578 Workers rendered Jobless; EPA Shuts Down Chinese Cement Factory At McCarthy Hills
Mr Eddie Quaynor, the Chairman of the McCarthy Hill Residents Association, in an interview with the journalists said even though the exercise was long overdue, he commended the EPA and the police for the swift response to save the community from further “destruction.
Joana Somiah 
Soireenews can report that a total of about five hundred and seventy-eight (578) workers of Empire Cement Factory, a Chinese cement factory at McCarthy Hills in Accra have been rendered jobless following the closure of the company by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the support of police.
The police and officials of EPA on Friday, June 25, 2021, halted operations at the site and sacked all workers in the factory, including the Chinese nationals for flouting the laws of the country, amidst weeping by the affected workers.
Information gathered by Soireenews corroborated reports from the EPA showed that the management of the company was given an interim permit by the EPA to manufacture cement paper but the company went into cement production without approval from the Agency.
Scores of workers of the factory blamed the EPA for waiting for the factory to start operation before closing the company.
They pointed out that they were not aware that the factory was not permitted to operate and blamed the EPA for waiting for the factory to start operation before closing it
Some concerned residents at McCarthy Hill on June 7, 2021, protested against the project, sited near the Pambros salt mines enclave in the area.
The residents expressed worry over possible pollution from the cement factory.
Mr Eddie Quaynor, the Chairman of the McCarthy Hill Residents Association, in an interview with the journalists said even though the exercise was long overdue, he commended the EPA and the police for the swift response to save the community from further “destruction.”
Mr Quaynor said the siting of the cement factory near the Pambros Salt Mines would pollute the water body and contaminate the salt, which would affect the health of the citizenry.
He said the Chinese had, on several occasions, disregarded warnings from the EPA to stop operations.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater Accra Regional Correspondent
