BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Ministry of Mines and Rural Electrification has discussed a regulation to help address the increasing number of empty butane gas cylinders causing pollution around the country.
Wendi Beti of the Conservation Division within the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECCDMM) said that this comes under the Petroleum Act.
“At the moment, in terms of Butane Gas canes, the MME under the petroleum Act, I believe there was some discussion on how they would address and regulate the butane Gas,” said Beti.
She said that to address proper waste disposal and promote recycling, the Ministry of Environment is currently reviewing the draft environment bill 2023.
“We hope it will go into parliament this year. And during our consultation, we also received similar issues raised on how the bill will be taking into consideration butane gas,” she said.
She said that there is a provision for the minister to make regulations if he sees a need to address specific types of wastes under the current environment act.
“So similar to the plastic ban, because of the issue of single use plastic, the minister has the power and this is how this regulation come into place and similarly if we have the data and the information at hand to provide to the minister to make regulation in place to ban this butane gas, he has can make it,” said Beti.
She said that GEO Gas usually collect back the butane gas they imported into the country.
“I don’t know for other importer of butane gas. But if the product stewardship is in place, and butane gas is identified as one of the wastes under the system, then it can help to manage this butane gas canes,” she said.
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
