EPA Cracks Down on Expired Permits, Locks Hotels in Cape Coast

The Environmental Protection Authority has locked down several hotels and guest houses in Cape Coast for operating with expired environmental permits, as part of a nationwide Compliance Enforcement Exercise. The operation, carried out last Thursday, targeted facilities that failed to renew their Environmental Permits and Licences after exhausting the grace period given for compliance.

Frank Danso, Assistant Programs Officer at the EPA Cape Coast office, said the Authority is mandated by the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) to enforce environmental regulations without exception. “Once your permit has expired and you have exhausted the grace period of prior notice, your facility will be locked down by the EPA by the mandate ordained in them by law,” he said.

Danso cautioned that any hotel, motel, or guesthouse director who breaks the locks placed on their gates will be prosecuted and sanctioned. The lockdown tour forms part of broader EPA efforts to ensure adherence to operational conditions under Environmental Impact Assessments, timely payment of environmental fees, pollution control, and proper waste management.

Beyond enforcement, the Authority has been running sensitization campaigns in the Cape Coast Metropolis. A recent session targeted scrap dealers and technicians on ozone layer protection, stressing the dangers of improper handling of refrigerants and the need for environmental safety.

The EPA also announced plans to begin certification and registration of environmental practitioners to weed out impersonators claiming to be officials. It urged the public to verify the identity of anyone presenting themselves as EPA staff. The Compliance Enforcement Exercise continues nationwide, with the Authority warning that breaches of environmental regulations will attract strict penalties.