An Assessment on the Level of Compliance in the Handling and Disposal of Oil Contaminated Solid Wastes from Retail Fuel Service Stations in Gwarinpa District of Abuja

The research is aimed at ensuring a clean environment and protecting the environment from the activities of retail fuel service stations which requires proper monitoring and enforcement of environmental regulatory standards by regulatory bodies and adequate compliance by operators. The safety of humans and their environment is key in applying environmental best practice in any retail fuel service stations. The research sought to determine the level of compliance to environmental regulations among retail fuel service stations within Gwarinpa District of Abuja, Nigeria in the handling and disposal of oil contaminated solid wastes. Questionnaires, field observations of the facilities and interviews were used to collect relevant information from the respondents and regulatory agencies. The research conducted a census of all seven retail fuel service stations within the Gwarinpa District. The researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative techniques in analyzing the data which included content analysis and descriptive statistics. The data analyzed was used to draw inferences and conclusions for this research. The findings showed that majority of the retail fuel stations activities via respondents in the handling and disposal of oil contaminated solid waste did not comply with existing regulations stipulated by the Department of Petroleum Resources and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency.