Mr. Tim Scott, Metallurgical Manager of Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GGL) has admitted that the cyanide spillage on October 16, at GGL was due to a design problem.
He, however, said heavy rainfall was a major contributory factor, which caused an earth slide, pushing a pipe carrying cyanide solution to break at a joint.
Making a presentation to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy, who paid a day’s visit to GGL Mine and Abekoase, a village near the mine, Mr. Scott said the results of sampling by GGL and Water Resources Commission indicated that there was no threat to public health an the environmental, adding that cyanide degenerate fast in water.
He said water drainage and leach access ramps had been redesigned and reconstructed in addition to improved surveillance and inspection schedule to prevent reoccurrence of the accident. A training programme for all personnel on spillage prevention and procedure was being undertaken, while all pipelines had been reinforced with additional sandbag anchors.
He said GGL had drilled a borehole fixed with hand pump and a big water tank has been placed at Abekoase and two existing wells at Huniso, another town in the mine’s catchment area, had been repaired.
The eight-kilometre road from Tarkwa-Bogoso trunk Road to Huniso was being reconstructed at a cost of 70,000 dollars, Mr. Scott said.
Mr Anthony Bright Boadi Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi and chairman of the committee stressed the need for cordial relations between the mine and the communities.
Mr Kofi Asante, MP for Amenfi West suggested to GGL management to mount intensive public education campaign on the operations of the mine and what the people should do in case of an accident.
At Abekoase, the Chief, Nana Thomas Mbroba, said the recent cyanide spillage was not the first the people had experienced and called for the resettlement of the community as the only option.
Mr. Boadi-Mensah suggested that a committee, representing all the communities in the catchment area should be formed to meet with GGL management to find a mutual solution to the their problems.
Source: GhanaWeb
