Coca Cola Sri Lanka resumes operations, will pay compensation: CEA

Sept 01, 2015 (LBO) – The environmental protection license of Coca Cola’s Sri Lanka unit has been reinstated after the company addresed the oil seepage into the Kelani river, and agreed to pay compensation for the damage, the Central Environmental Authority said.

“Coca cola has agreed to pay costs associated with the environmental damage, impact on consumers and cost to the Water Board associated with the oil leakage,” the CEA said in a statement.

Last week, the company’s environment protection license was suspended after an oil leak from an underground fuel pipeline seeped into the Kelani river. The CEA intervened and held extensive discussions with the company while its operations at the Biyagama plant shut down.

Water supply to several areas in Colomo was disrupted as a result of the leakage. The Central Environmental Authority said the company had taken adequate steps to address the leakage.