The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation established by EPA Act 490 (1994).
Established in 1994, the agency is mandated to improve and protect Ghana’s environment, oversee the implementation of the National Environment Policy’s, and find solutions to global environmental problems.
From its website, the EPA said “It’s our job to make sure that air, land, and water are looked after by everyone in today’s society so that tomorrow’s generations inherit a cleaner, healthier world. We have more than 40 years of history behind us. We have offices across Ghana working on and carrying out Government policy, inspecting and regulating businesses and reacting when there is an emergency such as a pollution incident.”
The above statement on the website of the EPA brings to mind this question: “Tema Free Zones pollution: Who is Environment Minister, EPA protecting?”
The above question seeks to help understand if the EPA and the Ministery are really performing their functions effectively in the interest of Ghanaians people and its environment as there are growing concerns over the indiscriminate manner in which United Steel Company Ltd and Rider Steel Company Ltd are discharging toxic smoke in the Tema Free Zones Enclave putting the lives of hundreds of workers in danger.
Protest of workers exposed to the toxic smoke
United Steel and Rider Steel, Lebanese, and India owned companies respectively, they are into the purchase and recycle metal scraps and production of iron rods. Situated on a large parcel on land in the Tema Free Zones Enclave, they share boundaries with Success Aluminum Company Ltd, and MND Metals Company Ltd. The companies are said to have close to one thousand workers.
During the operations of their machines for melting the metals, the factories emit a very thick and heavy smoke with the unpleasant smell emanating from mostly the back of the factories and the chimney which most at times blocking visibility and choking workers of neighboring companies of MND Metals and Success Aluminum.
The situation according to workers of MND Metals and Success Aluminum has been there since 2017 for which several complaints and petitions have been made to the Environmental Protection Agency and other state institutions including Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of National Security, Office of the Cheif of Staff among others. It is also worth noting that some of the workers of MND Metal embarked on a demonstration to draw the attention of authorities to the situation.
Some workers of MND Metals and Success Aluminum Co. Ltd who spoke to Awake News’ Efo Korsi Senyo on condition of anonymity said, their lives are in danger inhaling the harmful smoke anytime they come to work.
When asked why they continue working in an environment they deemed a threat to their lives, their reply was simple “we have no option”, “When we stop work now where do we get our daily bread?”
According to some of these workers, they have serious health issues diagnosed by their doctors as having been exposed to harmful smoke and some shared their medical reports with Awake News to confirm their situation.
For them, working in that area in search of their livelihoods is just as knowingly taking in a slow poison which they knew could kill them before they retire from their workplaces.
Awake News’ investigations also revealed that one of the staff of MND Metals, George Amoah is alleged to have died out of smoke infection in February last year.
What is EPA doing about United Steel Company and Rider Steel?
According to Awake News’ investigations, the EPA upon receiving a series of complaints moved in the closedown of the United Steel Company Ltd last in January this year. However, after one month of closure, the United Steel Company reopened without solving the problem.
The situation at the United Steel Company Ltd as of July 16, 2020
The Minister for Environment, Science Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng on June 23, 2020 paid an unannounced visit to the area after which Daily Guide’s report has stated that the United Steel Company and Rider steel Company have been closed down.
During the Minister’s unannounced visit, the GNA reported that the minister expressed disappointment over the pollution situation in the enclave, but in the same report, the Minister is quoted to have said that he is impressed about the programme United Steel Company Ltd has made to improve the situation.
“For the United Steel, he recounted how he sent his officials there, after some reports adding that he was however impressed with what he saw as there was a tremendous improvement from the reports he received.” – GNA Reports
The impression being created in the above appears to be different from what is on the ground.
The situation as at July 24, 2020
The pollution situation per Awake News’ visit before and after the Minister’s visit remain unchanged. The companies are still in operation and emitting the smoke and heavy as it was before the Minister’s visit and this comes to mind why the Minister would say that he is impressed about how United Steel COmpany has improved their situation.
In your next publication, we will name the individuals within the EPA and Ministery that are shielding the two companies to engage in the pollution.
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com
