The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shut down a mining site in the Mpohor District of the Western Region allegedly linked to former Mpohor District Chief Executive Asaah Mensah and another operator, Obed Osei, over alleged illegal small-scale mining activities and environmental violations.
The operation, carried out on Monday, May 18, formed part of a nationwide EPA compliance exercise aimed at enforcing environmental regulations and intensifying the crackdown on illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.
According to EPA officials who inspected the site, the operators, working under the name JKCem I AM Gold, were allegedly conducting mining activities without the required environmental permit. The agency also accused the operators of involving foreign nationals — mainly Chinese citizens — in a venture classified as small-scale mining, contrary to Ghanaian law.
Leading the inspection team, the EPA’s Deputy Director of Mining, Harrison Afful, said the site was operating in breach of multiple environmental and mining regulations.
He disclosed that inspectors observed untreated underground water from the mining operations being discharged directly into the environment, describing the act as a serious environmental offence with potentially harmful consequences for nearby communities, water bodies and farmlands.
Mr Afful also indicated that preliminary assessments raised concerns about the true scale of the mining activities, suggesting that operations at the site exceeded what is legally 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. The application they submitted was for a small-scale mining operation. The law doesn’t allow foreign nationals to undertake small-scale mining operations,” he said.
“Per what we have seen today [May 18], the scope of the project goes beyond small-scale mining,” he added.
The EPA official stated that the operators would face legal consequences for the alleged infractions and stressed that the agency would continue working with other state institutions to enforce compliance within the mining sector.
The closure comes amid renewed national efforts to combat illegal mining, which continues to pose significant environmental and governance challenges across the country.
In recent years, concerns have grown over the destruction of forests, pollution of major water bodies and the increasing involvement of foreign nationals in illegal mining activities, despite laws restricting small-scale mining operations to Ghanaian citizens.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that individuals and companies found violating mining and environmental regulations risk sanctions including suspension of operations, prosecution and possible revocation of licences.
The EPA has in recent months intensified monitoring and enforcement operations across several mining districts as part of broader efforts to protect the environment and promote responsible mining practices in Ghana.
