Human Rights Watch accuses DRC’s only oil company of exposing residents to serious health and environmental risks
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Perenco, the only oil producer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, of continuing oil extraction practices that pose serious risks to the health of the population and the environment, calling on the government to promote transparency and take urgent action to reduce pollution and hold officials accountable.
In a report released on Monday, the organization said oil production operations in oil concession areas have contributed to worsening environmental pollution, and have directly affected local communities living near extraction sites.
The Director of Human Rights Watch's Central African Division, Louis Mudge, stressed that the Congolese government is required to disclose oil pollution levels and fulfill its legal obligations to protect the right to health, stressing the need to recognize the risks to the population in oil concession areas, immediately report pollution levels, and take measures to reduce citizens' exposure to contaminated materials.
Contaminated practices despite the existence of laws
And despite environmental laws that prevent harmful pollution, Birenco has continued to implement practices such as the burning of gas associated with oil in the open air and the burning of oil waste, which are among the most prominent sources of environmental pollution.
And he pointed out that oil and gas extraction operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have caused widespread health problems among the population, including respiratory diseases, dizziness, and the decline in agricultural production, as well as oil leaks from wells and pipelines that have polluted the soil and rivers, and the high concentration of heavy metals in drinking water sources, which exacerbated the water crisis in the country.
Company response
Birenco has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2000 and owns a number of facilities and extraction sites located within or near residential areas.
In response to Human Rights Watch inquiries, the company denied that its operations were responsible for air, soil, or water pollution or causing severe health effects, asserting that it had invested in programs to reduce pollution and support local health initiatives.
Since 2013, the organization has documented harmful environmental practices attributed to the company, noting that these violations continued without real accountability, despite the possibility of violating a number of national environmental laws and international obligations.
Violations of international obligations
The report noted that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantees the right to the highest attainable standard of physical health and obliges governments to take measures to prevent the exposure of the population to harmful chemicals and environmental conditions.
Article 53 of the Congolese Constitution provides for the right to a healthy environment, as well as national environmental protection laws and programs, but Human Rights Watch believes that the implementation of this legislation remains weak.
Evidence of waste incineration
The report cited the 2011 Basic Principles of Environmental Protection Act, which prohibits the disposal of waste in places that may harm the environment or public health, but the organization confirmed that it had obtained video recordings showing open burning of oil waste inside a Birenko facility, only about two kilometers from a residential village.
Call for transparency
Human Rights Watch identified one of the most significant shortcomings as the lack of periodic monitoring of environmental conditions in oil-producing areas, and called on Congolese authorities to publish the results of the company's environmental audits, stressing that the right to health includes the right of citizens to access information on health and environmental problems affecting their communities.
The report sees enhanced environmental monitoring, disclosure of pollution levels, and strict enforcement of environmental laws as key steps to reduce health and environmental risks facing communities close to oil-producing areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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