Published: September 17, 2025
HARPER, Maryland County — The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia has called on citizens, businesses and institutions in Maryland County to comply fully with the nation’s environmental regulations to safeguard public health and promote sustainable development.
Speaking through its county office, EPA official James P. Pude reminded residents that every Liberian is entitled to a clean and healthy environment under Part II, Section 5 of the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia. He urged anyone facing environmental challenges to promptly report them to the agency for redress.
Pude emphasized that all projects and activities with potential environmental impacts, including agriculture, mining, construction, forestry, fisheries, tourism, energy, petroleum, waste management, and chemical use, must undergo an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment before they begin.
He also cited recent government action to strengthen protections, pointing to Executive Order 143 signed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Feb. 24, 2025. The order prohibits new activities in wetlands, coastal zones and marine areas in an effort to protect Liberia’s beachfronts and waterways.
The EPA stressed that facilities handling chemicals are required to obtain registration licenses and effluent discharge permits, while factories, workshops, petroleum storage facilities, gas stations, cold storage units, funeral homes, hotels, motels, beaches and waste management companies must also secure environmental permits. The agency further noted that noxious odors, pollution and the discharge of hazardous substances are prohibited, and that community burials are banned, with embalming allowed only at licensed funeral homes.
Pude warned that EPA inspectors have the legal authority to access facilities, land and projects without a warrant, and that anyone obstructing their work will face punitive measures, including fines and shutdowns. On construction, he clarified that while the agency does not decide land ownership, it regulates activities conducted on land and therefore requires stronger coordination with the Ministry of Public Works and local city corporations to ensure sustainable infrastructure in Maryland County.
“The EPA office in Maryland County is here to serve you,” Pude said. “We therefore call on all ministries, agencies, community leaders and business operators to comply with the Environmental Protection and Management Laws.”
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