EPA gives Empire Cement 30 days to submit relocation plan

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has given Empire Cement Ghana Limited 30 days to submit a comprehensive plan to relocate its cement grinding and bagging facility away from the Densu Delta Ramsar Site.

In a directive dated October 28, 2026, the Authority said a Closure Notice issued to the company on September 14 remained in force, warning that any unauthorised resumption of operations could attract sanctions under the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124).

The directive, signed by the EPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, follows years of regulatory concerns over the facility’s location, including its proximity to residential communities, Panbros Salt Industries Limited and the environmentally sensitive Densu Delta Ramsar Site.

The EPA said its concerns dated back to June 2020, when it first directed the company to halt construction and identify an alternative site because of land-use incompatibility.

Subsequent environmental assessments, according to the Authority, found that large-scale cement manufacturing was unsuitable for the area, citing potential public health concerns, flood risks and the movement of heavy-duty vehicles through surrounding communities.

Although Empire Cement obtained an Environmental Permit in October 2023, the permit required the company to submit a decommissioning plan and relocate before the permit expired.

The EPA said the permit conditions were varied in January 2024 following ministerial intervention. However, concerns about public health, flooding and heavy-vehicle traffic remained unresolved.

Petitions from residents’ associations in the Weija-Gbawe area to the President and the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology also contributed to renewed calls for regulatory enforcement, the Authority said.

Citing Section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), the EPA has directed Empire Cement to submit a detailed relocation and operational transition plan.

The plan must identify potential industrial sites, provide implementation timelines, outline transition arrangements and specify measures to protect workers during the relocation process.

The company must also identify an alternative site within a designated industrial zone and obtain the necessary environmental and land-use approvals, including conducting any required environmental impact assessments.

In addition, Empire Cement is required to work with the EPA and relevant state institutions to establish an enforceable timetable for decommissioning the existing facility and rehabilitating the site.

The Authority has directed the company to maintain the environmental safeguards and pollution-control measures required under its existing permit and the Closure Notice throughout the transition period.

It warned that any unauthorised resumption of operations while the Closure Notice remains in force could attract sanctions under Act 1124.