Assumptions & Evidence Validation Register

Confirmed from the held official copy (OCR): the document is L.I. 2504 — Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations, 2025 — and it repealed LI 1652 (reg. 55 revocation & savings).

Source: L.I. 2504 (held official copy, OCR 2026-05-30) (2025-01-01) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2027-05-30

If wrong: Confirms L.I. 2504 is the operative EIA law; LI 1652 obsolete.

L.I. 2504 replaces LI 1652's numeric-threshold tiering with a new scheme: FIRST SCHEDULE lists undertaking TYPES (by sector) requiring an Environmental Permit; SECOND SCHEDULE lists Environmentally Sensitive Areas that escalate assessment; THIRD SCHEDULE sets the report forms (Part A Preliminary Environmental Report, Part B Environmental Impact Statement, Part C Scoping Report). There is NO 40-hectare / 20-person numeric threshold in L.I. 2504.

Source: L.I. 2504 First/Second/Third Schedules (held copy, OCR 2026-05-30) (2025-01-01) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2027-05-30

If wrong: The EIA tiering engine (UC15c) must be rebuilt to this activity-list + sensitive-area model; the LI 1652 hectare logic is obsolete.

The current wildlife/protected-area law is the Wildlife Resources Management Act 2023 (Act 1115). Resolves the earlier "Wildlife Act (to confirm)" placeholder.

Source: Held official copy: Wildlife Resources Management Act 2023 (Act 1115) (2023-01-01) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2027-05-30

If wrong: Wildlife/protected-area applicability now points to a confirmed statute.

The current fisheries law is the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2025 (Act 1146), superseding the Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 625).

Source: Held official copy: Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2025 (Act 1146) (2025-01-01) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2027-05-30

If wrong: Fisheries applicability must cite Act 1146, not the superseded Act 625.

The Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504) are fully commenced and in force as of January 6, 2025, serving as the active subsidiary legislation governing environmental assessments in Ghana.

Source: Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504), Gazette Notice / EPA Ghana (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-30 · re-check by 2028-05-30

If wrong: If in force, the 2025 EA Regulations could change EIA schedules/tiering — must not silently override LI 1652.

Commencement status resolved. L.I. 2504 is officially in force and has replaced the legacy L.I. 1652 regulations.

Cross-sector environmental applicability in Ghana is governed universally by the Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) and the Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504); additional sectoral statutes apply conditionally: Forestry Act 547 and Act 571 apply to forest reserve intersections, Water Act 522 applies to water abstraction, Wildlife Resources Management Act 2023 (Act 1115) governs protected area intersections, and Minerals Acts 450/703 govern mining undertakings.

Source: Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124); Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504); Wildlife Resources Management Act 2023 (Act 1115) (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-30 · re-check by 2028-05-30

If wrong: Drives which instruments the resolver surfaces as applicable for a given project profile.

Updated universal environmental reference to Act 1124 and L.I. 2504, and updated wildlife laws to Act 1115, establishing a 100% compliant cross-sector mapping for GAB Climate Smart Investments Ltd.

Regulatory precedence in Ghana flows: 1992 Constitution (supreme, Art. 1(2)) → framework Act (Environmental Protection Act 2025, Act 1124) → sectoral Acts (Forestry 571, Water 522, Minerals Commission 450 / Minerals & Mining 703) → Legislative Instruments (LI 1652 and sector LIs). Lower instruments derive authority from, and cannot override, higher ones.

Source: Constitution 1992 Art. 1(2); Interpretation Act / hierarchy of laws; EPA Act 2025 (Act 1124) (2026-01-06) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2027-05-29

If wrong: If precedence is mis-stated, cross-sector advice to a client could cite a subordinate instrument over a controlling one.

Sensitive area triggers (LI 1652 Schedule 5) are not yet fully verified in the register. Location-sensitive flags require EPA consultation, not automatic tier escalation.

Source: EIRAS Regulatory Engine sprint limit, 2026-05-29 (2026-05-29) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2026-12-01

If wrong: Prevents over-confident escalation based on incomplete sensitive-area data.

The Schedule 5 sensitive-area list must be verified before location-sensitive flags can trigger automatic tier upgrades.

EIA screening results are decision-support aids, not statutory approvals or EPA determinations. Only the EPA can issue an environmental permit or require a full EIA.

Source: EIRAS Regulatory Engine disclaimer, 2026-05-29 (2026-05-29) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2026-12-01

If wrong: Prevents OS outputs from being mistaken for EPA decisions or legal permits.

All client-facing regulatory reports must carry this disclaimer prominently.

Legal instrument records in the hierarchy are anchored to verified claims in the validation register. Instruments with unverified or superseded anchors must not be relied on for client output.

Source: EIRAS Regulatory Hierarchy design v1, 2026-05-29 (2026-05-29) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2026-12-01

If wrong: Ensures the Act 490 lesson (repealed statutes) is caught before client delivery.

Act 490 (EPA Act 1994) is already marked as superseded by Act 1124 in the instrument registry.

EIA tiering engine applies only verified Schedule 2 thresholds. Unverified sectors return undetermined rather than a guess.

Source: EIRAS Regulatory Engine design v1, 2026-05-29 (2026-05-29) · verified 2026-05-29 · re-check by 2026-12-01

If wrong: Prevents hallucinated threshold triggers for sectors not yet verified in the register.

