·
Authorities Unconcerned
· Residents’ Appeals Fall On Deaf
Ears
A local Soap
manufacturing company in the Cape Coast municipality of the Central Region,
Ameen Sangari, is at loggerheads with its neighbours, as its operation
continually puts human, livestock and the entire surroundings in harm’s way.
Neighbours who spoke
to The Republic narrated all kind of ordeal they go through under the company’s
unacceptable operational behavior.
They said although the
founder and first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah envisaged
Ghana becoming an industrial hub of the sub-region and Africa at large, thus,
the establishment of vital industries at the time, the negative impacts of
these industries cannot be overlooked.
The affected people
relate that majority of them who have found themselves in areas where these
remaining vibrant industries are located throughout the country have to, not
only enjoy the blessings, but also endure the curses that these industries come
along with.
The true state of
affairs came to light when The Republic conducted an investigation into
activities of Ameen Sangari Soap Factory, in the Central Regional Capital.
Our investigations
have revealed that, the continues discharge of liquid waste from the soap
factory, which uses palm oil and caustic soda in its production process, into
the environment over the years have led to the death of almost all the plant
species at the disposal site within the municipality.
It was also observed
that, the only predominant plant species found at the site includes paspalum
vaginatum, panicum maximum and phyllantus amarus; whereas the other species yet
to be fully exposed also shows nutritional deficiencies and toxic effects such
as yellowish leaves, chlorosis, bluish tint leaves and curled leaves.
These effects of the
exposure of plant species, the environment, as well as crops to industrial soap
effluent being discharged by the factory, do not only concern the disposal site
but also the extended environment, the growth and physiology of plant species
and crops on the University of Cape Coast land.
Furthermore, studies
have also revealed that, Ameen Sangari Soap Factory is also guilty of polluting
the soil as well as the groundwater, thus causing death to plants and crops due
to the high levels of harmful chemicals in the disposed effluent.
These harmful
chemicals in the effluent were found to have grave negative impacts on soil
properties such as increasing acidity, potassium and other nutrients levels
which turn to cause deficiencies of other nutrients thus, resulting in abnormal
growth and most often the speedy death of plants at the disposal site.
Meanwhile, student of
University of Cape Coast have been conducting studies, which results revealed
that, two weeks exposure to effluent samples collected from the soap factory
had led to the complete death of three-week-old cowpeas, increased acidity
which is known to mobilize heavy and altering soil chemistry like raising soil
potassium.
The research concluded
that, industrial soap effluent emission into the environment specifically, soil
surface, sips down increasing acidity of soil resulting in effects such as the
activity of soil microbes, particularly of decomposers is reduced, the
decomposition of organic matter and subsequently nutrient cycling in the soil
is reduced.
More disturbingly, the
stench which the liquid waste and soap effluent generates at the disposal site,
controversially located just in front of the factory, along the main Cape
Coast-Takoradi road, makes life uncomfortable for the residents around the
factory as well as passersby.
Some of the residents
and workers interviewed by this reporter intimated that, life around the
factory is becoming much difficult because of the stench they are made to
endure and the smoke from the factory’s short chimneys which spreads over the
neighbourhood that they are forced into inhaling.
They have also noted
that, though they are not advocating for the closure of the factory, attempts
to draw the appropriate authorities’ attention to the gross pollution taking
place at the factory’s disposal site has prove little success. They are
therefore calling on the management of the soap factory to modernize their
operations by purchasing new equipments as well as treat the waste before it is
being disposed.
Mr. Stephen Asare Osei,
who has also done series of studies on the situation, recommended in his
research that the toxicity levels of the industry’s effluents and liquid waste
be checked before they are disposed by authorities like the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), this paper can confirm that nothing has been done to
solving the problem.
Nonetheless, when this
reporter contacted the Central Regional branch of the EPA to seek its
professional opinion on the situation and to find out if any environmental
impact check has ever been done on the soap factory, he was told by the
Receptionist that there were officials to talk to. Subsequent phone calls upon
his return to Accra to talk with an official for the past one week also yielded
no result.
Some employees of the
company, who spoke to the Republic on the bases of anonymity, have also
lamented about their poor working conditions and the treatments meted out to
them saying that although they are aware of the negative impacts of the
industrial soap effluent, there is little they could do to prevent the
situation.
They also revealed
that, Cape Coast or the country as a whole does not benefit from the factory’s
activities because the soaps and other products are not being sold in the
country but are rather exported to Burkina Faso, Mali, among others for reasons
best known to the management.
However, when this
reporter when to the premises of the factory in Cape Coast for their side of
the story, he was denied access of entering the premises and any opportunity of
an interview, stating that such actions are contrary to their regulations.
Further items to reach them on phone also prove futile.
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