Anto-Aboso explosion: EPA sets up committee to review its monitoring

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set up a three-member committee to review its monitoring and enforcement strategy in the wake of a deadly explosion at a quarry site in Anto-Aboso, Western Region.

The explosion, which occurred on September 10, 2023, killed five people and injured several others. The Minerals Commission has since revealed that the quarry was operating without proper authorization.

The EPA’s Executive Director, Dr. Henry Kokofu, noted that monitoring and enforcement will be tighter from now on.

“Monitoring and enforcement from now on will be tighter,” Dr Kokofu said.

The three-member committee is expected to review the EPA’s current monitoring and enforcement strategy and make recommendations for improvement.

The Minerals Commission, in a statement, revealed that the quarry was operating without proper authorization.

The Commission’s mine inspectors had noticed that the company was conducting nighttime operations, presumably to avoid detection by Commission inspectors and the local task force, which included police and members of the Sand Winners and Quarry Association.

The Western Regional Security Council (WSRC) on September 11, set up a 9-member committee to investigate the cause of the Kobina-Andokrom quarry explosion that killed five people on Saturday night.