The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has shut down three pyrolysis factories across the country for operating without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
An EIA evaluates the potential positive and negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of a proposed project or development to ensure sustainable growth while minimising harm to the environment.
In a statement issued on Friday, March 7, NEMA announced that it had halted operations at one facility in South C, Nairobi, and two others in Samburu and Kilifi counties.
According to the Authority, the three factories were found guilty of fugitive emissions, poor management of black carbon, and improper handling of extracted wires from tyres.
Following the shutdown, the facilities were issued with improvement notices and directed to conduct an assessment of their emissions and ambient air quality to evaluate the environmental impact of their operations.
"The Authority issued improvement notices to three pyrolysis plants for emitting fugitive emissions, poor management of black carbon, and improper handling of extracted wires from tyres," NEMA stated.
"In Samburu, the factories were involved in recycling iron and the pyrolysis of waste tyres," it added.
NEMA emphasised the need for factories across the country to adhere to environmental regulations to ensure environmental protection while conducting their operations.
The closure of the three factories comes a month after the Authority closed down a wood processing factory in Nakuru for also polluting the environment by emitting harmful fumes.
According to the Authority, the company had neither obtained an Emissions Licence nor implemented pollution control measures, thereby contravening the Air Quality Regulations 2024.
As a result, the company was ordered to cease all operations immediately until it met the required compliance standards.
“NEMA has shut down the company located in the Ketigoi area, Mau Summit, Kuresoi Sub-County, Nakuru County, after it failed to comply with the conditions of the Environmental Restoration Order issued on 6 August 2024, followed by an inspection conducted on 23 January 2024,” read part of the statement.
“The facility had fugitive emissions visible from various leakages in the boiler area and across the entire facility, causing an uproar among the neighbouring community due to the potential effects of such emissions,” it added.
