Dr. Jackson Adiyiah Nyantakyi, Ashanti Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), has stressed the need to adopt responsible mining practices to safeguard both human health and the environment.
According to him, mankind is exposed to dangers associated with the use of mercury in gold extraction.
The EPA Regional Director was addressing the Responsible Mining and Environmental Security Conference, a joint initiative by Pro-Mining Initiative Ghana and Goshen Global, with support from Commodity Monitor and the U.S. Embassy at Obuasi.
Speakers at the Conference included Dr. Ishmael Quaicoe of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), representatives of paramount chiefs, a delegate from the Ashanti Regional Minister’s office, a Commodity Monitor representative, and members of the Ghana Police Service.
The conference, which sought to explore sustainable solutions to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of illegal mining, while promoting responsible mining practices, brought together selected pro-mining representatives and key stakeholders to address pressing issues within the mining industry.
Dr. Nyantakyi noted that the conference and its related workshops were prompted by the EPA’s ongoing compliance monitoring, which has revealed the continued and alarming use of mercury by small-scale and artisanal miners in the Ashanti Region.
He identified the severe risks mercury poses to both the environment and public health, stressing that the workshop aimed to educate miners on the devastating effects of mercury and to actively promote safer alternatives.
Dr. Nyantakyi also referenced the Minamata mercury poisoning disaster as a tragic and powerful case study, demonstrating the long-term and catastrophic consequences of mercury exposure on individuals, communities, and ecosystems.
