EPA STANDS ACCUSED

Many of the negative environmental and social impact issues facing communities affected by the extractives industry in Ghana have been squarely placed on the door step of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This has made the EPA to be the most vilified regulatory body in the extractives industry in Ghana for the critical role they play in issuing permit for commencement of operation in the industry. Civil Society groups and communities in the mining, and oil and gas industry are quick to point accusing fingers at the EPA for any wrongful doings by the operatives in the extractive industry. This situation has led the EPA to clear the air on the allegations being leveled against them indicating that they stand wrongly accused. According to Mr Kojo Agbenor-Efunam, Deputy Director in charge of Oil and Gas at the Environmental Protection Agency, “the EPA is not the sole authority on issuing permit” and as such could not be held liable for any wrong doings. He explained that there are other regulatory bodies that also issues permit and theirs is the final permit. “Before we ok an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) we will asked the proponent to have consultation with the necessary service provider(s) whose services are likely to be affected. Our permits only facilitate the client or proponent to obtain the final permit from the appropriate regulatory body,” he added. An EIA is the process for the orderly and systematic identification, prediction and evaluation of the likely environmental, socio-economic, and cultural and health effects of an undertaking and the mitigation and management of those effects. It is undertaken by the proponent and approved by the EPA. He emphasized that after the EPA issues its permit, notification is given to all the appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies whose services would be affected by the proponent’s operation, adding that “We always insist on continuous consultations with the appropriate bodies before commencement of the intended project in order to adequately address any concerns they might have”. One of the major areas that the EPA has been heavily criticized in recent past is the deteriorating road network in the western corridor due to the operations in the extractive industry. A civil Society group like KITE has insisted that the EPA should be held accountable for some of the actions and inactions of the oil companies. They argued that by approving the EIA of the operators and okaying their licenses then it means the EPA agreed with all their operations. But Mr Agbenor-Efunam pointed out that when it comes to issues relating to road the Urban Roads under the Ministry of Roads and Highways will have the final say on any project that might affect the roads network and therefore will issue the final permit for the commencement of the intended project. In the same vein, if the intended project starts having negative impact on the road network, it is the Urban Roads in the District Assemblies who should be held accountable and not the EPA. He cited an instance with the location of the Accra Mall that has resulted in the current unbearable traffic situation at the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout to buttress his point. “The EPA objected to the construction of the Accra Mall at its current location because of traffic reasons but the Urban Roads in their traffic management plan said the traffic situation could be managed and therefore went ahead to issue a permit. We could not stop them from going ahead because they have the final say on that issue”. He insisted that a lot of the problems that the EPA is trying to solve are not for them but for the local assemblies. But when the people go to them (the District Assemblies) they don’t get any response and therefore comes to the EPA to address their concerns, and because of that everybody in the country thinks that any problem that arises should be place at the EPA’s door steps. The Environmental Protection Agency is the leading public body for protecting and improving the environment in Ghana. It's their 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.