Audio By Carbonatix
Owners of the closed Dansoman LPG gas station say the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a long way to go if it wants to permanently shut down the station.
The owners told Joy News' Latif Iddrisu they have a court permit granting them the power and authority to run the station despite several complaints by residents.
The residents claim the gas station is sited right within the neighbourhood and remains a disaster in waiting.
That disaster struck on Easter Monday with an explosion which led to two persons sustaining severe burns.
One of them died two days later while the other remains in critical condition.
While mourning the death of the deceased person, the residents are convinced it is time for the station to be shut down completely.
However, the owners are adamant. They are hoping for an ongoing investigation into Monday's disaster to be over in order for them to resume operations.
Meanwhile, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has attributed the gas explosion to "human error."
Spokesperson of the Authority, Yaro Kasambata, told Joy News under no circumstances should gas be discharged while the gates of the station are open.
He added that the station cannot also be serving customers at a time it is discharging gas, hinting that was what happened in the Dansoman blast.
"Our immediate plan is to shut the place down and evacuate the LPG in the tank from the location," he said.
"We are also awaiting the work of the committee[tasked to investigate the cause of the blast]; for now, the station remains closed," he noted.
Even though he agrees largely with the concerns of the residents, he said the NPA or any other regulatory body cannot whimsically go and shut down a station just because of the mere complaints by residents.
It is a country of laws, he averred but added the Authority will increase its supervisory roles and ensure that the stations comply with safety procedures.
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