The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has ordered Empire Cement Ghana Limited to begin steps towards relocating its cement grinding and bagging facility from the Densu Delta Ramsar Site, giving the company 30 days to submit a comprehensive relocation plan.

The directive, dated October 28, 2026, and signed by the EPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, states that a Closure Notice issued to the company on September 14, 2026, remains in force.

Under the directive, Empire Cement is required to submit a detailed relocation strategy and operational transition plan within the 30-day period.

The latest action follows years of regulatory concerns over the suitability of the company's location, which is close to residential communities, Panbros Salt Industries Limited and the environmentally sensitive Densu Delta Ramsar Site.

The EPA's concerns date back to June 2020, when it directed the company to stop construction and find an alternative location on grounds of land-use incompatibility.

Further environmental assessments subsequently concluded that large-scale cement manufacturing was unsuitable for the area. The assessments reportedly raised concerns about potential public health risks, flooding and the movement of heavy-duty vehicles through nearby communities.

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

The EPA said the permit conditions were later varied in January 2024 following ministerial intervention. Despite the changes, the Authority maintained that concerns over public health, flood risks and heavy-vehicle traffic had not been adequately addressed.

Pressure for action also came from residents' associations in the Weija-Gbawe area, which petitioned the President and the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology over the facility.

In its latest directive, the EPA invoked Section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), to set out the steps the company must take to facilitate its relocation.

Empire Cement must identify potential industrial sites and provide a clear implementation schedule, including arrangements for the transition and measures to safeguard its workers.

The company is also required to secure an alternative site within a designated industrial zone and obtain all necessary environmental and land-use approvals. This includes undertaking the relevant environmental impact assessments.

The EPA further wants the company to collaborate with the Authority and other relevant state institutions to agree on an enforceable timeline for shutting down and decommissioning the existing facility, as well as rehabilitating the site.

Until the relocation process is completed, Empire Cement must continue to comply with the environmental safeguards and pollution-control requirements under its existing permit and the Closure Notice.

The EPA cautioned that any unauthorised resumption of operations while the Closure Notice remains in effect could result in sanctions under Act 1124.

MA