What are the most recurrent environmental protection failures of mining companies? Who is responsible for monitoring environmental protection in mining in Burkina Faso? Yomboé Juste Bationo, Environmental Inspector, answers these questions posed by Mines Actu Burkina in this second part of the interview
Mines Actu Burkina: What are the most recurrent failures in terms of environmental protection among mining companies?
Yomboé Juste Bationo: Among these failures, we can mention the abandonment of certain industrial mines at the end of their exploitation (the case of Kalsaka, Séguénéga, Inata, Poura), the case of a waste disposal site in Inata which gave way and caused the death of animals, the non-transmission of annual rehabilitation programmes, the contamination of underground water by cyanide in the perimeter of certain exploitation zones, etc. In general, the solutions of some mining companies do not meet the legally and socially expected environmental responses, as observed during field visits. In addition to these failures in terms of environmental protection, there is the under-compensation of prejudice and damage, the lack of transparency in compensation, the failure to take into account the concerns of people affected by the project (PAP), and the subtlety and concealment of certain mining companies (PGES and RSE). However, the Ministries of the Environment and of Mines are monitoring the implementation of preventive and corrective measures related to these environmental and social failures on a daily basis.
Is the monitoring control effective?
Efforts are made by the National Agency for Environmental Assessments (ANEVE), the General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM), the General Directorate of Mines and Geology (DGMG), the Mines and Geology Office of Burkina (BUMIGEB) and the General Directorate for Environmental Preservation (DGPE). These efforts relate to the validation of regular environmental audits every three years, the monitoring of the implementation of environmental and social management plans (PGES) and the regular conduct of environmental and mining inspections at the mining sites. However, they must redouble their efforts by carrying out their own analysis of the physico-chemical and biological parameters of mining wastewater and assessing the potential for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) within industrial mines.
Interview conducted by Elie KABORE
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