Koung Dedicates EPA’s Lab

Koung Dedicates EPA’s Lab

By Godgift Harris

Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has dedicated the newly constructed laboratory for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The dedication signifies the country’s significant leap forward in environmental governance and scientific advancement beginning with the official commissioning of its first-ever state-of-the-art environmental laboratory.

The landmark facility, is housed in the newly completed headquarters of the EPA in Mamba Point enclave in Monrovia.

VP Koung formally dedicated the lab in a historic ceremony on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.

Koung described the occasion as a “proud milestone in the country’s pursuit of environmental sustainability and institutional modernization.

The new laboratory marks the dawn of a new era in environmental protection and science-based policy-making.

“This laboratory is more than just a room with equipment,” VP Koung declared, adding: “It is a foundation for evidence-based regulation that will allow us to monitor water and air quality, track coastal erosion, analyze climate data, and make informed decisions to protect public health and the environment.”

VP Koung said the new facility alongside the completion of the EPA’s modern headquarters signals a renewed national resolve to enforce environmental standards with integrity and professionalism in alignment with the Boakai administration’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.

“For too long, the EPA operated from rented buildings that did not meet even the most basic environmental standards, the institution was mandated to uphold,” he said.

 “Today, that contradiction ends. This new facility reflects the seriousness of the country’s commitment to climate action and environmental justice.”

EPA’s Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, described the laboratory as a “game-changer” for the country’s environmental landscape, while recalling years of operational constraints due to substandard infrastructure and inadequate resources.

“In the past, we received cutting-edge equipment from international partners, but we lacked the physical infrastructure to make use of it,” Dr. Urey explained.

“Now, with this modern laboratory, we are equipped to carry out critical scientific functions internally,” he said.

Valued at nearly US$100,000, the laboratory is fitted with high-tech instrumentation capable of conducting a broad range of environmental analyses.

These include water and air quality testing, soil analysis, climate monitoring, and even forensic environmental investigations services, which previously had to be outsourced at significant financial and time costs.

The laboratory is also poised to support the country’s engagement with the global carbon market.

In a related development, Dr. Urey revealed that the EPA, in collaboration with the Coalition of Rainforest Nations,

the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Novasphere, is currently conducting a nationwide forest and carbon stock inventory.

The objective is to quantify the country’s carbon trading potential and establish mechanisms for equitable benefit-sharing.

Already, a draft national carbon market policy has been developed and reviewed laying the groundwork for carbon credit ownership and distribution that aligns with the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The dedication of the project was a reaffirmation of the country’s commitment to building a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable country, not just for today, but for generations to come.

The ceremony brought together a wide array of stakeholders, including government officials, representatives of diplomatic missions, international development partners, environmental advocates, civil society organizations, and EPA staffs.

Many of those in the gathering praised the initiative as a long-overdue investment in scientific capacity-building and environmental governance in the country.