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Explosives and hazardous items clearance at ports needs to
be expedited - Chamber of Mines
Accra, April 15, Ghanadot/GNA - The Ghana
Chamber of Mines on Tuesday proposed the adoption of a
single import permit that would allow mining and quarrying
companies to import, clear and take delivery of explosives
as soon as they arrive at the ports.
This, the Chamber said, would avoid the current situation
where explosives were stored together with other less
hazardous materials at the ports for several days before
they are cleared.
“This is certainly worrying as any mishap such as a fire
outbreak could have dire consequences for the whole harbour
infrastructure, not to mention the national security
implications,” Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of
the Chamber, said at a day’s stakeholder workshop to
deliberate on guidelines for the safe transportation of
hazardous materials in Ghana.
Currently, companies require an import permit as well as a
delivery permit to clear explosives on arrival at the port.
But this process increases the delivery time by at least two
weeks during which time the explosives lie at the port with
all the associated risks.
“We therefore advocate that explosives are expeditiously
cleared from the port for safer storage,” she emphasized.
Ms. Aryee also mooted the idea of routing all imports meant
for the mining companies and heavy industries, which are
mostly located in the Western Region, through the Takoradi
port to reduce the exposure of the public to dangers in the
largely unregulated transportation and handling of hazardous
materials by road.
“The distance from the Takoradi port to these mines is
shorter than from Tema, and therefore hauling from Takoradi
will reduce the exposure of these materials to the public.
“If the Takoradi port has inadequate infrastructure, we
should as a matter of urgency address them. This will also
help spread development throughout the country.”
She also called for the consideration of rail transport as a
means of hauling imports to ease the potential of hazards
and to protect and extend the life of the country’s roads.
The workshop will review draft guidelines drawn jointly by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Chamber of
Mines on the existing policy and legal framework with a view
to making recommendations to improve the safe transportation
of hazardous materials.
It would also suggest possible modules for a training manual
for employees of haulage companies on the safe
transportation of such material and identify elements of
national emergency preparedness and response programmes.
Mr Jonathan Allotey, Executive Director of the EPA, said
between January 2003 and December 2007, seven accidents
leading to spillage of chemicals with serious health,
environmental and financial considerations were reported to
the EPA.
He attributed these accidents to the poor conditions of
roads and transporting vehicles and the inadequate safety
training for drivers and haulage companies.
Mr Allotey said the EPA, in addressing the problem had, as
an initial step, established a licensing scheme for
transporters of hazardous chemicals under which such
companies were required to obtain licences for their
vehicles to ensure the safe passage of these materials
across the country.
He tasked participants to make recommendations that would
strengthen the implementation of the final guidelines for
transporting hazardous materials.
GNA
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