The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shut down a mining site in the Mpohor District of the Western Region allegedly linked to the former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Mpohor, Asaah Mensah, and another operator, Obed Osei, over alleged illegal small-scale mining activities and environmental breaches.

The operation, conducted on Monday, May 18, formed part of a nationwide mining compliance exercise being undertaken by the EPA to clamp down on illegal mining activities and enforce environmental regulations within the extractive sector.

Officials of the EPA who inspected the site said the operators, working under the name JKCem I AM Gold, were allegedly undertaking mining activities without the requisite environmental permit and had also engaged foreign nationals, mainly Chinese, in a venture designated as small-scale mining.

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

According to him, the EPA observed that untreated underground water from the mining operation was being discharged directly into the open environment, an act he described as a serious environmental offence.

Mr Afful indicated that the development posed significant risks to nearby water bodies, farmlands and surrounding communities if left unchecked.

He explained that preliminary findings from the inspection also raised concerns about the actual scale of the operation, suggesting that activities on the ground extended beyond 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. Per what we have seen today [May 18], the scope of the project goes beyond small-scale mining,” he said.

The EPA official further stated that the operators would be made to face the law for the alleged infractions, adding that the EPA would continue collaborating with other state institutions to ensure compliance within the mining sector.

The closure of the site comes amid renewed national efforts to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which has remained a major environmental and governance challenge in the country.

In recent years, concerns have intensified over the destruction of forests, pollution of water bodies and the increasing involvement of foreign nationals in illegal mining activities, despite Ghanaian laws restricting small-scale mining to citizens.

Authorities have repeatedly warned that individuals and companies found flouting environmental and mining laws would face sanctions, including suspension of operations, prosecution and possible revocation of licences.

The EPA has in recent months intensified monitoring and enforcement exercises across several mining districts as part of broader measures aimed at safeguarding the environment and promoting responsible mining practices.