bioremediation programme through the planting of vegetation capable of absorbing lead from contaminated soil, helping to restore affected sites after the hazardous waste has been removed.
Lawal urged operators of Used Lead Acid Battery facilities to conduct their activities responsibly and in line with environmental regulations to protect public health and the environment.
The Director of Inspectorate and Compliance at OGEPA, Tunde Bolarinwa, said the agency would intensify monitoring of ULAB facilities to ensure full compliance with the state’s revised operational standards and environmental guidelines.
He warned that any operator found violating the new regulations would face appropriate sanctions.
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