Management of Diamond Cement, a cement producing factory located at Bokoro, a community in the Ahanta West District, has taken steps to address concerns of dust pollution that emanates from the road leading to the company.
For now, the company is waiting for the estimated cost of the less than 2 kilometres road from the Urban Road Department, for the contract to be given out.
It is believed that when the road is finally constructed, it would help in addressing the problem of dust to the community and the plant.
At a roundtable meeting with traditional leaders, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the media, the company made it clear that it would not trade the lives of its host community for profit, and that it was ready to construct the road in order to reduce the dust pollution.
The decision comes after some residents of Bokoro claimed they were at the receiving end of dust pollution from the cement company. The Leader of the group, Ebusuapayin John Kwofie, told a media team that the dust from the factory was unbearable, resulting in some of them developing bad coughs.
They appealed to the company to take steps to reduce the pollution save them. Though
Other companies, such as Monpe, a heavy duty transport company, have also complained about the pollution coming from the cement factory.
The Manager of Monpe, Peter Everett, told the news team that they had drawn the attention of the company to the nuisance, including making a formal complaint to the EPA, but all to no avail.
The EPA Regional Manager, George Kwofie Kofi Diewuo, in an interview, could not confirm whether or not the reported pollution was directly from the company’s operations.
He said until a test was carried out by the Agency, it would be difficult to lay the blame on the doorsteps of the cement factory.
However, the cement company had conceded that there was a problem concerning its bagging filters, resulting in the emission of cement dust.
However, it had put measures in place to control the emission until it receives new bagging filters, for which an order had since been placed.
“We informed members that we had already put measures in place to control the emission until we receive new bag filters, which has been ordered,” the company said in a statement.
Again, the company had also agreed to cart the loads of clinker and sand to be stored outside the plant.
