Monrovia — Environment activist Mr. Tundy Rodney Tarn has proposed setting up a special Environmental Court and requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to demonstrate political will.
In an exclusive interview with the NewDawn newspaper over the weekend, Mr. Tarn suggested that this could be a major undertaking to address the prevailing and uncontrollable environmental crisis across the country.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the NewDawn Newspaper over the weekend, Mr. Tarn said that the 2001 Act establishing the EPA, calls for the setting up of an Environmental Court to timely and properly dispose of environmental cases and violators.
He explained that Liberia is experiencing unprecedented flooding and other environmental issues due to the lack of an Environmental Court, political will, and adequate climate awareness across the country.
He believes that with political will, setting up of an environmental court, and ensuring adequate climate awareness, Liberia can make significant gains in improving its sanitation, hygiene environmental, and climate protection.
"Under the EPA Act, it states that there should be [an] Environmental Court. The environmental court needs to be set up. The EPA Act was established [in] 2001 and since then, the Environmental Court has not been set up," he argued.
Recently, he said his group visited the Dolokan Community in Congo Town, Peace Island, and the 72nd Boulevard Road to conduct climate awareness.
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During that visit, he said they discovered that people were in flagrant violation and disregarding the EPA law.
From their tour, the environmental activist revealed that they discovered that even medical facilities were taking waste from their facilities and publicly disposing of them in the community.
He pointed out that they saw places where people were destroying EPA symbols that sensitize the public about the protection of the swamp.
According to Mr. Tarn, people break down those symbols and carry out the construction of homes, and backfilling in wetland.
"The EPA director and the government need the political will and the law enforcement agencies need to back the EPA up," Mr. Tarn stated.
"With the setting up of the Environmental Court, it helps the EPA to ensure that those presiding over those cases are trained in that area," he added.
Due to the specialization the judges would have in that area, he believes that they will help to properly hear the cases that will be brought forth.
