Ghana Cracks Down on Chinese-Owned Cardinal Namdini Mining Over Unreported Accident

• The Environmental Protection Authority served Cardinal Namdini Mining with a pre-closure notice over an alleged failure to report a tailings pipeline spill
• The EPA also shut down Chinese-owned Earl International Group last week and is reviewing findings from a recent inspection of Gold Fields' Tarkwa operation
• EPA Deputy Chief Executive Michael Ayamga said the authority is shifting from periodic inspections to continuous monitoring and enforcement across the sector

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has served a pre-closure notice on Cardinal Namdini Mining, a Chinese-owned gold mining company, over an alleged failure to promptly report a tailings pipeline decoupling that caused a spill from a mine-waste transport system, a senior EPA official confirmed.

EPA Deputy Chief Executive for Operations Michael Ayamga disclosed the action to Reuters, while also revealing that the authority shut down another Chinese-owned firm, Earl International Group, last week over a legacy compliance issue connected to illegal gold mining activity.

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In addition, Ayamga confirmed that South African miner AngloGold Ashanti's Iduapriem operation was fined last year for environmental breaches, though he declined to provide specific details.

Reuters reported that Cardinal Namdini Mining, owned by China's Shandong Gold, did not respond to requests for comment on the notice.

A spokesperson for Earl International Group said the company resolved the EPA's concerns and was cleared to resume operations on Monday, pointing to an environmental permit signed by the regulator's chief executive on 28 September.

AngloGold Ashanti separately confirmed that Iduapriem recorded one reportable environmental incident in 2025, on 17 February, when process water and solids were released through a tear in the liner of the Beposo tailings storage facility.

The company said gold processing was suspended immediately, both the EPA and the Minerals Commission were notified, and permanent repairs were completed following on-site inspections and sampling by the two agencies.

Gold Fields Tarkwa Inspection Under Review

The EPA is also examining the findings of a recent inspection at Gold Fields' Tarkwa gold operation in western Ghana.

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Ayamga said the management team received the inspection report and is determining whether further engagement with the company is required.

Gold Fields said it was notified on 14 September of the EPA's intention to conduct a broad environmental, social, governance and socio-economic impact assessment at Tarkwa. The company added that it sought additional time to review the scope of the assessment before deciding its position, and noted that Tarkwa has held ISO 14001 environmental certification for 23 years and International Cyanide Management Code certification for 18 years.

Gold Fields is working to secure the long-term future of Tarkwa, whose mining lease is due to expire in 2027, following the loss of its smaller Damang mine last year.

The broader enforcement push forms part of Ghana's wider effort to strengthen oversight of its mining sector and increase revenue. The government has raised royalties, expanded local-content requirements and is advancing new mining legislation aimed at boosting state oversight and Ghanaian ownership.

Ayamga said the EPA intends to move away from one-off inspections towards continuous monitoring, with environmental, social and governance audits planned across the sector. "We don't want to be reactive but proactive," he said. "We want to move beyond one-off visits and audits to enforcement."

Source: YEN.com.gh