The Ghana Ports and Authority (GPHA) has earned praise from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Norwegian partners for its commendable oil spill response readiness.
This recognition followed the GPHA’s participation in the National Oil Spill Equipment Inventory Exercise, an initiative enabling the EPA and Norwegian technical collaborators to evaluate the country’s on-shore and off-shore facilities and resources in handling oil spills.
After the assessment, both the EPA and its partners lauded the GPHA for its substantial human and technical resources geared towards addressing oil spill incidents. This positive evaluation underscores the GPHA’s capacity not only to prevent such disasters but also to effectively manage and contain oil spill incidents within the port environment.
Mr. Larry Koteo, Deputy Director of the EPA, expressed deep satisfaction with the GPHA’s capabilities. He noted that the EPA regularly conducts national exercises at the Tier One and Tier Two levels in collaboration with the Port Authority. Mr. Koteo further highlighted that the GPHA’s efforts to enhance its response equipment were notably impressive, emphasizing its role as a valuable asset for the country.
“EPA is happy about it because once there is any oil spill anywhere within our marine waters, we can fall on GPHA to support us,” he said.
Expressing their satisfaction, Mr. Helge Andersen, a Special Advisor for Environment Emergency Response at the Norwegian Coastal Administration, acknowledged the seriousness with which environmental threats in Ghana’s maritime sector are being approached.
He emphasized the critical nature of this approach, especially considering the congestion of ships at the port. This congestion increases the likelihood of accidents such as grounding, collisions, and subsequent oil spills into the sea.
Andersen highlighted the significance of swiftly accessible equipment to address such situations effectively.
Captain Daniel Quartey, the Deputy Harbour Master and on-scene commander at GPHA, affirmed the company’s commitment to enhancing its capabilities to ensure its continuous role as a dependable resource for Ghana’s oil spill response. He explained that GPHA undertakes regular in-house inspections and conducts necessary drills every quarter to maintain a consistently high level of preparedness.