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ACCRA, Ghana (AP) - Environmental officials in the West African nation of Ghana have denied a link between offshore oil production and four dead whales that have washed ashore in recent days.
The country's Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that Ghana's oil companies have met all requirements regarding drilling offshore.
Ghana activists have expressed alarm after the dead whales have been spotted on beaches near the capital and in the country's Western Region.
The environmental agency maintains that whales also have washed ashore in Asia, the Americas and New Zealand, adding "the phenomenon is global."
Oil was discovered in 2007 and the country began producing it in December 2010. But a deep divide still exists between those benefiting from the country's wealth and those left behind financially.
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