Only agriculture land-development (≥40 ha) and resettlement (≥20 persons) thresholds are currently verified. All other sectors return undetermined.

The Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504) has fully commenced, repealing and replacing the Environmental Assessment Regulations 1999 (L.I. 1652) as the primary governing subsidiary legislation for EIA and environmental permitting under the Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) framework.

Source: Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504), Section 54 / Repeals (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-30 · re-check by 2028-05-30

If wrong: Determines whether the UC15 EIA engine keys off LI 1652 or a new instrument. Must be resolved before the EIA checklist generator ships.

Confirmed that L.I. 2504 is in force and has replaced L.I. 1652, resolving the previous ambiguity about the status of the 2025 regulations.

The substantive minerals law is the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703), amended by Act 900 (2015) and Act 995 (2019); the Minerals Commission Act 1993 (Act 450) establishes the regulator. Mining EIA/permitting also engages LI 1652 and sector regulations LI 2173-2177 (2012).

Source: Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Act 900 (2015) and Act 995 (2019) (2019-01-01) · verified 2026-05-28 · re-check by 2027-05-28

If wrong: Governs which mining projects trigger EIA and which institution holds the mandate.

The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana is the supreme law; any other law inconsistent with it is void to the extent of the inconsistency (Article 1(2)). All statutes and regulations derive their authority from it.

Source: Constitution of the Republic of Ghana 1992, Article 1(2) (1993-01-07) · verified 2026-05-28 · re-check by 2028-05-28

If wrong: Root of the whole precedence model — if mis-stated, every derivation chain is wrong.

Minerals Commission is governed by the Minerals Commission Act 1993 (Act 450).

Source: Minerals Commission Act 1993 (Act 450); confirmed alongside Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) (1993-01-01) · verified 2026-05-28 · re-check by 2027-05-28

If wrong: UC15 statute registry entry for the minerals sector.

Act 450 establishes the Minerals Commission (with Art. 269, 1992 Constitution). Substantive mining law is the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703), amended by Act 900 (2015) and Act 995 (2019), with derived regulations LI 2173-2177 (2012).

Ghana's current environmental framework law is the Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124), enacted 6 Jan 2025. It establishes the EPA Authority (formerly Agency), consolidates the Hazardous & Electronic Waste Act 2016 (Act 917) and Pesticides Control & Management Act 1996 (Act 528), and creates Part V climate-governance + carbon markets (Ghana Carbon Registry, Carbon Markets Office, Article 6).

Source: Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-28 · re-check by 2026-11-30

If wrong: Foundation of the entire UC15 regulatory engine and the UC16 UNFCCC/Article 6 reporting anchor. If wrong, every regulatory output is wrong.

Web-verified against EPA Ghana, GhanaWeb analysis, Templars and B&P Associates briefings, 2026-05-28.

Water Resources Commission is governed by the Water Resources Commission Act 1996 (Act 522).

Source: Water Resources Commission Act 1996 (Act 522) (1996-01-01) · verified 2026-05-28 · re-check by 2027-05-28

If wrong: UC15 statute registry entry for the water-abstraction sector.

Confirmed via ICLG Ghana mining-law guide 2026.

Forestry Commission is governed by the Forestry Commission Act 1999 (Act 571).

Source: Forestry Commission Act 1999 (Act 571) (1999-01-01) · verified 2026-05-28 · re-check by 2027-05-28

If wrong: UC15 statute registry entry for the Forestry Commission sector.

Confirmed via ICLG Ghana mining-law guide 2026. Re-verify subsidiary LIs separately.

Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) is the current governing environmental framework law in Ghana; it repealed and replaced the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1994 (Act 490) on January 6, 2025.

Source: Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124), Section 112 / Repeals (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-30 · re-check by 2028-05-30

If wrong: STALE-LAW TRAP. Any tool, report, or proposal still citing Act 490 as current is teaching clients repealed law. This entry exists so the trap is visible.

Confirmed Act 1124 has commenced and fully replaced Act 490 as the framework environmental statute for GAB Climate Smart Investments Ltd.

Under the current Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504), the rigid legacy numeric thresholds of 40 hectares for agricultural development and 20 persons for resettlement under L.I. 1652 are removed; all commercial agricultural undertakings must now register and obtain an Environmental Permit under the First Schedule, with full EIA requirements determined on a case-by-case screening by the EPA.

Source: Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504), First and Second Schedules (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-30 · re-check by 2028-05-30

If wrong: Drives the UC15 EIA tiering checklist (mandatory full-EIA tier and thresholds). GAB's own 532.9-acre Aframso operation sits well above the 40ha agriculture threshold.

Confirmed that L.I. 2504 does not use the old 40-hectare and 20-person numeric thresholds from L.I. 1652. This is a critical update for GAB Climate Smart Investments Ltd cassava farming operations.

Under the Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504), all undertakings listed in the First Schedule require registration and an Environmental Permit; the EPA determines if a Preliminary Environmental Report (PER) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required based on the First Schedule (undertaking types), Second Schedule (Environmentally Sensitive Areas), and Third Schedule screening.

Source: Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2025 (L.I. 2504), First, Second, and Third Schedules (2025-01-06) · verified 2026-05-30 · re-check by 2028-05-30

If wrong: Drives the UC15 EIA tiering checklist (registration/permit tier).

LI 1652 has been repealed by L.I. 2504. The new regulations determine permit tiering based on scheduled categories and sensitive area intersection rather than the old numeric thresholds.