September 5, 2005

Workshop Environment
Assembly members call for responsible management of waste

Some members of the Tema Municipal Assembly and heads of departments at Tema have stressed the need for the district assemblies to give stakeholders on the environment the political support to enable them perform effectively and efficiently. They also requested technocrats of the assemblies to come out with the abridged version of all information relating to the environment to enable assembly members understand and deliberate properly on issues concerning the environment with confidence.

Fifty participants made the call at the weekend at a day's seminar on the environment organised by the Corporate Social Responsibility Movement (CSRM) with funding from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

The workshop was held under the theme "The role of assembly members in managing industrial waste, the case of the Chemu Lagoon.''

The participants noted that agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Town/Country Planning Department and the Waste Management could function satisfactorily if they were given political support.

The participants resolved to embark on awareness creation drive to enable residents to appreciate the need to respect the environment and keep it clean. They therefore urged the Environmental Protection Agency to educate assembly members on the Environmental Impact Assessment of companies to be well placed to take the appropriate action.

The participants called on industries that discharge directly into the Chemu Lagoon to treat their effluent to acceptable standards.  Mr Samuel Addokwei Addo, Consultant of AY and A Consult Limited who spoke on the "Role of assembly members in promoting corporate environmental stewardship", said the pollution of the lagoon is largely to due municipal/domestic waste while industrial waste constitute about 35 percent. He called for the intensification of education on waste management to enable the public act responsibly towards the environment.

Mr. Richster Amarfio, Executive Director of the CSRM, called for collaboration of all related agencies and individuals to contribute towards the reactivation of the Chemu Lagoon. He said it was unfortunate that activities of residents and industries had resulted in the near-death of the Lagoon which once served as a livelihood for people.