Total Exploration and Petroleum Uganda has issued a statement indicating that negotiations are in final stages for the handing back of the waste dumping site at Purongo Sub County in Nwoya district to the land owner.
In March 2009, Mr Douglas Olwoch, a local farmer in Pabit village hired part of his land to Tullow Oil, Total E&P predecessor in the oil exploration majorly in Albertine region to dump oil cuttings.
According to Olwoch, he agreed to hire the land to Tullow Oil for only five months, but since 2009, the toxic waste have not been collected or safely disposed off from his land.
Though the two parties entered into an agreement to rent the land at Shs750, 000, Olwoch claims that the land has become toxic, more than four years after and that he cannot cultivate it anymore.
Through his lawyers Odonga Otto & Geoffrey Anyulu of Odonga Otto & Anyulu’s Co. Advocate, Olwoch is demanding for Ugsh. 250 Million in damages.
Odonga who is representing Olwoch in a court case brought against Total E&P says such exposure is likely to affect the DNA of Acholi as a tribe since the toxic waste is in the open and is being washed down the streams.
The legislator explained, “Majority of the families in the areas where the oil wastes were dumped depend of farming as their major activity. They are therefore likely to consume the hazardous wastes through the food crops and drinking water.”
Currently, mud cuttings are being treated at Nyamasoga Waste Treatment Plant in Hoima district.
Mr Christopher Ocowun, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Total E&P Uganda says they will restore the site before handing it to the owner.
Ocowun says after a number of engagements with the leadership of Nwoya and Purongo, they were given a go ahead to restore the site.
However, he declined to discuss details arguing that the matter is still in court.
So far, more than 18,000tons of drill cuttings have been transferred from Purongo legacy waste site in Nwoya district, Bugungu and Tangi temporal waste consolidated areas.
The oil exploration activities in the Albertine grabben by Total E&P Uganda have generated 57,000 tons of toxic liquid and solid wastes from the Exploration Area-1 and Exploration Area-1A being undertaken by Total E&P Uganda.
The waste includes 40,000 tons of hazardous solid and 17,000 tons of liquid toxic materials.
Nyamasoga waste treatment plant is a 40 billion shillings (U$ 14M) owned by Uganda and South African nationals.
Mr Joel Ogarubo, the Land Field Manager at EnviroServ Uganda, the company contracted to manage the waste said on Thursday that such materials are highly toxic and can cause cancer.
Ogarubo explained that the waste materials could carry heavy metals such as lead which is dangerous to the body once it is consumed.
Ogurabo also noted that such metal can contaminate water and make it poisonous.
“The waste management plant is first of its kind in East Africa. It meets the International Standards,” He said.
According to Ogarubo, treated toxic waste from oil and gas exploration can take up to 30 years to detoxify.
Since November 2014, EnviroServe Uganda has been treating the waste at its plant in Hoima district.
Ahlem Friga-Noy, the Corporate Affairs Manager Total E&P Uganda explained that Total E& P is carrying out its operations in close collaboration with the environmental bodies and lead government agencies in all its undertakings in oil and gas activities.
She also explained that Total E&P has hired operators which have been certified by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), to carry out safe waste dumping.
