Gold mining giant AngloGold Ashanti Limited’s Obuasi operation is one of four mining operations that can be listed as the poorest performers in environmentally responsible operations, Weekend Sun has discovered.
The AngloGold Group, in which the Government of Ghana holds 1.58% direct interest (GHEITI Report-Mining Sector for 2012 and 2013), has mines in Obuasi, Ashanti Region and Iduapriem in the Western Region.
Anwiam community in Obuasi buried under mine waste of AngloGold
Despite leading its peers in investments, the group appears to lag behind its compatriots in performance that complies with the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations and demands.
“AngloGold Ghana had its capital expenditure in 2013 totalling $224m,” says the GHEITI (Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) Report-Mining Sector for 2012 and 2013. “This brings to $957m the amount AngloGold Ashanti has invested in its Ghana operations in the past five years,” the report added.
On the Akoben programme of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, however, AngloGold’s Obuasi mine puts in a performance that mirrors a situation where some of the companies perceived as bigger, more powerful and influential score very low marks on doing environmentally responsible operations.
The likes of Goldfields Ghana Limited, Ghana Bauxite Company Limited and Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited can be grouped together with AngloGold, Weekend Sun’s analysis has shown.
The Akoben programme is an environmental performance rating and disclosure initiative of the EPA, which uses a five-colour rating scheme to assess the environmental performance of mining and manufacturing operations.
The colours Gold, Green, Blue, Orange and Red indicate environmental performance ranging from excellent to poor. The EPA explains on the Akoben dedicated website the implication of each colour as follows: Red implies operations have “serious risk”; Orange implies “Not in compliance”; and Blue means “In compliance.” Scoring Green and Gold mean “Applies Best Practices” and “Committed to Social Performance” respectively.
A look at the Akoben ratings from 2009 to 2012 reveals Ghana Manganese Company Limited, Chirano Gold Mines Limited and Newmont Ghana Gold Limited in Kenyasi emerge tops.
Break down
Overall 16 mining companies have featured in the Akoben process since 2009. Only Newmont’s Akyem operations, which is registered as Newmont Golden Ridge Resources, and Noble Gold Bibiani Limited in Bibiani have been involved in the process on a single occasion (2012). On the other hand, Adamus Resources Limited in Teleku Bokazo, Owere Mines Limited of Konongo and Perseus Mining Limited in Ayanfuri have been involved twice (2011 and 2012).
All the rest, including AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem) Limited, AngloGold Ashanti Limited (Obuasi Mine), Goldfields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa Mine), Newmont Ghana Gold Limited in Kenyasi, Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited and Abosso Goldfields Limited in Damang have all appeared in all of the editions. Other four-time participants are Chirano Gold Mines Limited, Ghana Bauxite Company Limited in Awaso, Ghana Manganese Company Limited in Nsuta, Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Limited based in Bogoso and Golden Star (Wassa) Limited in Akyempim.
Our analysis
Weekend Sun analysed the Akoben process quantitatively by substituting the colours with numerical values where Red (poor) performance is represented by 1 and Gold (excellent) performance is represented by 5. Orange (unsatisfactory), Blue (good) and Green (very good) were represented with 2, 3 and 4.
Among companies that have participated in all four editions, none scored 5 (Gold) in any of the editions.
But overall, the best performance comes from Ghana Manganese Company Limited which polls 12 points cumulatively, improving from a score of two (Orange) in both 2009 and 2010 to four (Green) in 2011 and 2012.
Chirano Gold Mines Limited ranks a close second with an aggregate score of 10 after picking two in each of 2009, 2010 and 2011 befo re jumping to four in 2012.
In spite of a fluctuating performance, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited in Kenyasi clocks aggregate of 9 points to place third, picking up two (2009), three (2010), two (2011) and three (2012).
AngloGold (Obuasi Mine), Ghana Bauxite Company Limited, Goldfields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa Mine) and Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited scored one point (Red) in each of the four editions to aggregate four points over the period.
They place just behind Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Limited and AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem) Limited which scored five points each over the period.
In between the top and bottom performers are Abosso Goldfields Limited in Damang and Golden Star (Wassa) Limited in Akyempim with eight points apiece.
Punish them
For many, the trend shows that very few companies are taking the Akoben initiative seriously. Thus, there is need for the EPA to revise the programme from a “naming and shaming” process to a punitive one.
Mrs. Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, Associate Executive Director at Wacam, said “I don’t think the Akoben has made mining companies more responsible. I think the EPA should do more as a regulatory body and stop this window dressing,” she asserts. “Akoben environmental accountability is good, but I doubt whether the way we are organising it in Ghana will bring out the needed lessons.”
Richard Ellimah, Executive Director of the Obuasi-based Centre for Social Impact Studies, CeSIS, thinks “The Akoben initiative is a very good step” by the EPA even though there is an “apparent show of apathy by mining communities towards the Akoben.”
Standard
Several attempts at reaching the EPA for its comments on the analysis were unsuccessful but the regulatory body posts on its website that “These ratings measure the environmental performance of companies based on their day-to-day operations once they have successfully cleared their Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and obtained their environmental permit to operate.”
Also, it said, the ratings are evaluated by analysing more than a hundred performance indicators that include quantitative data as well as qualitative and visual information.
The EPA reports its final ratings as aggregates of assessment of companies in indexes such as legal issues, hazardous waste management, toxics releases, non-toxics releases, monitoring and reporting, environmental best practices, community complaints and corporate social responsibility.
Evidence
Meanwhile, studies have shown that environmental breaches would usually affect water bodies. In October 2011, the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis, CEIA, based in Cape Coast, and its partners revealed in a study conducted in the Prestea-Huni Valley (including Bogoso-Dumasi), Tarkwa Nsuaem and Cape Coast municipalities that high levels of toxic metallic substances, particularly Arsenic were present in rivers, streams, boreholes and food crops due mainly to the exposure of these substances by the activities of miners.
Some three years before then, CEIA and Wacam had jointly researched that out of the 160 streams/rivers in the Obuasi mining area in the Ashanti Region, 145 were perceived by residents to be polluted by the operations of mining companies and galamsey operators. Similarly, all the 117 rivers/streams in the Tarkwa mining area were also perceived to be polluted.
On Toes
Mr. Chris Debrah, Environment Superintendent of Goldfields Ghana Limited, feels “The institution of Akoben rating and public disclosure is helping mining industry to be on their toes.”
He explained in an interview that the rating scheme has helped mining companies to be alive to their environmental responsibility. They are mindful of the dangers of water quality, dust, noise pollution from blasting, attitude towards resolving community complaints, and adoption of best practices on mining site.
This story was originally written for and published by the Weekend Sun on April 17, 2015.
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