The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has given Empire Cement Ghana Limited 30 days to submit a plan to relocate its cement grinding and bagging facility away from the Densu Delta Ramsar Site.
The EPA said a Closure Notice issued to the company on September 14 remained in force, citing unresolved concerns over the plant’s location near residential communities, Panbros Salt Industries Limited and the environmentally sensitive Ramsar site.
The directive, issued on October 28, 2026, follows regulatory concerns dating back to June 2020, when the Authority first ordered the company to stop construction and find an alternative location.
The EPA said environmental assessments had raised concerns about public health, flooding and heavy-duty vehicles passing through surrounding communities.
Although Empire Cement obtained an Environmental Permit in October 2023, it was required to submit a decommissioning plan and relocate before the permit expired.
The permit conditions were varied in January 2024 following ministerial intervention, but the EPA said the underlying concerns remained unresolved.
Petitions from residents’ associations in the Weija-Gbawe area also renewed calls for enforcement.
Under Section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), Empire Cement must submit a detailed relocation and operational transition plan outlining potential industrial sites, timelines, arrangements for the transition and measures to protect workers.
The company must also identify an alternative site within a designated industrial zone and obtain the necessary environmental and land-use approvals, including completing the required environmental impact assessments.
