Accra — Nature Aid Ghana, a non- governmental organisation (NGO) poised to promote environmental protection, has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to urgently come out with the necessary sanctions against Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), for the recent cyanide spillage.

Nature Aid Ghana is calling for the release of the various reports about the spillage, one month after the incident from the EPA, Newmont and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, together with the correspondent sanctions, since the public, particularly people within the operational area, are eager to ascertain the outcome as promised.

According to the NGO, the EPA promised to deal with Newmont appropriately when found guilty after its investigation very soon, but there seems to be a silence over the spillage, a month the incident.

The NGO has highly condemned the giant mining company, which is operating in the Ahafo area of the Brong-Ahafo Region, for their negligence that caused the recent spillage, which affected water bodies in the area, thereby killing living things like fishes.

In a press statement signed by the Executive Director of Nature Aid Ghana at Goaso, Mr. Baradoe Joseph stated that after the news of the cyanide spillage, Newmont Ghana Gold has been explaining the issue in various press releases and conferences, but only to distort facts on the cause of the spillage, and rather considered it a small problem.

Mr. Baradoe disagrees with Newmont's explanations and assertions, stating whether the spillage was small or whatever, the EPA and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology must punish Newmont for negligence and causing harm to the environment and aquatic inhabitants in the affected areas.

He stated that after the spillage from the processing plant on October 8, this year, which was identified by natives of the affected communities through dead fishes in the tributaries of the Subri River, the company, in its attempt to discredit the claims, deceived the two paramount chiefs to believe that those communities do not exist, and there were only two, which are in existence.

It was unfortunate for such a giant company like Newmont to lie to the public, instead of accepting responsibility, and put measures in place to prevent future occurrences.

Nature Aid Ghana further appealed to the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology to ensure the enforcement of strict safety rules in their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document.

He stated Newmont should not go unpunished for their negligence and lying to the public.