Residents of Gbarantoru Community, in Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa and environmentalists on Tuesday expressed concerns over intensified gas flares from a facility operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in the area.
People residing within the neighbourhood of the gas processing facility which feeds the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) export hub on Bonny, Rivers expressed shock over the sudden upswing massive gas furnace close to homes in the community.
They noted that it was absurd that Shell was intensifying gas flare when other operators like TotalEnergies had recently ended gas flare in its operations.
Mrs Patricia Ebi, a resident noted that she was surprised at the increased flares and emissions of gas in the neighbourhood which threatened the quality of air inhaled by people who reside in the area.
“The thick smoke is an indication that the combustion is not complete and therefore emission of toxins that pollute the air and compromise the human respiratory systems here.
“It is also an irony that at a time we cannot afford to buy cooking gas, the same gad is being flared and wasted , polluting the environment,” Ebi said.
Another resident, Ibenewari Gregory regretted that the operator of the gas processing plant has not deemed it fit to update residents on the ongoing operations.
“Shell has not come to talk to anybody before flaring this gas, the flare which has gone on for days without respite is a threat to public health here.” he said.
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) an Environmental Rights focused group reacted in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey on Tuesday.
Also HOMEF’s statement quoted residents and saying that the intensified flares which had gone on for over one week is causing havoc, damages to the people of Gbarantoru, health wise, noise pollution, urging government to come to their aid.
According to the statement, the people requested relocation of the occupants of all the building, as houses are vibrating, windows are shaking, children are scared.
“There’s no way to sleep at night; heat all over,” the statement quoted another resident as saying.
According to sources in the community the massive gas furnace had burnt for more than seven days.
“HOMEF considers the activity of Shell as contravening the fundamental right to life and dignity of the people of Gbarantoru and their neighbours, as specified under sections 33 and 34 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“And as affirmed by a High Court ruling in November 2005 in the case of Jonah Gbemre against Shell.” Bassey stated.
According to the statement, the flaring of gas is pervasive in the Niger Delta, and is a harmful and wasteful practice.
The group noted that aside from being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change, the impacts of gas flares on the health of community people, their ecosystems, biodiversity, aquatic resources, agricultural production, livelihood sources, as well as the larger Nigerian economy are deleterious.
HOMEF regretted that World Bank figures from 2013 to 2019, about 319.48 million standard cubic feet of gas was flared into Nigeria’s environment amounting to a waste of $1,08 billion.
“This is without a cost to the amount of pollution caused. Between 2020 and the first two months of 2024.
“So abiut 595.1 million standard cubic feet of gas has been flared in nine Niger Delta states, cummulatively amounting to another waste of $1.9 billion and more damage to the environment,” the group said.
However, officials of SPDC declined to speak on the development.
Request for comments on the reports by SPDC hist community residents to the energy firm is yet to get a response.