Enforced legislation is needed to stop oil and gas exploration contaminating land and water
There has been much excitement about the discovery of vast natural gas resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In densely populated Europe land is scarce and the cleanup of contaminated brown field land is an issue. But in Sub-Saharan Africa new green field sites for construction and exploration are so available that contaminated land has not been seen as a problem. As a result, the exploration of oil and gas resources should include a thorough review of the life cycle of the facility, including post closure after the extractable resources have been removed. All facilities should include a thorough assessment of latent and residual risks on closure to ensure risks are managed and sufficient funding is available for post closure rehabilitation.
Potential contamination can be mitigated by careful planning at the design phase and implementing sound engineering practices during construction and operation of plants. Industry and the government need to work closely to ensure these effects are managed well even after the assets have been exploited.
Stronger policing and criminal sanctions are needed against companies that ignore environmental legislation and do as they please. NGOs and civil organisations are noted for their role in bringing such activities to the forefront.
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