An official in the national assembly is calling for laws that will protect the environment from oil pollution.

“There should be a law that talks about environment and that is why we had to go and visit the oil fields, we are still to compile a report also on the general environmental situation of South Sudan,” said Bol Gatwach the chairperson of the Special Committee on Land, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment.

Mr. Bol said that oil companies should be regulated in order to avoid toxic waste that is hazardous to people living around the oil fields.

He was presenting the committee’s findings on the impact of oil spills in Upper Nile and Unity states – during a workshop organized by the Institute for the Development of Civil Society.

“Now the Ministry of Petroleum is trying to do something to protect our environment, but the Ministry of Petroleum is the polluter, they are producing oil for us to get the money form the oil, but good enough the minister is very concern about the environment though their main job is for them to get this oil out and we get money,” he said.

Speaking during the same function, the Deputy Minister of Petroleum, Elizabeth James Bol said her ministry is working on reducing environmental pollution.

“We seriously admit there are some environmental damages, there are some environmental concerns in the oil sector, but let me assure you that the ministry is working hard with all the relevant stakeholder s to make sure that we can mitigate or reduced some of the environmental issues or concern in the oil sector,” the Deputy Minister said.

Earlier this month, the Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Stephen Dhieu Dau said the government is working on relocating people living in areas polluted by oil spills, after the Meluth County commissioner said that two people died, allegedly due to complications from oil pollution.

Yesterday, Unity state caretaker governor, Dr. Joseph Monytuil told the press at Juba International Airport today that scientific assessment needs to be carried out to assess dangers of the oil on population living around the oil fields.