DAKAR – Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority has issued a pre-closure notice to Chinese-owned Cardinal Namdini Mining over an alleged unreported accident as it ramps up enforcement across the mining sector, a senior regulator said.    

EPA Deputy Chief Executive for Operations Michael Ayamga also told Reuters the authority is reviewing findings from a recent inspection of South African miner Gold Fields' Tarkwa operation and shut down Chinese-owned Earl International Group last week over what he described as a legacy compliance issue linked to illegal gold mining activity.

Ayamga added that the authority also fined AngloGold's smaller Iduapriem mine last year for environmental breaches that he declined to detail.

SECTOR OVERSIGHT TIGHTENED TO BOOST REVENUE
A spokesperson for Earl said the company had addressed the EPA's concerns and was cleared to resume operations on Monday, citing an environmental permit signed by the regulator's chief executive on September 28.

Cardinal Namdini Mining, owned by China's Shandong Gold, and South African miner AngloGold did not respond immediately to requests for comment. 

Ghana, Africa's biggest gold producer, has tightened oversight of its mining sector to boost revenue, increase local participation and strengthen compliance. The government has also raised royalties, expanded local-content rules and is advancing a new mining law to increase State oversight and Ghanaian ownership of the lucrative sector.

The EPA, meanwhile, is shifting from periodic inspections to continuous monitoring and enforcement, with environmental, social and governance audits planned across the sector, Ayamga said.    

"We don't want to be reactive but proactive," he said. "We want to move beyond one-off visits and audits to enforcement."

GOLD FIELDS INSPECTION REPORT UNDER REVIEW
The EPA management recently received a report from its team of inspectors on Gold Fields' Tarkwa gold operation and is reviewing the findings to determine whether further engagement with the company is needed, Ayamga said. 

The EPA has not disclosed any findings from the inspection, a Gold Fields representative said in response to questions. 

Gold Fields said it was notified on September 14 of the regulator's intention to conduct a broad environmental, social, governance and socio-economic impact assessment at Tarkwa.

The miner said it had sought additional time to review the scope of the assessment and obtain advice before determining its position. 

Gold Fields added that Tarkwa is subjected to regular monitoring, independent assurance and regulatory oversight. It has maintained ISO 14001 environmental certification for 23 years and International Cyanide Management Code certification for 18 years, the company added.

For Cardinal, Ayamga said the notice partly related to the alleged failure to promptly report a tailings pipeline decoupling, resulting in a spill from a mine-waste transport system. 

Gold Fields is seeking to secure the long-term future of Tarkwa, which faces a mining lease expiry in 2027 after losing the smaller Damang mine last year.