EPA to prosecute environmental offenders

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has warned that it will crackdown on environmental offenders, particularly those who engage in open burning of electronic waste (e-waste).

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the EPA, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, who gave the warning, said the rise in the indiscriminate dumping and open burning of hazardous waste materials was contributing to significant environmental pollution and risk to human health.

Prof. Klutse stated this when the EPA, with collaboration from the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), held a stakeholders’ meeting with the 29 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Region last Tuesday.

In recognition of the dire consequences of environmental pollution and the need for enforcing compliance the authority had collaborated with the Office of the Attorney-General to develop a prosecution guide for the implementation of the sanctions regime, she added.

“Under this programme of renewed collaboration, the EPA will support the review of existing bye-laws in selected hotspot districts, with provisions prohibiting the burning of hazardous and other waste in the open, and enforcing same against persons and body corporates,” Prof.  Browne Klutse stated at the meeting to discuss the prosecution guide and the modalities for implementation.

She explained that the enforcement measures were envisaged to be extended to persons or body corporates whose land or property was being or had been used for the burning of hazardous waste or other waste in the open.

The law

She explained that the development of the prosecution guide was in line with the spirit of section 3 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) which granted the authority collaborative and coordination mandate.

Prof. Klutse said the open burning of hazardous waste and other waste, including e-waste and tyres had become a peculiar challenge across the country and needed a multi-stakeholder approach to grapple with.

She said it was for that reason that section 109 of Act 1124 had prohibited the burning of hazardous waste or other wastes in the open.

“The law further imposes an administrative penalty of 2,500 penalty units in the case of an individual and 10,000 penalty units in the case of a body corporate to be enforced by the EPA,” she said.

Good move

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Akweley Ocloo, said the partnership between the EPA and the MMDAs in enforcing the law barring the open burning of e-waste was crucial as it would help to deal with dire challenges confronting the region in terms of the unsound disposal of waste.

“Our region is rapidly urbanising, bringing with it significant environmental challenges, including the improper disposal of e-waste.

When not managed properly, electronic waste releases harmful chemicals into our soil, water and air, posing serious risks to both public health and the environment,” she said.

Therefore, she urged all relevant agencies, local government authorities and private sector actors to work together towards practical solutions that would ensure a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Greater Accra Region.