According to him, the unlawful activities of sand miners is having a negative impact on the environment and believes that a robust plan is needed to stop the menace.

He told Citi News that, sand mining has to a large extent affected farming activities in many areas including the North Tongu constituency in the Volta Region. He also described the activity as being worse than illegal mining.

“Sand winning can be even worse than ‘galamsey’ because they can degrade a large short in land in short time because it goes very fast. So, if you go to areas like the north Tongu constituency you see a lot of degradation from sand winning. It has affected the farming activities when they grow the maize, pepper and so one which is very popular in the area, it does not do well,” he said.

The widespread activities of sand minners have compelled parliament to set up a five-member committee to investigate and make recommendations to fight the illegal activity but Professor Frimpong Boateng believes that a major way of tackling the situation is by issuing permits and putting in place effective regulation mechanisms to check the activities of the sand miners.

“They should be given the permit. Sand winning is like mining, they get the permit from the minerals commission… it is not the EPA,” he said.

The issuance of permit for sand winning in Ghana has long been accepted to regulate the activity, however, most people engaged in the business of sand winning do not follow the due procedure to do so.

In a separate interview, the Chairman of the National Association of Sand and Stoneworkers and Tipper Trucks Users (NasWottu), Peter Donkor called for decentralization of the process of permit issuance from Accra to all districts and also work to make the process less stressful.

In Ghana, the Mining and Minerals Act (act 703), regulates the activities of stone and sand winners.

It classifies sand and stone as major minerals and therefore subjects them to the same process of obtaining permits as it is done in the case of those who mine gold, diamond, bauxite and other precious minerals.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Stricter measures needed to address illegal sand mining – Frimpong Boateng appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a resolution adopted at the end of its Fifth National Conference, held in Kumasi, WACAM expressed worry over a statement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that: “Ghana will experience severe water crisis by 2025, if nothing is done to reduce the increasing pollution of water bodies and forest degradation.”

The EPA anticipates that the country’s per capita water availability would be 1,000 cubic metres (m3) per annum, making Ghana a water-stressed country.”

The Conference alleged that the Government had granted mining leases to multinational mining companies to undertake open cast mining in forest reserves.

It claimed that the Newmont Akyem Mine, for instance, had been approved to undertake surface mining operations in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve while AngloGold Ashanti had a lease to mine in Kubi Forest.

“There are plans to permit surface mining in Tano Suraw Forest Reserve; Obonsam Bepo Forest Reserve; Atiwa Range Forest Reserve; Fure; Tano and Offin Forest Reserves, which are part of Ghana’s 30 Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas,” WACAM alleged.

The Conference stated that the current Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, 2006, provided adequate protection for the multinational mining companies but not the surface rights of affected mining communities.

“Conference is of the opinion that the Minerals and Mining Act is too weak to provide effective regulation of the current mining boom,” it said.

“Conference notes further that the Minerals and Mining Act, does not have important provisions such as the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which would empower host communities to reject or accept a mining project based on the knowledge of the benefits and negative effects of mining on their livelihoods and pollution of the environment among other things.”

The Conference expressed worry that despite the visible environmental challenges of mining, the Minerals and Mining Act did not contain provisions on the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP).

It assured of WACAM’s readiness to share its experiences on a baseline mining study it conducted with stakeholders to ensure the compliance with the mining laws.

It also called on the Government to develop a comprehensive reform of mining regulations in the country with the active participation of NGOs; Faith-Based Organisations; Mining Communities; Trades Union Congress (Ghana); and Traditional Authorities, among other groups.”

The conference was attended by delegates and representatives from Tarkwa, Prestea /Dumasi, Nzema, Kenayse, Donkro-Nkwanta, Obuasi, Mumuadu, Akyem Nkwarteng,; Akyem Adausena and Sheini Zones.

The Conference discussed issues relating to the protection of the social, civil, political, economic and environmental rights of mining communities in relation to national policies, as well as the policies of WACAM that form the basis for its advocacy work.

–

Source: GNA

The post Stop mining in forest reserves – WACAM to Gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.