Ghana: LPG Poses Serious Threat to Life - EPA Director Raises Alarm
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Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)
6 August 2008
Posted to the web 6 August 2008
THE EXECUTIVE Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. J. A. Allotey, has stated that the proliferation of Liquefied Petroleum Product (LPG) filling plants in the country, particularly in the urban centres, poses a great danger to lives and property due to its "volatile nature" and potential to cause fire outbreaks.
According to him, the consumption of LPG has been on a steady rise since its introduction in the country, thereby attracting huge investments in the sector, which has led to the current large number of LPG outlets. "This situation poses serious threats to lives and property due to the volatile nature of LPG and the potential to cause fire outbreaks," he affirmed.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop for LPG marketing companies and operators on guidelines for establishment and operation of LPG Refilling Plants in Ghana, the EPA boss said the case of gas explosion at the Asokwa based Engas Filling Station, which claimed three lives, is still fresh on the minds of Ghanaians.
The workshop, which was organised by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Environmental Agency, aimed at creating awareness on the new guidelines and equipping LPG marketing companies and retailers with the knowledge and skills to promote best practices in the industry.
According to Mr. Allotey, the tragic event had generated concerns among the general public, and attributed the concerns to factors such as improper siting due to non-acquisition of relevant documents prior to the commencement of activities; non compliance of permitting conditions; as well as inadequate technical knowledge and skills on the part of persons employed to operate such facilities, among others.
He therefore, called on operators of LPG plants to collaborate fully with regulators, in the face of the introduction of "new guidelines" to ensure safe and sound operation of the sector.
Mr. Allotey, however, indicated that despite the concerns raised, the use of LPG could not be proscribed because it has positive contribution in Ghana 's achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. He argued that six out of the eight goals are still linked strongly to poverty reduction by using LPG.
The Chief Executive of National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mr. J. D. Attafuah, on his part stated that the NPA would not accept to be presented with compliance by existing operators.
"When an operator constructs a filling plant or a retail outlet without going through the due process, we would request to see what has been buried- like pipes and tanks, and certify that they have been done according to our requirements before we even begin to talk about penalties," he pointed out.
He disclosed that in the past some operators constructed their plants without recourse to requirements of any of the regulating agencies- like the NPA, EPA, Town and Country Planning, Ghana Standard Board and the Ghana Fire Service.
According to Mr. Attafuah, the NPA, at the moment is the last in the "permitting hierarchy" and therefore, expects operators to secure permits from the other regulating agencies before they could come to NPA for the construction permit.
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He entreated participants to participate fully to ensure that the document expected to be produced at the end of the seminar becomes workable for all stakeholders.
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Copyright © 2008 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
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