The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has directed Empire Cement Ghana Limited 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, and signed by the EPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, and sighted by Citi News, the Authority said a Closure Notice issued to the company on September 14, 2026, remained in force.
The EPA has given Empire Cement 30 days to submit a detailed relocation strategy and operational transition plan.
The directive 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
According to the EPA, concerns about the plant date back to June 2020, when the Authority first ordered the company to halt construction and identify an alternative site because of land-use incompatibility.
Subsequent environmental assessments, the EPA said, also 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 the company obtained an Environmental Permit in October 2023, the permit required it to submit a decommissioning plan and relocate before the permit expired.
The EPA noted that the permit conditions were varied in January 2024 following ministerial intervention. However, it said the underlying 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.
EPA outlines relocation requirements
Citing Section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), the EPA has directed Empire Cement to submit a relocation plan identifying potential industrial sites, implementation timelines, transition arrangements and measures to protect workers.
The company is also required to identify an alternative location within a designated industrial zone and obtain the necessary environmental and land-use approvals, including undertaking the required environmental impact assessments.
In addition, Empire Cement must 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 further 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.
The EPA warned that any unauthorised resumption of operations while the Closure Notice remains in force could attract sanctions under Act 1124.
Credit: Citinewsroom.com
