The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has held the second public hearing on the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Ewoyaa Lithium Mining and Processing project by Barari DV Ghana Limited.
The public hearing held at Krofu brought together officials from both EPA and the mining company, traditional authorities, and members of the 12 communities within the mining catchment area of Saltpond-Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality and Abura Asebu Kwamankese District of the Central Region.
During the forum, the major concerns raised by the people included issues on employment of the youth within the mining company, crop and land compensations for affected individuals, health concerns likely to be posed by the mining activity to the inhabitants, security, and resettlement among others.
The company responsible for the Lithium mining and processing projects, Barari DV Ghana Limited also presented the Environmental Impacts Statement report to all the relevant stakeholders as part of the public hearing.
Speaking to the media after the forum, the Deputy Director of Operations at EPA, Engineer Ransford Sekyi disclosed that his outfit recognizes the potential impacts of mining emphasizing that it disrupts the landform, affects air and water quality and generates vibrations in various forms.
However, he said all knowledge and engineering proposal designs that can mitigate some of these impacts are being documented in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
“We have told the community members that if there are issues in terms of non-compliance currently pre-mining as related to the assessment of land compensation issues, they should let us know. We have urged the company director that in terms of compensation there is a need to form, by law, a compensation negotiation committee,” he continued.
He also underscored the need for resettlement negotiation committees to ensure a smooth and successful project that will be beneficial to all.
“With Nananom, and the company itself, I will go through that process. In the likely event that there may be some shortcomings, I would also intervene so that overall, this project would come off successfully and the benefits will be accrued to mother Ghana, to the Central Region, and the people within this project area of influence,” he said.
Engineer Ransford Sekyi said as the company cannot directly employ all within the mining communities, the proposed 1% revenue reserved for the communities will be used to establish other companies to boost employment in the area.
The Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Lithium, Keith Muller said his company has met all the mining lease requirements and delivered a study report evaluating Downstream Processing of Lithium in Ghana and Charting a path.
According to him, “The Ewoyaa Lithium Project is on track to become Ghana’s first lithium mine and a significant global producer of hard rock spodumene and it’s a vital material in the fight of global change.”
He expressed that over 2000 employment opportunities will be created for the community, region and the community.
Additionally, he said, “The Ewoyaa Lithium Project is on track to become Ghana’s first lithium mine and a significant global producer of hard rock spodumene and it’s a vital material in the fight of global change.”
On his part, the paramount chief of Mankessim traditional area, Omanhene Osagyefo Amanfo Edu VI urged the EPA to enhance and sustain their monitoring task force to ensure that all the recommendations and findings spelt out in the Environmental Impacts Statement report are adhered to by the company to avoid any conflicts.
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Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
