Mining operations violate right of mining communities to clean water - Wacam

Accra, March 21, GNA - The following is the full text of a press release from Wacam, human rights and mining advocacy nongovernmental organisation (NGO), and other civil society organisations to mark this year's World Water Day being celebrated under the theme: "Clean Water for a Healthy World."

MINING OPERATIONS VIOLATE THE RIGHT OF MINING COMMUNITIES TO CLEAN WATER AND HEALTH

"The theme for the celebration of this year's World Water Day "Clean Water for a Healthy World" aptly reflects the relationship between clean water and the health status of many people who rely on natural water resource to meet their biological, cultural, recreational and household needs.

"All the millennium development goals are inter related. Without aceess to freshwater, the over-arching goal of poverty reduction cannot be achieved. This year's theme for the celebration of the World Water Day is to afford the opportunity for citizens of every country to discuss the relationship between water availability and water quality so as to meet the millennium development goals as noted by Mr. Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General that "providing access to clean drinking water is also fundamental for achieving the other Millennium Development Goals, such as alleviating poverty, hunger and malnutrition; reducing child mortality; increasing gender equality; providing more opportunity for education; and ensuring environmental sustainability".

"Water availability is one of the important issues with health implications that confront Africa in particular and the world in general. The fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that twelve countries would be limited to 1,000 to 1,700 m3/person/year, and the population at risk could be up to 460 million mainly in West Africa. The estimate was based only on population growth rates and did not take into account the variation in water resources due to climate change and other human activities including mining. "Ghana is one of the twelve countries that would face water scarcity. The Ghanaian Chronicle issue of July 25 2003 gave a vivid picture of Ghana's imminent water crisis when it reported a statement attributed to the Ashanti Regional Programmes Officer of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that, Ghana is listed among countries in Africa that would experience water stress of 1700 cubic metres or less per person annually by 2025. This is due to the pollution of water bodies.

"The Ghana Living Standard Statistical Survey (GLSS 2008) states that more than 40% of Ghanaians in rural, urban and peri-urban centres especially children die each year from diseases associated with unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. According to the GLSS (2008) report, on the average, women and children walk a distance of six kilometres each day carrying 20 litres of water.

"Surface mining including artisanal mining affects water availability to people through the use of large volumes of fresh water for processing as well as water pollution from discharged mine effluent and seepage from tailings and waste rock impoundments. Increasingly, human activities such as mining threaten the water sources on which human beings depend. James Lyon describes Water as "mining's most common casualty". (James Lyon, interview, Mineral Policy Centre, Washington DC).

"Gold mining can deplete surface and groundwater supplies through dewatering. Some of the global examples that demonstrate that dewatering may destroy or damage streamside habitat many miles from the actual mine site include the example of Nevada, the driest state in the United States of America, where the Humboldt River is being drained to benefit gold mining operations along the Carlin Trend. Mines in the North Eastern Nevada desert pumped out more than 580 billion gallons of water between 1986 and 2001 - enough to feed New York City's taps for more than a year. Groundwater withdrawn from the Santa Cruz River Basin in Southern Arizona for use at a nearby copper mine is lowering the water table and drying up the river (Environmental Mining Council of British Columbia, 2000).

"The then Environmental Protection Council (EPC, 1991) now Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana estimated that freshwater resource in Ghana amounted to 40 million acre - feet from rainfall, rivers, streams, spring and creeks, natural lakes impoundments and ground water from various aquifers. Availability of potable water to the population is an indicator of social and economic well - being.

"The rate at which mining operations are polluting water bodies in Ghana is a source of serious concern and worry. The multinational mining companies in Ghana including Goldfields Ghana Limited, Golden Star Resources (Prestea/Bogoso) mine, Golden Star Resources (Akyempim) mine, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited and the defunct Teberebie Goldfields Limited had officially being reported to have spilled large quantities of cyanide into rivers that serve the needs of mining communities. The practice where Ghana Manganese Company used to discharge manganese waste into river Bonsa which was distributed by Ghana Water Company to consumers in Tarkwa and its environs became a source of conflict between communities around Bonsa and the company. There were Newspaper reports in 2005 that Newmont Ghana Gold Limited Ahafo mine had a facility that discharged faecal matter into river Asuopre which served the needs of communities in the area.

"Sometimes, effluents which contain cyanide and heavy metals from the Tailings Storage Facilities of mining companies that seep into surface and ground water occur unnoticed for a long time. The seepage from the tailings storage facility of Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited for example necessitated the closure of two such facilities by Ghana EPA in February 2010. Again, the activities of "Galamsey" operators also pollute rivers and water bodies.

"It is important to cite a few specific examples to buttress the seriousness of the problem of water stress in mining communities. The mining operations of Golden Star Resources (Bogoso/Prestea) Mine had polluted and destroyed the six rivers Dumase namely, Aprepre, Wurawura, Akyesua, Pram, Nana Nyabaa, Nsu Abena (6) and two (2) rivers in Twigyaa. "The operations of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine had polluted about 12 rivers in Sanso and many communities in Obuasi area such as Odumase, Fenaso, do not have access to clean water. Similarly, the cyanide spillages from the Tailings Storage Facilities of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited had polluted rivers such as Achofoe, Angonaben and Bromenasu. AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited had completely buried rivers such as Awura, Atibri, Betihini with mine Rock Waste.

"A research commissioned by Wacam on water quality of rivers in mining communities of Obuasi and Tarkwa areas revealed that 250 rivers had been polluted by cyanide and heavy metals.

"The negative effects of mining are depriving mining communities of access to clean water and this has implication for the health status of mining communities since the ingestion of cyanide and heavy metals in rivers for long periods could lead to many serious health problems for people living in mining communities. We recognise that access to clean water is a human right and the pollution of rivers by mining operations constitutes a violation of the rights of the mining communities to clean water and environment. "Forest Reserves serve as the Watersheds for many rivers and we call on government not to allow mining in Forest Reserves. We call on government to demonstrate its commitment to the ideals of the theme of the 2010 Water Day celebration, "Clean Water for a Healthy World" by revoking the Mining Lease granted Newmont to mine in Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve. Ghana should not make the celebration of the Water Day, rhetoric and a celebration with no political commitment to protect our water resources. "We thus call on Regulatory agencies to be proactive in preventing pollution of rivers by mining operations and to provide timely information on pollution of water bodies to affected communities. Signed 1. Wacam 2. Dialogue and Advocacy for Good Governance (DAGG) - Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference 3. Youth for Action Ghana (YAG) 4. Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis (CEIA) 5. Centre for Labour Rights and Community Services (CLARCS) 6. Voices of Tomorrow Leaders Foundation (VOTOLEAF) 7. Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) 8. Concerned Farmers' Association of Teberebie 9. Concerned Citizens Association of Prestea ( end text). 21 March 10