Ghana EPA tightens environmental enforcement across gold mining sector
Cardinal Namdini faces a pre-closure notice over an alleged unreported incident, while the EPA reviews findings from an inspection of Gold Fields’ Tarkwa operation
Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is heightening scrutiny of major mining operations, with Cardinal Namdini Mining facing a pre-closure notice and Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mine under review following a recent inspection.
EPA Deputy Chief Executive for Operations Michael Ayamga told Reuters that the authority had issued the pre-closure notice to Chinese-owned Cardinal Namdini over an alleged failure to report an accident.
According to Ayamga, the notice was partly linked to the alleged failure to promptly report the decoupling of a tailings pipeline, which resulted in a spill from a mine-waste transport system.
Cardinal Namdini Mining, which is owned by China’s Shandong Gold, had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
The action comes as the EPA reviews environmental compliance at Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mine.
Ayamga told Reuters that the authority was reviewing findings from a recent inspection of the operation. The EPA has not disclosed the findings or indicated whether they will result in enforcement action.
Also responding to Reuters, Gold Fields said it was notified on September 14 of the EPA’s intention to conduct a broad environmental, social, governance and socio-economic impact assessment at Tarkwa. The company said it had requested additional time to review the scope of the assessment.
The company also pointed to the systems already in place at the mine, saying Tarkwa is subject to regular monitoring, independent assurance and regulatory oversight.
Gold Fields said the operation has maintained ISO 14001 environmental certification for 23 years and International Cyanide Management Code certification for 18 years. Its latest sustainability disclosures also state that Tarkwa is subject to environmental monitoring and regulatory oversight, including EPA audits.
The EPA’s scrutiny of Tarkwa comes as Gold Fields continues to operate one of Ghana’s major open-pit gold mines. The company has also been engaging the Ghanaian government over the renewal of Tarkwa’s mining leases, which are due to expire in April 2027.
This move by EPA forms part of a shift towards more active environmental enforcement across Ghana’s mining industry.
“We don’t want to be reactive but proactive. We want to move beyond one-off visits and audits to enforcement,” Ayamga told Reuters.
The approach places greater emphasis on what happens between routine inspections, particularly around incident reporting, tailings management and ongoing compliance at operating mines.
