body-container-line-1
12.11.2004 Regional News

EPA organises media forum in Takoradi

12.11.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Takoradi, Nov 12, GNA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prepared guidelines for landfill sites for domestic waste and for management of health care and veterinary waste.

Miss Irene Heathcote, Western Regional Director of the Agency, announced this at a media forum organised by the EPA to commemorate its 30th anniversary in Takoradi on Wednesday.

The anniversary is under the theme "30 Years of Environmental Protection in Ghana. Managing Waste-Challenges for the future". She said preparation of district waste management plans have been developed as well as "guidelines for ambient air quality and noise levels and general effluent quality guidelines for discharge into natural bodies".

Miss Heathcote said, "Sector-specific effluent quality guidelines for various industrial types have also been developed ready for promulgation". She said these are some of the achievements of the agency since its establishment 30 years ago.

Miss Heathcote said district and metropolitan assemblies do not see the protection of the environment including solid waste management practices as their core function or they are not sufficiently resourced to undertake this function.

Miss Heathcote said the Agency would want to see the assemblies live up to this task because in the eyes of the public the success of environmental policies and programmes is tied to the amount of waste they see in towns and cities.

She said the EPA had provided guidelines for waste management and it is the responsibility of the district and metropolitan assemblies to implement the strategies.

body-container-line