Bolgatanga, Dec 6, GNA - Mrs. Zenabu Wasai-King, the Upper East Regional Director of

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has advised the business community in the region

to go through the Environmental Assessment Impact (EAI) procedure before establishing

businesses involving the construction of structures, to avoid any inconvenience. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Bolgatanga at the weekend, the

Regional Director said there were instances where some businesses in the region refused to go

through the EAI before putting up their structures thereby creating inconveniences. Mrs. Wasai-King warned that her outfit would not countenance such acts and would not

hesitate to deal drastically with defaulters. She indicated that the EPA had already issued out warnings to some business concerns in the

region, which are putting up structures, including fuel stations and hotels without adhering to the

EIA procedure and said such offenders would be sanctioned. She explained that before one establishes a hotel, the EPA requires that the entrepreneur

obtains building permit from the Town and Country Planning, the Fire Service, the Security

Services, a site plan for the disposal of waste and parking lots among others. Mrs. Wasai-King noted that in the case of restaurant operators, the operator's health status

must be examined to ensure that he or she is medically fit to operate. On the establishment of fuel stations, she said the facility must be some distance away from

any vegetation or buildings. On the issue of illegal mining activities in some parts of the Region particularly in the Talensi

-Nabdam District, the Regional Director indicated that her directorate would link up with District

assemblies to see how they could deal with the problem. A Senior Officer at the EPA, Omanhene Kwaku Boateng, commented on the springing up of

telecommunication masts in the region and said all the organisations concerned went through the

EIA procedure and were given the permit to construct the masts. He said the assumption by some people that the masts had serious health implications due to

radiation was not true, adding that, the radiation from a mast was insignificant as compared to

those from television and mobile phones. He however stressed the need for proper construction of the masts to meet standards

approved, adding that the management of telecommunication companies in the country were

planning to come together to share same masts to reduce the number scattered all over the

country.