Govt wants proof North Mara mine water is safe

Tarime. Deputy environment minister Luhaga Mpina yesterday issued a two-week ultimatum to Acacia North Mara Mine to first secure a permit before discharging water to Mara River and its surroundings. 

Speaking at the mine yesterday after a day-long inspection at the mine, the deputy minister in Vice President’s Office (Environment and Union Affairs) said there were still  many complaints about safety of the water even as Acacia management claimed that they had permits to discharge treated water into Mara River.

There has been growing concern from people living around the mine that the facility has been discharging water contaminated with toxic chemicals, a situation they claimed had caused deaths of people and livestock alike.

Acacia management has repeatedly denied the claims. 

Yesterday, the company assured the deputy minister that they had been observing closely all the required procedures during water treatment and that the water discharged into Mara River was safe for living organisms to use.

An official from the mine, Mr Reuben Esikia, said the treated water also was being used at the mine for their domestic usage and that it had no threat to human health.

He said that before discharging water to Mara River they secured permits from the National Environment Management Council (Nemc).

Yesterday, Mr Mpina said he could not dismiss people’s claims until the miner proved  that all relevant documents were in place and that people’s lives and their livestock were safe. 

He said the government would not hesitate to shut down the mine if it was proved that waters it discharged into Mara River contained toxic substances that polluted the environment and endangered people’s lives. 

“We cannot just ignore the plea of the people that has been going on for years. We must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the water is safe for the use of human and other animals,” he insisted.

The minister also instructed Acacia management to erect a parameter wall around its Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) expressing shock over how the mine could store toxic water at the TSF without any protection.

“It is surprising to note that you have fenced the pits where your profits come from and forgot fencing TSF that threatens lives of people surrounding your mine. This means you are more concerned with profits than the community surrounding you,” he said.