EPA shuts down steel factory

United Steel & Fabrication Limited, a steel manufacturing company in the Tema Free Zones enclave, has been temporarily shut down by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

This follows the company’s inability to meet EPA’s deadline to cut down on pollution.

Ebenezer Appiah Sampong, Deputy Executive Director of EPA, Accra, who led the team on an inspection tour of the facility, explained that the company was given eight months to fix its pollution problem but it failed to adhere to the directive.

He said EPA had ordered the company to install a pollution control system to mitigate the air pollution but it didn’t comply with the directive. According to him, until the company cooperates with the regulator, it will remain closed.

Last year, the Minister of Environment, Science & Technology visited the company. He identified the pollution being emanated by the operations of the company and directed it to fix the air pollution problem.

A fact-finding team led by EPA, National Security, among other stakeholders, during an inspection of the facility, saw a lackadaisical approach adopted by owners of the company.

Even though management of the company showed evidence of ongoing construction of a pollution control system, their plea for a two-week extension to allow them to complete the system was rejected by EPA.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com