EPA gives Empire Cement 30 days to relocate over Densu Delta Ramsar Site concerns

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has ordered Empire Cement Ghana Limited to submit a comprehensive plan to relocate its cement grinding and bagging facility away from the environmentally sensitive 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, the Authority reaffirmed that a Closure Notice issued to the company on September 14, 2026, remained in force.

The company has been given 30 days to present a detailed relocation strategy and an operational transition plan outlining how it intends to move its facility to a more suitable location.

The directive follows years of regulatory concerns over the plant’s location, particularly its proximity to residential communities, Panbros Salt Industries Limited and the Densu Delta Ramsar Site.

According to the EPA, the concerns date back to June 2020, when it first directed the company to stop construction and identify an alternative site because the proposed land use was considered incompatible with the area.

Further environmental assessments also found that large-scale cement manufacturing was unsuitable for the location, citing potential public health risks, flooding concerns and the movement of heavy-duty vehicles through nearby 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 subsequently varied in January 2024 following ministerial intervention. However, it maintained that concerns relating to public health, flooding and heavy-vehicle traffic had not been resolved.

Petitions submitted by residents’ associations in the Weija-Gbawe area to the President and the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology have also contributed to renewed calls for regulatory action.

EPA sets out conditions for relocation

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 safeguard workers.

The company is also required to identify an alternative site within a designated industrial zone and secure the necessary environmental and land-use approvals. These include conducting the required environmental impact assessments.

Additionally, Empire Cement must collaborate 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 all 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.