The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday launched its new Inspection and Audit Manual that will aid its mandate of ensuring compliance to the protection of the environment.

The Manual discusses how inspections and audits are planned, implemented, reported on and followed up by the EPA.

Mr Ebenezer Appah-Sampong, Executive Director, Technical Services EPA, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the manual would help ensure that inspections and audits were done most systematically while ensuring transparency and standardisation of operations among officials of the Agency across the country.

He said the manual contained both the general guidance and sector-specific rules that would guide EPA officers and clientele on what to look out for during environmental inspections and auditing sessions.

"Industries can take the manual and do their self-assessment and inspections even before EPA officials go to their facilities to inspect and audit," Mr Appah-Sampong said.

He explained that the manual was developed with inputs from the EPA, the Centre for Science and Environment in India and the Norwegian Environment Agency in Norway.

Mr Kojo Agbenor Eunam, Acting Director in charge of Petroleum, EPA, on his part, said facilities that operate with environmental permits, including oil and gas operations, steel works, and other business operators would be given copies of the manuals, to study and to guide their operations with regards to the environment.

He mentioned that facilities could also access the manual on EPA's website www.epa.gov.gh or www.epaoilandgas.org and at the regional offices and the Agency's library.