A Review of Petroleum Waste Management and Environmental Quality Status of Niger Delta

Abstract

Gilbert LC, Nwachukwu MA and Uzoije AP

This paper provides a review and assessment of many researches and documentaries on Niger delta petroleum waste management. What new strategy or operational techniques would be added to improve waste management and environmental quality of Niger delta is our concern. Poor waste management, lack of environmental impacts assessment (EIA) and remediation neglects in the three sectors of oil and gas operations (upstream, midstream and downstream) are responsible for environmental pollution in the Niger delta. There is need to adopt continuous, operational, and periodic EIA with immediate remediation in the three operational sectors. This will end the old method of remediation only after a crisis. Application of Remove, Reduce, and Reuse to petroleum waste water should be considered. Avoidance of gas flaring near residential areas is obvious. Replacing unlined waste water pits with lined pits, solid waste dumps with sanitary landfills and partial waste treatment with full treatment are inevitable in sustainable management of petroleum wastes. Oil companies and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) could establish research grant for environmental studies to have the findings reported to them directly. Niger delta operational areas with maximum toxicity should be mapped out as brown fields and declared “no farm areas”.

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