International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies
Volume 1, Issue 3, 2021
Will remediation ever be enough? The overdue compliance conversation for Nigeria
Author(s): Cleverline T Brown
Abstract:
In Nigeria, it has long been accepted that environmental pollution is an inextricable part of the operations of the petroleum sector. In the event of this pollution, remediation processes are usually activated after negotiation or litigation. It has been found that remediation could not be enough to completely erase the effect of pollution on the human and natural environment. While this is conceded, this article argues that the current situation can be improved. This can be achieved by drawing a line to close the era of environmental pollution due to bad environmental practices and non-compliance with environmental laws and starting a new chapter of effective petroleum sector regulation by imbibing and practising effective compliance strategies and effectively applying enforcement tools already in practice in Nigeria and other jurisdictions but in a form better suited to the socio-economic and political construct of Nigeria. This article finds that innovative compliance strategies and enforcement tools can be adopted to reduce the need for remediation options either through negotiation or litigation. This is mainly because even with remediation, victims of environmental pollution are not always better off. As such, environmental best practices and effective compliance with environmental law should be encouraged to avoid results that will lead to the need for remediation.
Keywords: Environmental Pollution, Remediation, Compliance, Enforcement
Pages: 20-28
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