Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has served notices to owners of those vehicle services stations found to be directly discharging contaminated waste water into municipal sewerage lines.
In the notices, owners of service stations are summoned in EPA office for explaining their positions otherwise would face action in accordance with the provision of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environment Protection Act 2014.
“During visit to service station, EPA team found that contaminated waste water, having lubricants, surfactant and mud residue is directly discharged into nearby municipal sewerage line without treatment, violating section 11 of Environment Protection Act 2014,” reads the notice served to a service station owner on Warsak road Peshawar.
According to Section 13 of the Act `No proponent of a project shall commence construction and operation unless he has filed an Initial Environment Examination or Environment Impact Assessment and has obtained approval from EPA, the notice further reads. Whereas according to Section 11 of EPA Act 2014, the document continued, no person shall discharge or omit or allow the discharge of an effluent or waste, air pollutant or noise, load concentration or level which is in excess of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environment Quality Standards.
The notice also warned owners of vehicle service stations that contravenes or failing to comply with the provision of section 11 of EPA Act 2014 shall be punishable with a minimum fine of Rs. 50,000 which may extend to Rs. Five million. In case of continuing contravenes an additional fine of Rs. 100,000 may be inflicted for every day till compliance of the law. The station owners who were served notices were also directed to immediately stop all the activities till the compliance of EPA Act 2014. An official of EPA KP when contacted informed that notices are issued to several service stations in pursuance of the directives of Secretary Environment KP, Abid Majeed. He said EPA has been directed for ensuring strict compliance of EPA laws in this regard so that services stations owners should install waste water treatment plants.
