EPA TO DEAL WITH E-WASTE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading a campaign to deal with electronic waste , known as e-waste.
This was made known in Accra at a press conference under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and addressed by the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko.
The minister said the government was set to address the issue from the root cause by, among other solutions, preventing the importation of such products into the country.
He was unhappy about the dangers caused by heavy metals contained in this waste to the health of people.
Mr Adjei-Darko, however, pointed out the handicap of the government, as it sought to employ drastic measures to address the situation, was the fact that some Ghanaians would argue for the products being the source of the waste not to be banned because they served the needs of the poor.
He said cheap and used electronic appliances were not necessarily beneficial.
The Director of EPA, Mr Jonathan Allotey, said already the EPA was in meetings with the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) and other parties to see how best to tackle the challenge.
DAILY GRAPHIC, MONDAY AUGUST 25, 2008, PG 47