The Deputy Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Environment), Charles Kitwanga (3rd left) and the Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, Stephen Masele (right), inaugurate a water well at Nyaisangero village in Tarime district, Mara region, built by African Barrick Gold’s (ABG) North Mara Mine as part of its vast community investment projects.
The Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, Stephen Masele (2nd right), inaugurates the Sungu Sungu hospital in Tarime district, Mara region, after African Barrick Gold’s (ABG) North Mara Mine spent around $330,000 (more than 500 million shillings) to rehabilitate and upgrade the hospital. Looking on are ABG’s Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Deo Mwanyika (right), Deputy Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Environment), Charles Kitwanga (3rd right) and the General Manager of North Mara Mine, Gary Chapman.
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TARIME
THE government has praised the North Mara gold mine in Tarime district, Mara region, for its efforts in conserving the environment and ensuring it complies to sustainable mining practices.
The Deputy Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Environment), Charles Kitwanga, said North Mara mine, which is owned by African Barrick Gold (ABG), was doing a commendable job to ensure its mining operations do not harm the environment.
The minister said the government would continue to work with all mines in the country to reduce their environmental footprint. “The state of environmental conservation at North Mara mine is good. They are making a lot of effort to conserve the environment,” Kitwanga
told journalists after a tour of the mine recently. “But we still need to work with some mines to ensure they comply to internationally-accepted standards, particularly the ISO 14001
standard.”
told journalists after a tour of the mine recently. “But we still need to work with some mines to ensure they comply to internationally-accepted standards, particularly the ISO 14001
standard.”
The visit to North Mara mine also involved the Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, Stephen Masele. The two ministers inaugurated water and health projects and visited the sites of new schools being built by the mine.
Kitwanga announced in the previous parliament session that he would visit large-scale mines to inspect their compliance to sustainable mining practices following complaints from some members of parliament. He said the mine was taking relevant measures to control the spread of
Kitwanga announced in the previous parliament session that he would visit large-scale mines to inspect their compliance to sustainable mining practices following complaints from some members of parliament. He said the mine was taking relevant measures to control the spread of
dust and reduce the level of noise from its mining operations. The minister said he was particularly impressed by the North Mara mine’s community investments, which include a donation of more than 1,000 school desks, construction of new schools, rehabilitation of the
Sungu Sungu hospital for more than 500 million shillings and the drilling of water wells.
Sungu Sungu hospital for more than 500 million shillings and the drilling of water wells.
Scientific tests around North Mara mine have established that the mine was not responsible for any pollution to surrounding water bodies.North Mara mine’s gold extraction process uses cyanide, but no traces of the chemical were found in the environment. However, researchers found some traces of mercury, which is used by artisanal and small-scale miners for gold processing. “It is true that small-scale miners are partly to blame for environmental pollution. We need to help these small miners build
capacity so that the mercury they use does not pollute rivers and other water bodies in the environment.”
Kitwanga said his ministry would work closely with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals to address the problem of pollution caused by artisanal miners.
The minister said he had personally witnessed some small-scale miners who had suffered from mercury pollution. “I don’t think the goal of small-scale miners is to get money at any cost, even to their own lives,” he said
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