The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied claims that Nixin Paper Mill Ghana Limited, a paper manufacturing company, is currently releasing untreated wastewater into the sea near Winneba in the Central Region.
The EPA acknowledges that the company engaged in similar practices prior to 2021, but says that its intervention has compelled the company to cease these activities.
The EPA initiated investigations in response to allegations about untreated water discharge from Nixin Paper Mill Ghana Limited’s production activities into the sea near Winneba in the Central Region.
Based on its findings, the EPA identified that the company encountered challenges, including power failures, during the test runs of its water treatment plant. This led to the release of waste into the Pratu River and Muni Pomadze Lagoon before 2021.
To address this issue, the EPA imposed restrictions on the company, preventing further test runs of its equipment until a functional waste treatment system is in place. EPA Executive Secretary Henry Kokofu stated that the company is now compliant with the directive and is no longer discharging untreated wastewater. The EPA further indicated that it is actively monitoring the company’s activities to ensure compliance with agency regulations.
“The notion that they are discharging untreated wastewater into the sea is not the case, according to our investigations. However, we are still investigating if there was a time when they did so, and if so, we will take appropriate action.”
In addition, the EPA investigation revealed that the water turbidity levels at the company’s waste treatment plant exceeded the acceptable threshold. As a result, the agency has warned that if the necessary corrective measures are not taken, it will not hesitate to shut down the company’s operations due to their negative environmental impact.
“We will send officers back to the factory and, if necessary, shut it down to ensure that this turbidity issue is addressed and remedied.”