The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has attributed the toxic emission in the Kapam community of Chikun Local Govt Area of Kaduna State, North West Nigeria to ruptured pipe.
The State Coordinator of the agency, Aminu Danmasami, made this known in an interview on Friday in Kaduna.
According to him, preliminary findings showed that the toxic emission from the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company(KRPC) was a result of ruptured pipes.
He said the pipes, containing Hydrogen Chloride (HC) ruptured, leading to the leakage mixed with rainwater to form the acid-like emissions.
Danmasami said, ”While it was raining, water flushed the toxic chemicals to the community, leading to the contamination of the atmosphere.”
He said that investigations were ongoing by the state government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the environmental and public health safety of the community.
A civil society organisation, Network of Civil Society in Environment, had raised alarm over the danger faced by the community while the residents also blocked the gate of the Kaduna Refinery in protest of the toxic emission affecting the area (NAN)