Accra, March 2, GNA - The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology says it is investigating the alleged dumping of toxic cargo at Essipon in the Sekondi/Takoradi municipality and will take "appropriate steps to deal with the problem".

It also says perpetrators of the act will be made to face the full rigours of the law when they are identified.

A statement signed on Wednesday by Ms Sheery Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, said measures being contemplated included the evacuation of the oil base mud and loading into the ship, decontaminating the Essipon area affected by the discharge of the liquid slops and paying a fine for any damage to the ecosystems. It stressed that none of the above may be mutually exclusive. The statement gave the assurance that the Western Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was on the ground and was working with officials of the Ghana Navy and the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly to enforce relevant laws in the country including the EPA Act.

"The Ministry will evoke the principles and powers of the various International Conventions and protocols to deal decisively and exhaustively with this matter."

Meanwhile, the EPA has taken necessary steps to secure the waste materials to prevent further contamination of the environment while samples of the material have been taken for laboratory analysis. "We therefore wish to reiterate that investigations are ongoing and appropriate steps are being taken to deal with the problem." The Ghana Navy impounded a supply vessel from Nigeria, Spirit River, for allegedly dumping toxic oil base mud (OBM) at the Essipon area.

The vessel is currently berthed at the Western Naval Command in Sekondi and its captain has been asked not to move until further notice.

Reports say apart from the waste, the vessel also discharged a large volume of highly toxic liquid slops in tote tanks into the drain that runs down the hill to the Essipon community. The waste is said to have been transported from the Benniboye Oil Fields in Benin State of Nigeria for disposal. The vessel is said to be in transit to Trinidad and Tobago and passed through Ghana to discharge waste.