EPA HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING ON GOLD MINING PROJECT (PAGE 22, SEPT 3, 2010)

GOLD mining in the Western Region continues to affect the lives of people in the communities located in the various concessions both positively and negatively.
The farms of the affected people are either destroyed or the entire community is resettled to make way for the mining operations.
Sometimes, the affected people raise objection to some of the mining projects due to the negative effects the project would have on them, while others embrace it, as a result of the contribution the mining project would make to the general development of the people in the communities.
 To create a platform for the affected people to raise their concerns, objection or otherwise, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), holds public hearing on an environmental impact statement prepared by the mining company concerned to iron out all conflicts and differences before a final licence is issued to the company to start its new operations.
It is in consonance with this that the EPA organised a public hearing on a proposed Ajopa Gold Mining Project by AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine) Limited at Pepesa in the Prestea-Huni Valley District in the Western Region to make way for the operation of the new mine.
At the public hearing, people in the nine farming communities located in the mining concession unanimously supported the start of the project.
 However, the farmers raised some concerns which management of AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine) has agreed to address.
 The communities, namely Wangarakrom, Badukrom, Nkyemia, Alaala, Tokunanso, Owusukrom, Huniso, Pepesa and Ajopa, did not raise any objection to the project.
Three of the villages, namely Alaala, Tokunanso and Owusukrom which are within the immediate catchment area of the mine also agreed to be resettled at a place of their choice.
Some of the concerns raised included the effects of blasting and dust on the people’s health, as well as the possible pollution of the main source of drinking water which takes its source from the Ajopa Ridge where the mining operation will be concentrated.
They also called for the general development of the affected villages including the extension of electricity to Pepesa and the development of oil palm plantation for the communities as being done by other mining companies in the area.
Some of the farmers complained about discrepancies in the payment of compensation as some of them were paid less than they expected.
Nana Kingsley Awudu of Wangarakrom and Nana Hamidu Haruna of Badukrom complained that the villages were located between the two concessions of AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine) and Gold Fields Ghana Limited and as such, the villages were not getting assistance from the two companies.
They buttressed their point with the fact that the two villages were not found on the map of the Ajopa Mining Project, while all the other villages could be located on the map.
The Ajopa Gold Mining Project covers 48 square kilometres 25 per cent out of which would be disturbed.
An estimated 345,000 ounces of gold is expected to be mined within a two-year period.
Already, AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine) has paid a total of GH¢1,158,085 as compensation, while additional GH¢2,679,000.74 would be paid to 731 farmers.
The company has also paid GH¢483,000.09 to farmers whose farms were on the haul road.
A total of 375 households will be impacted, comprising three hamlets on the haul road.
The Mining Manager of AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine), Dr E. Baffour Boakye explained that water suppression would be used to reduce fugitive dust in the environment, haul and access roads.
He said the company would monitor dust in the communities and at the project site, while top soil would be stockpiled and managed for future rehabilitation.
Dr Boakye said there would be visual assessment of erosion and analysis of run-off water quality as a preventive measure, and that the company would carry out monitoring of vibration and air blast and redesign blasting if blasting levels were high.
He said there would be improvement and maintenance of the existing community access roads.














The Prestea-Huni Valley District Chief Executive, Mr Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, said all the gold mining companies in the district were the district assembly’s partners in development.
He urged the companies to be transparent in their operations, especially in the area of employment, attachment and scholarship.
Mr Cudjoe advised the farmers to use the compensation paid to them to establish lucrative ventures and not to spend them on unprofitable activities.
The Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Head of Mining, Mr Ransford Sekyi, explained that when gold mining started around 1888 in the country, there was nothing such as public hearing.
He said the Environmental Act, EPA Act 490, December 1994, as well as the Legislative Instrument (LI) on Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation enjoined all mining companies to adhere to the mining laws.
He therefore, urged the people in the mining communities to study the environmental impact assessment statement to enable them to make inputs.
Mr Sekyi said no compensation would be paid to unaffected farms in the concession.
The Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem Mine), Mr Billy Mawasha, said the company was committed to its community development values.
He called on the people in the catchment area to support the project as they had supported other projects to enable the company to also support them in their development programmes.