Liberia: Holding Polluters Accountable

Erin Farris with a water quality sample from a local well.

The Farmington River flows 75 miles from the Bong Range to Liberia’s Atlantic Coast, passing the city of Harbel and the world’s largest latex rubber processing plant, operated by Bridgestone/Firestone. Local residents complain that the factory discharges untreated effluent, causing health and environmental problems.

ELAW is helping partners at Green Advocates hold the corporation accountable. Law student and ELAW volunteer Erin Farris spent the summer in Liberia working with Green Advocates. She helped monitor water quality near the rubber plant using test kits provided by ELAW. In the river near the plant, Erin found levels of ammonia that are toxic to fish that villagers rely on for food. Ammonia is used as an anti-coagulant in the conversion of raw latex into rubber sheets.