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<p>Cross-section of Participants at the Stakeholder's review for the 1,200mm pipeline water project from Mt. Coffee Dam to the White Plains Water Treatment Plant</p>
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<p><strong><em>As
residents representing several affected towns registered ‘no objection’ to the
project</em></strong><strong></strong></p>
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<p>Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)
Liberia will today, November 1, 2019 break ground for the construction of a
US$18 million raw water pipeline between Mount Coffee Hydro-power Plant and the
White Plains Water Treatment Plant, following stakeholders’ review organized by
authorities at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an EPA release says.</p>
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<p>MCA-Liberia is a Liberian-government
agency created in 2015. It is responsible to implement a US$257 million grant
provided by the American Government through the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC).</p>
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<p>According to the release, residents representing several towns in the
Harrisburg township ‘registered no objection’ to the construction of the 1200
millimeters (diameter) Raw Water Transmission Pipeline from Mount Coffee
Hydro-power Plant to the White Plains Water Treatment Plant, during the
stakeholders meeting.</p>
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<p>Kawusu Toure, EPA assistant manager for environmental social impact assessment
(ESIA), said the gathering, which brought together residents, representatives
of line ministries and agencies, was intended to review an ESIA for the
construction of the pipeline.</p>
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<p>The ESIA, according to Mr. Toure, was prepared by Liberia Engineering and
Geo-Tech Consultants (LEG Consultants), an independent environmental evaluator
for DENYS NV, a foreign-based firm contracted to construct the pipeline.</p>
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<p>Toure told the citizens and those who attended the interactive forum that
the ESIA report was presented to the EPA in pursuit of an Environmental Permit
for the construction of the pipeline.</p>
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<p>In a Powerpoint presentation, Mr. Toure explained that section 20;
subsection (2 and 3) of the Environment Protection and Management Law of
Liberia, mandates the EPA to constitute an Environmental Impact Assessment
Committee to review Environmental Impact Statements and Management Plans.</p>
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<p>John Jallah, EPA manager for compliance and enforcement, said the EPA cannot
issue Environmental Permit in the absence of an ESIA report.</p>
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<p>He said the stakeholders’ engagement is intended to hear from residents of
the affected communities, as well as resolve issues surrounding social impact
relative to the project.</p>
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<p>LEG Technical Director, Nelson S. Jallah, who provided the project overview,
said that the U.S., acting through the MCC, entered the Millennium Challenge
Compact with the Liberian government to facilitate poverty reduction through
economic growth in the country.</p>
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<p>Jallah said the project, which is part of the compact between the two
countries, is intended to replace the 900 millimeters diameter raw water
pipeline leading from the Mount Coffee Dam to White Plains with a 1,200mm
diameter raw water transmission pipeline.</p>
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<p>He said that the replacement of the 900 mm diameter raw water pipeline to a
1,200 mm diameter raw water transmission pipeline, will improve reliability and
better quality of the water provided.</p>
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<p>Paul Kennedy, MCA-Liberia director for Environmental and Social Performance,
lauded the EPA for the dialogue; and said that the construction of Raw Water
Transmission Pipeline from Mount Coffee Hydro-power Plant to the White Plains
Water Treatment Plant is intended to pump safe drinking water to the 1.2
million people in Monrovia.</p>
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<p>Kennedy said the construction of the pipeline is an environmental mitigation
project following the rehabilitation of the hydro dam’s impact on the water
source to Monrovia.</p>
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<p>He said salt water was entering the water source to Monrovia, and therefore,
the new pipeline would be constructed above 20 meters above sea level into the
hydro dam to prevent the salt water from entering the water supply system.</p>
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<p>Mr. Kennedy said that the project was not part of original projects
earmarked under the grant, “but it came about due to the sea water intrusion in
the system.”</p>
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<p>“Portion of the US$257 million grant,” he said, was used for the
rehabilitation of the dam, and the maintenance of roads across the country.</p>
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<p>Though the project is small and would last for six months, DENYS NV’s
Frederic Fouillot said it will provide jobs for 100 residents of Harrisburg
Township.</p>
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<p>He then assured the public that the 100 contractors would be selected from
across every community in the township, and that some farmers and properties
owners would also be compensated for damaged crops, and structures that would
fall in the routes the pipeline has earmarked for the project.</p>
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<p>An international environmental specialist, Britta Lammers, hired to oversee
the compensation process, is currently working to ensure that every person
affected by the project gets their “just compensation.”</p>
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<p>Some residents, in separate remarks, lauded the EPA for the engagement, and
promised to cooperate with the project management team.</p>
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<p></p>
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