EPA Defends Siting Of Fuel Stations In Residential Areas

Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has categorically stated that there is no law in the country that prevents the siting of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and fuel stations in residential areas.

At a press conference in Accra, Executive Director of EPA, Mr. Peter Abum Sarkodie, revealed that siting of fuel stations in both residential and commercial areas was lawful.

He was responding to questions by the media on the gas explosion which took place at Mansco Gas Station at Atomic Junction in Accra last Saturday, that reportedly has claimed seven lives and left several others injured.

He went on to describe the disaster as “heart breaking.”

Mr. Sarkodie revealed that a committee has since been set up to conduct initial investigations into the explosion.

Taking journalists through the procedures for obtaining permits for siting fuel and gas stations, Mr. Sarkodie noted that the National Petroleum Authority’s regulations stipulate that gas and fuel stations should be sited at a minimum of 30.8 metres or 100ft from residential areas.

He said the EPA, Ghana National Fire Service and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) are putting measures in place to help minimise gas and fuel stations explosions at the various gas and fuel filling stations in the country.

According to him, the state petroleum regulatory agencies were on course to ensuring that all gas filling plants and fuel filling stations adhere to safety standards, while new policies will soon be rolled out to avoid “needless explosions.”

He pointed out that that EPA has also constituted a technical team to review applications of the applicants requesting for permits to build petrol fuel stations.
He appealed to the media to use their outlets to educate individuals who use gas for domestic purposes on some safety measures.

A total of seven people perished, whereas 132 others sustained various degrees of injury.

Six of the dead are yet to be identified.