Kwale Community is located in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State and has an estimated population of over 700,000 people who are predominantly fishermen and farmers. Agip came into Kwale Community in 1957 but started operations in the early 1960s with the erection of a flow station, the Okpia/Kwale gas plant and 22 oil wells. An ERA Field monitor visited the community on the 6th of October 2010 after receiving a call from the Youth Chairman of Beneku in Kwale, Mr Eze Nwaeze who called to report leakage from Agip pipeline. The community complains that radioactive substances from drilling wastes are causing unexplained deaths in their communities and that wastes like shales and sand stone are brought to surface and dumped in the ponds, lakes and farmlands and are spread far and wide during flood season. Also, toxic chemicals used in drilling wells are part of the problems. They also complain about gas flaring that releases toxic components and poisonous chemicals, that have caused cases of asthma, rising infertility and chronic bronchitis and blood related diseases, as well as acid rain that impacts drinking water. The oil spills in Ndokwa are caused by aged corroded pipelines. Effects include contamination of ground water, death of fish population, loss of cassava and yam plantations, destruction of vegetation, cause of acid soil and low crop yield, further impoverishing local people. Furthermore, despite the Okpai Power Plant being built locally and promises to provide power for the community, leaders of the community allege that this has not happened. (See less) |