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Ghana: Iduapriem gold mine, financed by the World Bank, pollutes water and cuts off farmers from their lands
Ghana: Iduapriem gold mine, financed by the World Bank, pollutes water and cuts off farmers from their lands
Farmers living on the concession of the Iduapriem mine in the Wassa West District suffer because most of their lands have been taken over by the mine. In addition they experience a lack of access to safe water as streams have ceased to exist, remaining water sources are polluted and boreholes are deficient. Action plans have been in place since 2003, but the company has repeatedly broken promises and other actors involved - especially the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Bank - have failed to protect the right to food and water of the residents.
Background
The Iduapriem mine is located in the Wassa West District near Tarkwa and is currently operated by AngloGold Ashanti. The private sector lending arm of the World Bank - the International Finance Corporation (IFC) - owns part of the mine. Mining in the Wassa West District, which is known to have one of the largest clusters of mines and mining companies on the African continent, has led to the destruction of large tracts of land, which were previously used for farming. The community members of Teberebie - one of those communities located on the concession of the Iduapriem mine - was resettled to its present location to make way for the mine in 1999. Since then the 700 members of the Teberebie community have been suffering from a lack of land for farming. The little land they had is currently being taken over by large waste rock dumps operated by the mine. To reach remaining fields farming families have to walk distances up to 6-8 km one direction - and are often exposed to harassment by Anglogold Ashanti's private security (often accompanied by armed policemen). The lack of land is one of the main reasons why farming families are increasingly deprived of their food and sources of income. As the farming season is about to start, an increasing number of families will be threatened by hunger since there is no replacement land. The communities are also suffering from heavy blasting activities of the mining company and the dust associated with it. Lack of access to land and long distances to the little land left is not only a problem for the community of Teberebie, but for all communities on the concession.
Water has become an ever increasing problem for the communities located on the concession. Because of the mining operations, several streams have ceased to exist and communities suffer from the lack of alternative water sources. The quality of the water is also alarming. Recently, FIAN was alerted by local community members who alleged that the mining company was discharging waste water, including faecal matter, from the company's residential housing directly into streams that serve as freshwater sources for the surrounding communities. These streams also flow through fields and farmers drink from it while working on the fields. Samples of the effluents taken by FIAN and analysed by the Water Research Institute in Ghana (part of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) showed that the effluents were not safe to be discharged into the environment as they were heavily contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. The Institute came to the conclusion that there should not be any exposure of these effluents to humans, that they should not be used to irrigate crops likely to be eaten uncooked and that there needs to be pre-treatment before discharging them into the environment.
The discharge of untreated waste water containing faecal matter and other harmful bacteria into community streams is only one of the water-related problems that the communities face and it is symptomatic of the lack of respect for the communities' rights by the company and other actors involved. Neither the company, nor the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has responded adequately to the communities' complaints. Although the IFC owns part of the mine and although the two action plans developed in 2003 are part of the contract with the mine, it has failed to pressurize the company to comply with the action plans as well as IFC standards on environmental and social issues.
FIAN Mandate
Ghana is a State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and is therefore obliged by international law to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the communities living on the Iduapriem concession. The EPA is the national institution charged with the responsibility of prescribing and ensuring compliance with standards and guidelines relating to the pollution of air, water, land and other forms of pollution including the discharge of waste and also safeguarding the local population from the negative effects of mining operations.
The IFC has to act according to international human rights standards as well as obligations of its member states under international law and to ensure that AngloGold Ashanti does not continue to infringe on the Right to Food and Water of the communities affected by its mining operations.
Call to Action
Please write to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a copy to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and to the Head Office of AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa.
Urgent Action 0804UGHA
Original Letter:
Dear Mr. Allotey,
It has come to my attention that communities living on the Iduapriem concession are suffering from the lack of access to safe water. Since mining started, streams have fallen dry and community members report that the existing stand pipes are not adequate and that they experience water pollution. Recent analyses done by the Water Research Institute on behalf of FIAN have confirmed that the company is discharging waste water including faecal matter from the company's staff quarters into the environment without any treatment. This is a serious threat to the Right to Food and Water of those who come into contact with the effluents.
It has also come to my attention that communities living on the Iduapriem concession find it difficult to feed themselves as a result of the take-over of their farmlands by the mining company, Anglogold Ashanti. Members of the affected communities, especially women, now have to walk several kilometres to look for new farmlands. The communities urgently need farm lands which are close to their community to guarantee their access to food and their livelihood.
Ghana is a State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and is therefore obliged by international law to respect, protect and fulfil the right to food and water. Furthermore, as a State Party to the African Charter on Human Rights, Ghana has the obligation to ensure that "All people shall have the right to their economic, social and cultural development with due regard to their freedom and identity and in the equal enjoyment of the common heritage of mankind" (Article 22). Additionally, Article 21.5 says that "States parties to the present Charter shall undertake to eliminate all forms of foreign economic exploitation particularly that practised by international monopolies so as to enable their peoples to fully benefit from the advantages derived from their national resources".
In view of the above, I respectfully ask you to
o investigate the current status of access to water for local communities as well as the safety of water sources.
o ensure that immediate steps are taken to guarantee the provision of clean and adequate water for all the communities affected by the operations of Anglogold Ashanti, Iduapriem Limited.
o install independent monitoring of water quality on the Iduapriem concession with the participation of the local communities.
o ensure that communities are provided with replacement land which is within easy reach of the community.
o ensure that community members can move freely and that they are equally protected from harassments by security personnel.
I would be grateful, Sir, if you could keep me informed of the steps you are taking in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
Recipients:
Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency
The Acting Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice
CEO AngloGold Ashanti
