The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has uncovered illegal and unsafe mineral processing activities during a compliance exercise at a concession operated by the Nkroful Small Scale Mining Association in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
According to the EPA Mining Team, two separate groups of illegal miners were found engaging in hazardous VAT/column leaching operations within the concession area.
At the first site, the team confiscated several chemicals, including eight new 50-kilogram drums of sodium cyanide and one half-used drum of the same substance.
Sodium cyanide is highly toxic and prohibited for use in small-scale mining operations in Ghana due to its environmental and public health risks.
The seized chemicals were initially transported to the Adamus Resources Mine for temporary safekeeping but were later moved to Takoradi due to limited storage capacity.
At a second location within the concession, the EPA identified additional illegal leaching activities, with waste acids being stored in unlined pits.
The Authority said this practice poses a serious risk of soil contamination and potential pollution of groundwater sources relied upon by nearby communities.
The EPA warned that the improper handling of hazardous chemicals could have long-term consequences for the environment and public health, particularly through contamination of water bodies.
