By Bill W. Cooper
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Wilson K. Tarpeh, has issued a stark warning that the country’s precious rivers are under attack from the detrimental effects of rampant artisanal miners.
Professor Tarpeh, among other things, emphasized the urgent need for immediate action to protect the nation’s vital water resources, and stressed that the EPA is doing its best to ensure that those miners are brought into full compliance.
Liberia, a West African country blessed with abundant water bodies, has long relied on its rivers for various purposes, including drinking water, agriculture, and transportation.
However, the escalating activities of unregulated artisanal miners have begun to take a severe toll on these invaluable natural resources.
Artisanal mining, characterized by small-scale operations using rudimentary techniques, has gained prominence in recent years due to high unemployment rates and the allure of quick profits.
While artisanal mining is not inherently illegal, the uncontrolled and unsustainable practices employed by many miners have devastating consequences for the environment.
ED Tarpeh, at a press conference Friday, July20, 2023 at his EPA office in Monrovia, also expressed grave concerns about the excessive sedimentation and chemical pollution caused by artisanal mining activities.
He maintained, “So, we are working and taking all the necessary steps to ensure that people who contaminate the environment will have to clean it, and we are working tirelessly to make that happen.”
“And in the coming months, we will be going into another area of work because we started the research already and it is almost concluded, because artisanal miners are using harmful chemicals, such as mercury and cyanide, to extract gold and other minerals from riverbeds.
These toxins find their way into the water, resulting in contamination and posing a severe risk to both human health and aquatic biodiversity,” Prof. Tarpeh asserted, stressing that immediate steps must be taken to protect the river and the communities that rely on it.
Meanwhile, the EPA also disclosed that it is collaborating with various stakeholders, including the National Port Authority, to address this pressing issue.
He also announced that the EPA is now opening a branch at the National Port Authority which will be tasked with the responsibility to ensure that chemicals coming into the country are tested and meet the necessary requirements.
He also emphasized the importance of educating and empowering local communities to adopt alternative livelihood options that are sustainable and environmentally friendly, and called on Liberians to desist from putting plastic in the water, as well as building in the waterways or swamps.
As Liberia strives to achieve its national development goals while safeguarding its natural heritage, urgent action is required to combat the detrimental impact of artisanal mining on the country’s rivers.
The preservation of these vital waterways is essential, not only for the wellbeing of communities but also for the long-term sustainability of Liberia’s environment.
In the face of this mounting crisis, it is imperative that all stakeholders work together to protect and restore Liberia’s rivers, ensuring that they remain a source of life and prosperity, among many other things.
