Johannesburg — ANGLOGOLD Ashanti is busy with the second phase of a study into whether there is any scientific link between operations at its Sadiola mine in Mali and reports that four out of five pregnant women in two villages near the mine are miscarrying.

AngloGold executive officer of corporate affairs Steve Lenahan said yesterday the first phase of the study, being conducted under the auspices of the Malian National Institute of Research in Public Health, involved data gathering and had not produced any conclusive evidence of a relationship between mining activity around Sadiola and ill health.

Once the second phase of the study was completed, it would be verified by independent international health institutions and would be available for public scrutiny.

He said all AngloGold's mines operated under strict international standards and company guidelines for environmental management.

Sadiola obtained ISO 14001 certification, which is an environmental accreditation, last year.

"Allegations of environmental pollution around Sadiola and its effect on community health have been the subject of discussions with advocacy institutions, community organisations, the government and our partners for several years and a number of internal and independent investigations have been undertaken."

Lenahan was responding to allegations this week that open cast gold mining by multinationals in Africa had created an "ecological time bomb".

The allegations are contained in a book, Black Gold by Swiss journalist Gilles Labarthe, launched in Paris this week. The book is published in collaboration with Oxfam France-Agir and Survie (Survival).

AFP reported Labarthe said at the book launch that cyanide and mercury contamination of groundwater had led to paralysis, blindness and numerous miscarriages in the vicinity of open cast mines in Africa.

It would cost $16bn to clean up the polluted groundwater in Africa and the countries concerned would probably have to foot the bill.

Labarthe said the three main gold multinationals operating in Africa were AngloGold, Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining. The news agency also quoted a recent International Federation for Human Rights report that said mining companies enjoyed large tax breaks which denied governments the resources that could have been derived from mining.

Lenahan said Sadiola had been paying company tax since 2001 and to date had paid more than $305m in taxes and duties to the Malian government, which has also earned $53m in dividends as an 18% shareholder of Sadiola.

AngloGold holds 38% of Sadiola, with IAMGold holding 38%, the Mali government 18% and the International Finance Corporation 6%. AngloGold also manages the mine, which is 77km south of the regional capital, Kayes. It also has stakes in and operates the Yatela and Morila joint venture mines in Mali.