WATER POLLUTION: NESREA DG LEADS INVESTIGATION OF CHINESE COMPANY

The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Prof. Aliyu Jauro, Wednesday, led an investigation team on an unscheduled inspection of a gold mining company, Hongao Mining Company Limited, a Chinese company in Kutasa community in Karshi District of the Federal Capital Territory.

The visit followed complaints by residents alleging that the activities of the company compromised the quality of their main source of water.

On arrival at the facility, the team met with the Site Manager, Mr Michael Moses and the translator, Mr. Stanley Ezeilo. Three of the Chinese staff who Mr Michael said were on site during the visit however declined offers for an interaction with NESREA DG and his team.

The NESREA boss requested for their environmental operating document, which is the Environmental Impact Statement, but Mr. Michael said he had no idea of the availability of the document. He also said the company had halted operations following the issues they were having with the community.

Prof. Jauro said “there is allegation of water pollution. We came here to carry out investigation and ensure that they comply with the requisite provision. We have a regulation , The National Environmental (Mining and Processing of Coal Ore and other Industrial Minerals ) Regulation. What is required of all these mining companies is stipulated there. There is need for them to have carried out Environmental Impact Assessment , so we need to see their Environmental Statement. We also need to see their CAC documents and their mining lease”.

Following the non availability of the documents on site, the DG said the company’s management had been invited through their site manager to make the documents available to the Agency at its headquarters for sighting.

He went further to add that unsustainable mining practices posed serious dangers to human health and the environment.

“Mining is process that impacts on the environment . You need to remove the vegetation, you need to remove the overburden before you reach the mineral of interest. As you can see, the mining is taking place near the stream, so this type of mining would really encourage the expansion of the stream. If it is not done in the best way, most of the tailings coming from the mining activity may end up being dumped into the stream and then the water washes everything . The communities nearby rely on the water for domestic uses. We are therefore here to ensure that the right thing is done.”

He said the Agency had taken water and soil samples for laboratory analysis  and would not hesitate to mete out prescribed penalties if the company is found not to have complied with the law.

One of the villagers, Mr Chapi Godwin who NESREA met on site alleged that the company, discharged waste water directly into their main source of water, a stream, which ran across the facility. This, Mr. Godwin said, made their water unfit for use.

He said the company began operations in November 2019 and not long after that the Kutasa community began to experience outbreak of rashes on the skin of their children.