THE Minister of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has urged mining companies to comply with laws and regulations governing the extractive industry to minimise the environmental impact of their operations on mining communities.
She said it was unjust for communities hosting mining activities to suffer environmental degradation and deforestation as a result of mining operations.
“I hope that with the expanded mandate of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we will be seeing that more mines will fall in line and do what has to be done in the interest of the people of Ghana,” she said.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings was speaking during a site inspection visit to Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, a mining company in the Abirem area in the Eastern Region, on Tuesday.
The visit was to enable her to gain first-hand knowledge of the company’s operations.
She was accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, and other officials of the ministry and agency.
As part of the visit, the minister and her team also inspected an illegal small-scale mining site at Osino, where miners fled after spotting the government officials arriving in their convoy.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings commended Zijin Golden Ridge Limited for its environmental sustainability initiatives, particularly land reclamation, reforestation and forest preservation.
“We have been given a tour of the Zijin mine, including the FTS, and for me, this is the highlight of the trip. Because when we talk about reclamation of land, reforestation, preservation of the environment, it needs to go beyond just the words. And I think what we are seeing here is an example of the work put in,” she said.
She stressed that reclamation and reforestation were essential to minimising the impact of human activities on nature.
“This is a forest that has been nursed for 10 years now, and as you can see, the trees don’t grow overnight. And it’s important that as we look at the extractive industry as part of everything, a very essential section of that is how we can make sure that the anthropogenic effect on nature is minimised,” she added.
The minister also welcomed the company’s plans to establish a recycling facility for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, saying proper disposal and recycling would become increasingly important as the use of EVs expanded.
She expressed concern about the destruction of land at Osino by illegal small-scale mining and pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to address the problem.
The Environment Manager of Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, Mr Kwame Obeng Dapaah, said the company was committed to the concurrent reclamation of areas no longer required for mining.
He said the company was required to revegetate 303 hectares of forest reserve under a 10-year project, adding that it had so far restored more than 40 hectares.
Mr Dapaah described illegal small-scale mining as a major concern and urged the government to intensify efforts to curb the practice and reduce its impact on human lives and the environment.
FROM BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY, ABIREM