Local Assemblies have been charged to reject the siting of projects that do not meet their development standards regardless of the developer procuring environment permits from the Agency.
This according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is critical to the development of the nation.
The call comes on the back of issues raised by some Assemblies about permits issued by the EPA, which they say is in their development plans.
Speaking during a meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives in Accra to discuss challenges with land use, Executive Director, EPA, Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said the EPA was responsible for environmental issues, and did not have the capacity to regulate the structural integrity of a facility.
He noted that his outfit would not hesitate to sanction any District Assembly whose action and inactions would result in the damage to the environment and health.
On his part, Director in charge of Environmental Assessment and Management at EPA, Kwabena Badu-Yeboah, urged the Assemblies to, raise questions about permits issued by the Agency and disapprove it if they found it problematic.
“The EPA permit is not for development. We are in charge of development issues, but you are responsible for the development of the land, and you have your criteria. If your criteria conflict with the EPA permit, you can disapprove it,” he said.
They Assemblies highlighted the fact that they were challenged in such situations as some developers held the position that so long as they had obtained EPA permits, they could not be stopped by the Assemblies in executing a particular project.
The planning officers appealed to the EPA to seek the consent of the Assemblies before they issued permits to aid compliance and conformity with their land development regulations.
Among the issues discussed at the meeting were lack of land use plans and development control, re-zoning issues, noise pollution, development within wetlands, mangroves, and sensitive areas, and citing of heavy industries close to residential areas,
The Assemblies mentioned the lack of land use plans as a major challenge to effective land development in their jurisdictions, especially itgew settlements.
They said in the absence of land use plans, some developers went ahead with their projects and that had its own consequences on the development, control, and effective management of lands.
Daniel Alexander Nil-Noi Adumuah, the Municipal Chief Executive of Adentan Municipal Assembly, called for the involvement of the Assemblies in the issuance of land titles to avoid unauthorised development of areas earmarked specific purposes.
