[ 2012-06-09 ]

Newmonts dead fishes explanation stinks!
GJNMOG Calls for immediate closure of Newmont
Ahafo Mine

The Ghana Journalists Network on Mining, Oil and
Gas (GJNMOG), a media advocacy group, has
described the explanation by the Communication
Director of Newmont Ahafo Mine, Agbeko Azumah,
that the large quantity of dead fishes found in
one of the Newmont's Environmental Control Dams
(ECD2) constructed in the upstream of Awonsuo
River, a tributary of Tano River, was due to heavy
rainfall, as incomprehensible.

On Wednesday 30, May 2012, thousands of fishes
were found dead in Newmont's ECD2. No preliminary
investigations had been done, yet Newmont explains
the incident is caused by a heavy down pour that
occurred on the night of Tuesday 29, May.

This, explanation by the Communication Director of
Newmont, GJNMOG believes can prejudice any
investigation that would be conducted. GJNMOG also
find it very worrying the failure on part of the
Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology
and other regulatory bodies in the mining sector
such as Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals
Commission and Water Resources Commission to put
in place proper measures to check activities of
Newmont in its Ahafo Mine areas.

The National President of GJNMOG, Raphael Godlove
Ahenu Junior, is advocating for immediate closure
of the Newmont Ahafo Mine, to ensure that the
mining giant put in place appropriate measures to
forestall future occurrences.

Mr. Ahenu Junior expressed these sentiments when
he visited the site of the incident. The
President, who was accompanied by other leading
members of the Network, advised Newmont to admit
its fault and stop putting a spin on the issues.

GJNMOG would not turn blind to eye to activities
of companies in the extractive industry that have
deleterious effects on the environment and the
host communities.

Mr. Ahenu Junior maintained that GJNMOG is not
against mining but rather it despises
irresponsible mining, calling on Newmont to adopt
sound environmental practices to forestall future
occurrences.

The National President recalled that Newmont on
similar issue in December last year and early this
year attributed the death of the fishes to
Harmattan weather conditions and low level of
oxygen in the Subri River dam and this time around
attributing it to heavy rainfall.

He therefore advised the communities that reside
around the river to stop drinking from the Awonsuo
River until the laboratory result has been brought
out.

Source - GJNMOG

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