The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is undertaking a survey on industrial waste and pollution with the view to ensuring that industries treat their wastes very well before releasing them into the environment. The aim of the survey, which is under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), is to ensure that industries conform strictly to EPA regulations on the proper management of wastes before releasing them into the environment. Addressing health and environment officers at a meeting in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ms Sherry Ayittey, cautioned that industries that did not measure up to the standard would be sanctioned under the law. Although the industrial waste and pollution survey forms part of the mandate of the EPA, it is largely informed by increasing concerns expressed by members of the public in recent timers about industrial waste pollution in some parts of the country. The meeting of the health and environment officers formed part of consensus-building efforts on the implementation of the Libreville Declaration on Health and Environment for Africa, particularly the Situation Analysis and Needs Assessment (SANA) Report. The Libreville Declaration was adopted by 52 African countries in August, 2009 at the first Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in Africa, committing themselves to 11 priority action points on addressing challenges relating to health and the environment. The preparation of a SANA report is to enable Ghana to translate its commitment under the declaration into action. Ghana is among 12 out of 52 countries committed to the declaration that have completed their SANA report. According to Ms Ayittey, many children in Ghana are now suffering from respiratory and chest problems, conditions she believes, are the result of environmental pollution. She said the essence of issuing environmental permit was to ensure good environmental governance by industries. The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, underlined the need to preserve the ecosystem in order to promote good health and prevent diseases. He said it was important to carry out health impact assessment because the social and development costs of not doing so were considerable. Mr Mettle-Nunoo said the World Health Organisation was in the process of assisting the health sector in Ghana in building capacity to undertake health impact assessment using the oil and gas sector as an entry point. The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr George Amofa, said there was a close relationship between the environment and health, pointing out that a greater percentage of diseases related to poor environmental conditions. He said poor waste management and mining activities, for instance, contaminated water bodies and the environment leading to dire health consequences. A representative of the WHO, Dr Vincent Ahove, commended Ghana for being among the first 12 African countries to complete their SANA, and expressed the hope that the country would work hard towards institutionalising the framework. Source: Daily Graphic