With the legal provisions for the issuance of Environmental Protection Licences (EPLs) having been revised, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has launched a programme to identify places including factories that have not yet obtained the EPLs under the new criteria, The Daily Morning learns.

A chemical factory in the Katuwana Industrial Zone in Homagama was destroyed due to a fire on 17 August 2023, and it was later revealed that the factory was not in the possession of an EPL. 

The Daily Morning queried the CEA Director General (DG) Hemantha Jayasinghe as to whether they had taken any action to identify places which do not hold EPLs, despite the need to be in possession of such. In response, he said that they were currently in the process of identifying such places and directing them to obtain the EPLs. “About a year ago, stores did not need to have EPLs, but these regulations were revised. As per the newly introduced provisions, stores should also possess them. With the incident in Homagama, we paid more attention to this matter. We are currently in the process of identifying places including factories that have not yet obtained EPLs, and informing them to apply for them,” he said.

Following the revelation that the relevant factory in Homagama had not been in possession of an EPL issued by the CEA, the latter stated that they would initiate legal action against the factory. CEA Media Spokesman Ajith Weerasundara said at the time that there were legal provisions under which the CEA could initiate such. Noting that a comprehensive inspection report should first be obtained, he said that the CEA's Legal Division would then file cases.