The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on Thursday vowed to take stringent action including initiating prosecution of all petrol station owners operating their establishments without emission licenses.
In its statement, the Authority directed all petrol stations across the country to obtain the emission licenses to avoid prosecution and exposure to potential closure.
The directive follows a routine inspection conducted by NEMA in Karen, Nairobi where it was established that some petrol stations were operating without Effluent Discharge License (EDL).
Similarly, the Authority established that other petrol stations were operating with expired licenses that required renewal.
“Some petrol stations were operating generators without the requisite emission licenses-emitting pollutants above the permitted levels in line with the air quality regulations,” NEMA noted.
According to the environment agency, petrol stations are required to undertake stack emission measurements and submit the report to NEMA to obtain emission licenses for their generators.
NEMA clarified that all regulated facilities were required to keep updated environmental compliance records such as licenses, Audit Reports, and environmental Monitoring records at the site of the establishment.
"The Authority issued the non-compliant facilities with stringent improvement orders failure to which they will be prosecuted," read part of the statement by NEMA.
It is not the first time that the Authority has issued such a warning, in 2022 NEMA shut down several petrol stations in Bungoma that were operating without the effluent discharge certificate.
Bungoma County NEMA Director Vincent Mahiva while leading the shutdown revealed the nine stations were closed during the impromptu inspection.
He noted the Authority conducts routine operations annually to streamline standard operating procedures for all petrol stations.
“This inspection is a country-wide exercise and I urge those operating outside NEMA requirements to move with speed and comply,” Mahiva stated.
