EPA to make waste management mandatory for assemblies

Accra, Nov. 11, GNA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting in place modalities that would make it mandatory for all assemblies to present the Agency with a waste management plan for each year.

Mr Jonathan Allotey, Executive Director, EPA, said this at the launch of a 25-minute documentary film on the activities of the EPA after 30 years of existence. He indicated that the waste management plan was important, since it would help to curb the haphazard waste disposal by most assemblies. "The plan would be required to deal with issues like people charged with waste collection and where the waste would be disposed," he said. The documentary to be showed on all television stations is expected to inform the public on functions of the EPA in terms of its preventive role, regulatory and monitoring, guidelines development, promotion of cleaner production technologies and systems, among other functions. Mr Allotey said the documentary was also intended to bring to the fore the need for citizens to ensure that their rights were not infringed upon by others in terms of noise making and waste disposal. "We all have stake in ensuring that we enjoy a clean and safe environment, by ensuring that those around us do the right things," he said.

He said due to the low remuneration, the Agency had a very high turnover of staff. This is compounded by the lack of logistics and vehicles to carry out their mandate. Mr Edward Osei Nsenkyire, Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment and Science, who launched the documentary congratulated the Agency on the attainment of 30 years service to Ghana and urged the staff not to rest on their oars.

He urged the public to cooperate with the Agency to ensure that the country enjoyed a clean and safe environment. 11 Nov. 05