The New Dawn Liberia | Truly Independent

Residents of the Battery Factory Community on Somalia Drive have alarmed over the wave of pollution in their community as a result of the solid waste management collection center constructed near the Stockton Creek Bridge. The residents said the daily stockpile of garbage at the center in open air is posing serious health hazard in the community due to the oozing smell.

Speaking over the weekend in an interview, one of the residents, Mr. Sam Kollie, said the situation is a major healthcare challenge as the polluted air was creating discomfort for them.

Kollie, who identified himself as chairperson of Concerned Youths for Proper Development in Battery Factory, called on the authorities to come to their aid to save the community from an imminent outbreak of water borne diseases.

He later led this writer to the garbage site, we were denied entry on grounds that the staff was busy and the boss was out of office. The terrible smell also affects occupants riding in vehicles plying the Somalia Drive route, particularly from Central Monrovia or before the Jamaica Road Junction.

Meanwhile, other residents who also spoke on the issue, said generally, their health is not guaranteed because the pollution from the garbage was contaminating their food, while they continue to inhale the unpleasant smell. They called on the Environmental Protection Agency to go on the site to verify the situation. Other leaders in the community could not be reached for comment.