Transcript Slide 1

PIELC 2010, Eugene, Oregon
February 27, 2010
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Green Advocates is a non-governmental organization based
in Monrovia, Liberia;
Green Advocates was founded in 2001 for the purpose of
protecting the environment, advancing human rights
protection and advocacy through sound environmental
practices, and giving a voice to rural, indigenous, and tribal
people. Green Advocates is Liberia’s first public interest
environmental institution
Specifically, our programs include: 1.) Natural Resources and
EITI/PWYP Campaigns; 2.) Corporate Accountability; 3.)
Budget Advocacy/Debt Campaign; 4.) Water Resources; 5.)
Fisheries; 6.) Forest Integrity Program; 7.) Environmental
Governance Initiative; 8.) Community Rights Initiative; 9.)
Public Interest Law and Advocacy; 11.) Transitional Justice;
and 12.) Media Tour.
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At Green Advocates, we’ve recognized the strong
linkages between poverty and the environment;
We’ve also recognized that solving poverty-related
issues will also amount to solving environmental
problems because people striving to leap out of
poverty often engage in informal activities (such as
small-scale enterprises) with implications for the
environment;
Our approach, therefore, is challenging the status
quo by working with the Government of Liberia and
other stakeholders to reform the policy environment
in support of sustainable forest management and
mining that are also environmentally sustainable.
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We encourage recognition for the informal sector
(such as small-scale forest enterprises, artisanal and
small-scale mining, charcoal producers, artisanal
fishermen, etc.) to achieve formal status and
regulation in keeping with law and international
best practice;
Support the progressive development of smallscale enterprise side-by-side multinational
investment because we believe that it is not
possible to effectively fight poverty without creating
wealth;
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Until recently, the environment had no place in national
development planning including the granting of concessions;
In monitoring and evaluating environmental commitments in
mining and forestry activities, we’ve developed a user-friendly
EIA Toolkit to enhance the work of community members, civil
society and other stakeholders ;
Delayed the expansion of a multinational rubber plantation
owned by the Liberia Agriculture Company until the company
took steps to dialogue with local communities and meet
requirements on the Environmental Impact Assessment
Requirements;
In the Mano River Basin (comprising Liberia, Guinea, Sierra
Leone and Coted’Ivoire), we are holding consultations on a
regional platform that addresses a wide range of challenges
including good governance and environmental and social
issues associated with mining and forestry;
On the home front, our greatest environmental challenge is
with the Firestone-Liberia Rubber Company which begun
operation in 1926.
 Firestone
and Local
Communities: The story of
a poisoned generation
 (1937 – Present)
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Since 1937, Firestone is still discharging waste water
containing undisclosed chemicals used in its rubber process
activities into the Farmington River which is a source of
livelihood for over 15,000 residents;
The pollution of both air and water have become intolerable;
Joint advocacy by Green Advocates and community
members forced Firestone to stop polluting Water at
Owensgrove and the construction of a waste treatment
facility;
Since 2008, waste water has been directed to a nearby
community, Kparnyah Town where Firestone ,also, began
dumping wastes from their hospitals and bungalows into a
valley connecting the creeks in the community;
At Kparnyah Town, two community members died from
unknowingly drinking the contaminated water
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Affected communities existed long before the founding of the
Liberian state, in 1822, and the arrival of Firestone in 1926;
Local communities suffered mass eviction at the hands of both
the Government of Liberia and Firestone without any form of
compensation;
Daily breathing difficulties and irritations in the eyes from the
processing activities at the company;
Complete loss of livelihood (as fishermen) from the pollution of
the Farmington River;
Lack of knowledge on chemicals imported and used by
Firestone in processing latex;
Lack of knowledge on the impact of each chemical used by
Firestone on human health; and
Impact of pollution on the health of children and adults
including skin rashes, death, diarrhea and unknown thick
substance which sets in the eyes of children when they wake
from bed daily. They receive showers in the yes each day
before seeing.
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Complaints of ongoing pollution, and public outcry, led to an
investigation by an Inter-agency Investigative Committee
appointed by the President of Liberia;
In October 2009, the Committee found Firestone guilty of
polluting the water at Kparnyah Town;
Instead of enforcing the environmental law that will see the
application of the “No impunity clause”, the “Polluter-Pay
Principle”, a medical checks of local communities and
compensation levels, the Committee handed down a weak
penalty recommending Firestone to hold dialogue with
community members and counter-check its waster Treatment
Facility.
The Liberian EPA is yet to make public results of water samples
taken at the plantation;
In response to a small proposal from community members as
requested by Firestone to resolve the pollution issue, Firestone
wrote a lengthy defensive letter, on February 3, 2010, denying
the findings and community claims:
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“…Since the water treatment facility’s
opening, analytical data and samples
gathered at strategic locations throughout
the system have confirmed that the water
quality improves with each step in this
treatment process. This type of water
treatment system is unparallel in Liberia...”
Our Question for Firestone: If the processed
waste water is so good, why is it not being
recycled or returned to the company/plant
for processing additional rubber or latex?
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Without specifics, this is an empty claim.
Firestone Liberia should share with the Liberian
EPA and the Kparnyah people analytical data
and samples gathered at strategic locations
throughout the system; and
The possibility that this “type of water
treatment system is unparalleled in Liberia”
does not mean that such system is adequate.
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An “SOS” call to all lovers of “clean
environment” to help us “STOP FIRESTONE”
now!
Considering a “Pollution suit” against
Firestone for abuse of the environment and
people;
Technical support (such as training and
equipments) to enable Liberian civil society
draw scientific conclusions on water and air
quality standards in communities (such as
Firestone) facing environmental challenges;
Francis K.Colee
Green Advocates
Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa