The Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry,
Aden Duale Wednesday directed National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)to mapout facilities with asbestos roofing countrywide to ensure they are removed.
The facilities including schools and other private establishments will have the next three months to remove asbestos.
Citing public health safety concerns, Duale stated that he has already written to public institutions with such roofing to remove them and dispose them off in line with NEMA guidelines.
The CS was speaking as he made his inaugural visit to NEMA headquarters.
The directive is likely to have a financial implication on the house owners.
Asbestos fibres may cause serious lung diseases, including asbestosis and cancer. Smoking also increases the risk of developing illness from asbestos exposure.
Disease symptoms may take several years to develop following exposure.
Currently, the people most heavily exposed to asbestos are those in the construction sector and most occupational exposures occur during the repair, renovation, removal or maintenance of asbestos.
“We have written to the ministries of Defence, Internal Security, Education and Health to undertake an audit of all the facilities that have asbestos roofing,” Nema Director General Mamo Mamo said.
Asbestos is a group of six fibrous minerals occurring naturally in metamorphic deposits worldwide.
In the 1960s and 1970s, asbestos was a material of choice in the construction industry.
Several facilities including food manufacturing industries and residential homes used asbestos roofing material due to its durability and fire resistance characteristics.
Asbestos fibres are strong and have properties that make them resistant to heat. Many other products contain asbestos.
Most of these materials are used in buildings as roofing, soundproofing, ceilings and tiles; as insulation materials in boilers, steam pipes, water heaters, brake linings, clutch plates, and bonnet lining; and in protective gears as fire-resistant blankets, jackets and gloves.
Canada, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe are major producers. Asbestos used to be mined in Kenya but was stopped.
Nema first developed national guidelines on the safe management and disposal of asbestos in 2011 before they were revised in 2013.
The guidelines were produced through consultative and collective efforts of Nema and lead agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services and the then City Council of Nairobi.
The need to safeguard human health and the environment from adverse impacts of asbestos materials necessitates the guidelines.
The guidelines say waste generators must secure the site when removing asbestos to prevent unauthorized persons and to restrict movement. Before removal, the asbestos sheets should be wet.
“If asbestos sheets begin to crack or crumble, wet the cracked or broken areas with a pintsize spray bottle or garden pump sprayer,” part of the guidelines say. It adds that breakage releases asbestos fibres.
Care should be taken not to stand or sit on the asbestos sheets to avoid breakage.
The guidelines say workers removing the asbestos must have the appropriate personal protective equipment which must be removed immediately after work.
Material containing asbestos or contaminated with asbestos must be viewed as hazardous and packaged to keep fibres from getting into the air.
The guidelines say containers used for packaging may be hard or flexible and must be sealed airtight.
The CS held a meeting with the Board of Directors, Management and staff where critical issues affecting the Authority were discussed.
In order to enhance operations of the Authority, the CS stated that he will fastrack gazettement of 13 Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) regulations currently pending.
He further outlined the pivotal role the Authority plays in management of the environment.
He added that an error of omission or commission could have a far reaching effect to the health of the public.
As such, staff must abide by high standards to safeguard the environment.
The CS was informed that 12,300 wetlands have been mapped countrywide.
He urged Nema to keep the updating the list of wetlands countrywide so that appropriate action can be undertaken.
He directed Nema to enhance its revenue collection to be able to cater for its operations and discharge optimal services to the public.
As the Designated National Authority (DNA) for Carbon markets, the CS urged the Board and the Management to critically register and diligently undertake the task as part of efforts to cope with climate change and meet the country obligations as outlined in the Paris Agreement.
“Nema must enforce the law to ensure the environment is protected and safeguarded. All facilities in the 47 Counties must be brought under compliance,” he said.
On the same, he urged the County Directors of Environment to remove bottlenecks in the licensing process.
He also warned those discharging raw sewerage into Nairobi rivers.
He stated that NEMA must engage Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company to ensure that raw sewer doesn’t get into Rivers from burst sewer lines.
On his part, NEMA Chairman, Emilio Mugo who was represented by his Vice Chair, Sophia Matura expressed the Authority’s commitment to address various environmental related challenges through implementation of various environmental laws and partnerships.
The Director General, Mamo B. Mamo echoed the same sentiments noting that the Authority has made progress in enhancing environmental compliance through regular enforcement actions.
