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The war against the establishment of unauthorised fuel stations in some residential areas in Accra and Tema has been intensified.

Barely 48 hours after a Total Filling Station at the Community One Market in Tema had been closed down due to a leakage, a new one at Mile Seven at Achimota in Accra which is believed to be owned by a Member of Parliament has been pulled down for lack of a permit.

Notices have also been served on two filling stations at Madina and on the Spintex Road to close down after the owners failed to produce permits from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Owners of the Engen Filling Station at Madina and the Total Service Station on the Spintex road were asked to close down the other businesses such as restaurants, supermarkets and drinking spots which they had established close to the fuel stations.

Although the owners were able to produce permits from the EPA, they were unable to show any document granting them the permission to establish the other businesses close to the fuel stations.
A number of businesses, particularly food joints, were also ordered to shut down for being sited close to fuel stations.
A team of government officials, led by the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Mr Mahama Ayariga, and the Executive Director of the EPA, Mr Daniel Amlalo, who visited some fuel stations yesterday, said most fuel stations had flouted EPA regulations.

The minister tasked the EPA to conduct an exercise at all fuel stations in the country to ascertain whether they had permits and were adhering to the required standards.

Background
A twin fire and flood disaster last Wednesday night left more than 150 people dead after an explosion at the GOIL Filling Station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

Houses and properties running into billions of Ghana cedis were also destroyed.
Following the disaster, the MESTI and the EPA initiated steps to check all fuel stations in the country to know whether owners of the stations were operating legally.

EPA on the move
Mr Amlalo said the EPA and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) had decided to stop the issuance of new permits for fuel stations in order to rid the system of all irregularities.
He said the EPA was working with the authorities involved to ensure that fuel stations would not be sited close to any fire activities.

“We will enforce strict and strong standards regarding the location of fuel stations,” Mr Amlalo said.