Nyinahini bauxite concession: Minerals C’ssion orders Exton to stop mining

The Minerals Commission has ordered Exton Cubic Group to stop all mining activity in the Nyinahini bauxite concession in the Ashanti Region.

A statement signed by Kwaku Addae Antwi-Boasiako, CEO of the commission, on Wednesday, 23 August asked the mining firm to “stop any attempt of entering the concession to undertake any mining operation” because it had not met certain conditions.

The commission said Exton Cubic would be given the “necessary approvals and permits as may be required by law from the Forest Commission on Water Resources Commission and the Environment Agency or any other regulatory body” before going ahead with its operations.

The Minerals Commission also said the validity of Exton Cubic’s forestry permit is strictly contingent upon its fulfilment of all statutory regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission (WRC), and the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission pertaining to legitimate mining operations in a forest reserve.

“The mining lease is subject to ratification by Parliament in accordance with Article 26811, the Constitution and Section 5(4) of Act 7013. Upon execution of this mining lease, the company shall submit a certified true copy of the mining lease to the Minister to be laid before Parliament for ratification,” the commission noted.

The commission’s order follows a revelation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday that Exton Cubic has no permit to mine bauxite at the concession.

A statement from the EPA said: “As a result of the public interest in the matter, the EPA would like to clarify the position of Exton Cubic Group Limited’s environmental permit status under its mining lease (That is a necessary condition for any mining activity).

“The bottom line is that Exton Cubic Group Limited has not obtained the required EPA permit under its mining lease and, therefore, any attempt to enter the area for mining activity is illegal.”

The EPA said on 29 March 2016, Exton Cubic Group Limited applied for three separate environmental permits from the agency to undertake the prospecting mining of bauxite on its Mpraeso, Kiriyaso and Kyekyewere concessions in the Ashanti Region covering a total of 346.08km square.

The agency said it granted the environmental permit to Exton Cubic Group Limited on 7th June 2016 but the company among other conditions, was to notify the EPA as soon as prospecting activities commenced and also to submit within three months from the date of issuance of the environmental permit, a liability estimate of environmental degradation to enable the posting of the Reclamation Bond in line with regulation 23 of the environmental assessment regulation 1999 (LI1652).

However, Exton Cubic Group Limited “unfortunately reneged on all these conditions. The prospecting permits are, therefore, no longer valid.”

Exton Cubic Group Limited, according to the EPA, subsequently acquired a mining lease on 29 December 2016 from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

“This mining lease requires a new EPA permit which has not been granted by the EPA. The EPA’s discussions with the company and its consultants indicated that the following documents are required to support the application for an EPA permit under its mining lease:

1. Submission to EPA of a “no objection” letter from cabinet;

2. Completion and submission of statutory environmental assessment form (EA2); and

3. Notification from the EPA to the company to conduct the environmental impact assessment which would have led to a broader public consultation and “public hearing” within the relevant catchment communities in line with regulation 17 of the environmental assessment regulation 1999 (LI1652).

“Failure of the company to comply with the above stated conditions as at the time of the issuance of this press release has rendered all environmental permits null and void. Again, the EPA wishes to state that any mining activity to be conducted by the Exton Cubic Group Limited within the concession areas of which environmental permit is being sought is not consistent with the environmental assessment procedures of the EPA, LI1652 and is therefore illegal,” the statement, signed by the Executive Director, said.

Source: radiooneghana.com