WACAM, an advocacy non-governmental organization, has criticized Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited-NGGCL, over its recent cyanide spillage at Ahafo Mine in the Brong Ahafo Region, which killed many fish in the Subri River.
According to WACAM, the description by Newmont officials that the cyanide spillage was a minor overflow which was contained and neutralized clearly indicates that the US based mining company masked the magnitude of the spillage and downplayed its real effects.
This was stated in a press release signed by WACAM Executive Director, Mr Daniel Owusu Koranteng.
“It is worrying that Newmont employed every conceivable means including scientific dishonesty and misinformation to avoid taking responsibility for the consequences of the cyanide spillage,” said Mr Koranteng.
He sad it was regrettable that Newmont’s earlier press release on the incident stated that ‘cyanide is only harmful to human beings at levels of 20ppm (parts per million) and above’.
According to him, what Newmont quoted as the harmful level of cyanide to human beings is 100 times the permissible standard of the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for free cyanide. He went on to state that free cyanide concentration of 1ppm can cause death and free cyanide concentration of 20ppm would kill instantly.
The Executive Director of WACAM explained that EPA in Ghana and the US EPA permissible standard for free cyanide is 0.20ppm, noting that Ghana EPA’s standard for total cyanide is 1.0ppm and 0.6ppm for Weak Acid Dissociable (WAD) cyanide.
“It is unethical to communicate untruths that have serious health implications to the public as part of Newmont’s image saving strategy,” WACAM Executive Director intimated.
“The US Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Newmont Ahafo Mine in 2005 after the mine had started its operations,” he recalled.
He recounted that the review which was undertaken by an official of US Environmental Protection Agency was very critical of the cyanide management practices of Newmont Ahafo mine in addition to other serious concerns relating to water quality monitoring.
“The report titled US Environmental Protection Agency Review Newmont Ahafo South Project EIA –John Hillenbrand (12/28/05) stated that “Cyanide will be discharged into the tailings facility at 1000 times the aquatic life water quality standard and 100 times the drinking water standard, thereby setting up for future water quality problems,” Mr Koranteng underscored.
He said the experience of WACAM shows that mining companies that spill cyanide try to play technical games by stating that because cyanide degrades with sunlight (photo degradable); cyanide spillages are not as harmful as people are made to believe.
He maintained that the common practice is that Regulatory Agencies visit sites of cyanide spillages to take water samples to test for free cyanide more than 48 hours after the occurrence of a cyanide spillage when they know that the free cyanide had degraded.
He said the cyanide spillage has exposed the weaknesses in the environmental management plans and the Emergency Response strategies of Newmont Ahafo mine because the company could not detect the cyanide spillage when it occurred.
“Newmont Ghana Gold Limited attempted to cover up the weaknesses in its environmental management practices which resulted in the cyanide spillage when it stated in the media release that the company was “undertaking its own investigations to fully establish the cause of the incident and help prevent future occurrence,” the statement noted.
However, Mr Koranteng made it clear that EPA has stated that the cyanide spillage was caused by the negligence of Newmont Ahafo mine.
According to him, recent media reports indicate that Newmont Ahafo mine, Golden Star Resources, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine and AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem mine were either fully or 90 per cent certified for signing on to the International Cyanide Code which is a safety standard guidelines for the management of dangerous chemicals such as cyanide.
“The cyanide spillage by Newmont Ahafo mine has shown clearly that Ghana needs strong laws to regulate the mining industry and that mining companies sign on to Voluntary Codes of conduct as a green wash strategy to promote self regulation.”
WACAM condemned Newmont Ahafo Mine for not putting up a credible story about the cyanide spillage and also being economical with the truth.
“If the spillage had occurred in Newmont’s own country which is US, the company would have paid more than $100 million dollars as clean-up cost in addition to compensation to the affected communities,” the statement added.
WACAM, however, urged government to institute investigations into the spillage to establish the impact and recommended adequate compensation to be paid to the affected communities.
