The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a directive that all institutions, companies and individuals engaged in land reclamation, mine‑site rehabilitation or water‑body restoration without the required environmental permits must cease operations immediately.
The notice, released on Thursday 15 October, applies to both government‑sponsored and donor‑supported projects, stressing that no reclamation or restoration activity is exempt from the permitting regime.
Under Regulation 40 of the Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2504), projects such as the rehabilitation of abandoned mining sites, restoration of degraded lands, dredging of rivers, modification of river channels and the recovery of polluted water bodies and wetlands must obtain a permit before work begins or continues.
The EPA specifically reminded the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Forestry Commission, the Ghana Gold Board, the Minerals Commission and the Mineral Development Fund to ensure that any projects they sponsor, fund or supervise comply with the permitting requirements.
Institutions awarding contracts have been directed to verify the permit status of projects before allowing contractors to mobilise to sites. The EPA also warned that possession of mining leases, traditional authority consent or public funding does not replace an environmental permit.
While the Authority supports efforts to restore lands and water bodies damaged by illegal and irresponsible mining, it cautioned that such interventions must not bypass environmental safeguards.
All entities undertaking the affected activities without permits have been ordered to report to the nearest EPA regional office or its head office for regulatory assessment. Anyone who continues operations in defiance of the directive will face action under the applicable laws of Ghana.
