EPA shuts down mining site allegedly linked to former Mpohor DCE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shut down a mining site in the Mpohor District over alleged illegal small-scale mining activities and serious environmental violations.

The operation targeted a mining concession reportedly linked to former Mpohor District Chief Executive, Asaah Mensah, and another operator identified as Obed Osei.

The enforcement exercise, carried out on Monday, May 18, forms part of a nationwide compliance operation by the EPA aimed at cracking down on illegal mining activities, popularly known in Ghana as galamsey, and ensuring adherence to environmental regulations within the country’s extractive industry.

According to EPA officials, the operators, who were working under the name JKCem I AM Gold, were allegedly conducting mining activities without the legally required environmental permits.

Investigators also alleged that the operation involved the participation of foreign nationals, mainly Chinese citizens, despite Ghanaian laws restricting small-scale mining activities exclusively to Ghanaian citizens.

Leading the inspection team, Deputy Director of Mining at the EPA, Harrison Afful, disclosed that the mining site was found to be operating in breach of several environmental and mining regulations.

He revealed that inspectors observed untreated underground water from the mining operations being discharged directly into the surrounding environment without proper treatment or containment.

According to Mr Afful, the practice poses a serious threat to nearby rivers, streams, agricultural lands, and local communities if not immediately halted.

“The discharge of untreated mining water into the open environment is a serious environmental offence that could have devastating long-term consequences,” he indicated during the inspection.

EPA officials also expressed concern that the actual scale of mining activities at the site appeared far larger than what had been declared in the company’s application documents.

Mr Afful noted that preliminary findings suggested the operation exceeded the legal scope permitted under Ghana’s small-scale mining framework.

“We could count several Chinese nationals on site. They are the operators, that is the information we have for now,” he stated.

“The application they submitted was for a small-scale mining operation. The law does not allow foreign nationals to undertake small-scale mining operations. Per what we have seen today, the scope of the project goes beyond small-scale mining,” he added.

The EPA has indicated that the operators could face legal action for the alleged violations, including possible prosecution and sanctions under Ghana’s environmental and mining laws.

Mr Afful stressed that the agency would continue collaborating with other state institutions to strengthen enforcement efforts and improve compliance across the mining sector.

The closure of the site comes at a time when Ghanaian authorities are intensifying efforts to tackle illegal mining, which continues to pose major environmental, economic, and governance challenges across the country.

Illegal mining activities have contributed significantly to the destruction of forests, contamination of water bodies, loss of biodiversity, and damage to farmlands in several mining communities.

Public concern has also grown in recent years over the increasing involvement of foreign nationals in illegal mining operations, despite existing legal restrictions.

Government agencies have repeatedly warned that individuals and companies found violating mining and environmental regulations risk facing severe penalties, including suspension of operations, revocation of licences, fines, and criminal prosecution.

The EPA has in recent months expanded monitoring and enforcement exercises in mining districts nationwide as part of broader efforts to promote responsible mining practices and protect Ghana’s natural resources from further degradation.