MEST Inaugurates Committee on Mining Violations

Accra June 1, GNA - The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), on Monday expressed worry over the increasing violation of rights of people leaving in mining communities. To address the problem, the Ministry has inaugurated a six-member committee to study a 200-page report on the state of human rights in mining communities, which would give its recommendations to government for implementation.

The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) released the 200-page report in March 2008. Some of the findings of the report include widespread pollution of water resources, deprivation and loss of livelihood, inadequate compensation, absence of effective communication channels, excesses against galamsey (small scale) operators and ineffective monitoring of state regulatory institutions of mining companies.

Some of the affected areas captured in the report are in the Eastern, Ashanti and Western Regions. The six-member committee with Mr David Annan, a legal practitioner as its Chairman would summit the report to the Ministry by the end of September 30, this year. Inaugurating the Committee, Ms Sherry Ayettey, the sector Minister, noted that some of the problems captured in the report demanded that the Ministry acted urgently to efficiently address the excesses. According to her, the ministry had also received several petitions by communities affected by activities of mining companies hence the need to act now.

Ms Ayettey said a look at the report, also revealed that there were water resources that had been polluted as well as the pollution of the environment through blasting.

"There is widespread pollution from dust and noise resonating from mining activities. Also, blasting activities cause cracks in several buildings in the communities." This, she noted, affected the vulnerable, such as women and children, who sometimes experienced shock and got frightened whenever there was blasting.

Ms Ayettey recounted varied health problem that people faced, which include skin infection, chest problems, diarrhoea and malaria. She charged the committee not to hesitate to contact persons who would assist in its work, adding that the ministry is ready to lend its support.

Mr Annan said the Ministry was keen at looking critically, the problems arising from activities of mining companies. He said some of the operations of the mining companies could be traumatic on the local people, pointing out the use of prohibited materials such as mercury and spillage of cyanide. "We need to put a stop to activities that contravenes the laws of the land." Mr Kwame Bosompem, a member of the committee and a CHRAJ representative, expressed gratefulness to MEST for heeding to calls on the plight of people living in mining communities. 01 June 09