Operations at Gan-He Company Limited in Abreshia, located in the Wassa Amenfi East District of the Western Region, have been halted after the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) ordered the immediate closure of the company’s processing plant and underground dewatering activities over alleged environmental breaches.
The shutdown forms part of a nationwide enforcement exercise by the EPA aimed at mining firms accused of violating Ghana’s environmental and mining laws.
Speaking during the operation, Harrison Haron Afful, Deputy Director in charge of Mining Operations at the EPA Headquarters, said the company failed to comply with several directives issued after an inspection conducted on January 27, 2026.
According to him, the EPA earlier served the company with an enforcement notice, imposed a fine, and instructed management to carry out corrective measures within a period of one to three months after inspectors discovered multiple environmental violations.
However, the company allegedly continued operating without addressing the issues.
Mr. Afful stated that investigators found the company discharging polluted water into the environment and dumping cyanide-containing tailings into an improperly designed storage facility.
He also said the company poorly managed sediments around the site, failed to submit required environmental monitoring reports, and processed tailings without obtaining the necessary environmental permit.
He explained that the continued dumping of tailings forced the Authority to suspend activities at the processing plant, while underground dewatering operations were also stopped immediately.
“We were here earlier this year, on 27th January, and we identified certain infractions. As a result, the company was directed to stop its mining and processing activities. We issued an enforcement notice, recommended specific remedial actions with timelines, and also imposed a fine on the company.
“To date, the company has failed to implement all the recommendations we made and has also not paid the fine,” he said.
