Establish Treatment Plants -- Dr Moran.

Accra, May 22, GNA -Dr Robert Moran, a renowned American Geo-chemical and Hydrological Consultant, has suggest that Mining Companies must establish a Treatment Plant which would reduce the concentration of Cyanide in rivers and other water bodies resulting from processing of minerals.

Spillage of cyanide in the rivers makes them unwholesome and kills water bodies, he said, adding that such plants has proved successful in modern mining processes.

Cyanide is an extremely poisonous, white, crystalline compound with an odour of bitter almonds used in extracting gold from low-grade ores. Dr. Moran was speaking at the just ended one-day workshop on "Alternative Perspective of Mining, Processing and Long Term Consequencies," organised by the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) in Accra.

He suggest that Communities in Mining areas must, before negotiations with Mining Companies engage professionals to advance arguments on effects of mining and compensation.

Dr Moran said there should be transparency in such negotiations, adding that in some cases, Mining companies exploited the ignorance of such communities whose lands were degraded and contaminated with chemicals spilling from processing.

Dr Moran said there was the need for communities to source funding from elsewhere to enable them to engage technical men for the proper management of mineral resources for the socio-economic benefit of their areas.