Ogun State Government and National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) are set to partner with other environmental stakeholders to prevent indiscriminate disposal of hazardous waste and explore innovative technology in converting waste to useful materials.

Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, stated this in his welcome address at the interactive session for the use of Acid lead battery Slag evacuation at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Oresanya said the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), has implemented a standard procedure for the collection, storage and transportation of Slags by accreditation of hazardous waste collectors to pack up waste from respective companies.

He said OGEPA is conducting regular inspection, monitoring and tracking of metal Slag to ensure compliance with guidelines, saying over 100 tons of lead slag were being evacuated monthly from these facilities all over the State.

In his keynote address, Director General NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, said the goal of the Slag evacuation programme in Ogijo is part of NESREA's broad strategy to sanitise the battery recycling sector.

In his contribution, Director Hazardous Materials Management and Environmental Safety OGEPA, Mr. Babatunde Lawal, said the use of best available technology would reduce hazardous waste hence, the need to enlighten off takers on Environmental best practice.

Also contributing, Director, Inspectorate Compliance and Monitoring, OGEPA, Mrs. Yemisi Oshinaike, spoke on the need for Community Development Associations (CDA's), to partner with government agencies as whistle-blower in putting a stop to indiscriminate disposal of hazardous waste.

On his part, Head of Geocycle department, Lafarge Africa PLC, Mr. Gregory Salami spoke on the need to use mass media to inform the public on the health implications of indiscriminate disposal of hazardous waste.

An inspection visit to some identified illegal dumping sites of hazardous waste at Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area was conducted by the team from NESREA officials from OGEPA where a Community Adviser, Ifelodun CDA, Ogijo, Engr. Olarewaju Wahab, revealed that the hazardous waste was dumped into their community by unidentified individuals, causing health hazard within their community.

The event was rounded off with a visit to Lafarge Africa PLC, Itori plant, where the visiting team engaged the management of the factory on possible ways of absorbing the lead and iron Slag into the process of cement.