The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has directed Empire Cement Ghana Limited to submit a comprehensive relocation plan for its cement grinding and bagging facility, which is situated near 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 the Closure Notice issued to the company on September 14, 2026, remained in effect.
The EPA has given Empire Cement 30 days to present a detailed relocation strategy, alongside a plan outlining how its operations will transition to a new site. The directive follows years of regulatory concerns over the plant’s location, particularly its proximity to residential communities, Panbros Salt Industries Limited and the ecologically sensitive Densu Delta Ramsar Site.
According to the EPA, concerns surrounding the facility date back to June 2020, when the Authority first instructed the company to suspend construction and identify an alternative location due to land-use incompatibility. Subsequent environmental assessments also concluded that large-scale cement manufacturing was unsuitable for the area. The assessments highlighted potential public health risks, flooding concerns and the impact of heavy-duty vehicles moving through nearby communities.
Although Empire Cement secured an Environmental Permit in October 2023, the EPA said the permit required the company to submit a decommissioning plan and relocate before the permit expired. The Authority further explained that the permit conditions were amended in January 2024 following ministerial intervention. However, it maintained that the fundamental concerns relating to public health, flood risks and heavy-vehicle traffic had not been adequately addressed.
The EPA also cited petitions submitted by residents’ associations in the Weija-Gbawe area to the President and the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology as contributing to renewed calls for stronger regulatory enforcement. The latest directive underscores the Authority’s position that Empire Cement must address the outstanding environmental and public safety concerns by preparing to relocate its facility from the area.
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.
