Ghana Needs Greater Enforcement of Environmental Laws

General news for Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-09-29

The Deputy Director of Environmental Quality Standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Emmanuel Appoh, has called for the active enforcement of environmental laws to reduce the negative impact of air pollution.

The air pollution situation, according to him, is more serious in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA and as such the EPA together with the stakeholders will begin to strictly enforce the standards and guidelines related to air, water, pollution, earth and noise.

“We need to improve enforcement of environmental laws to protect ourselves from air pollution, which is costing the nation a fortune,” Appoh said in Accra, adding that “the authorities must apply the laws in full.” stated in a media workshop.

Participants discussed EPA Laws and Regulations, Hazardous Waste Management, Environmental Quality Standards, Pesticide Management, Ozone, and Climate Change.

Appoh said EPA will engage in effective partnership with stakeholders to make environmental protection and sustainable development common values.

He said the Agency can do so by establishing links and cooperating with government agencies, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) and institutions to control pollution and protect the environment.

Mr. Ekow Gurah-Sey, EPA Acting Chief Legal Officer, said EPA, being Ghana’s leading institution in protecting the environment, plans to amend some sections of EPA’s laws and regulations to make them more effective by address environmental issues.

He cited, for example, the 1999 amendment to the Environmental Assessment Regulations (LI1652) to make the crimes and sanctions under the rule more punitive against offenders.

It also revealed that the Agency had already sent its proposed amendments to the Attorney General’s Office (AG), after which it would also send the bill to Parliament for consideration.