Beposo Tailings Storage Facility Incident: Environmental Concerns in Ghana
The Beposo Tailings Storage Facility in Ghana experienced a significant environmental incident with an 80,000 cubic meter water release on February 17, 2025. Despite satellite images showing no signs of a failure immediately after the incident, later images revealed changes in the affected areas. Discrepancies remain regarding the Ghana EPA’s statements on the situation, necessitating expert insight into the mining operations.
On February 27, 2025, the Environmental Protection Authority of Ghana reported an environmental incident involving the Beposo Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) related to the AngloGold Ashanti mine at the Iduapriem site. This incident resulted in the release of approximately 80,000 cubic meters of water from the TSF on February 17, 2025. Lindsay Newland Bowker has been monitoring developments on this issue through LinkedIn, highlighting a lack of concrete information about the situation.
AngloGold Ashanti announced that the Beposo TSF was scheduled for commissioning later in 2023, coinciding with the decommissioning of the Greenfields TSF. A satellite image captured on January 27, 2025, appears to show the TSF in question, alongside visible excavation features. Despite images taken on February 17 and 20, 2025, showing no apparent failure, recent imagery from March 3, 2025, presents noticeable changes, particularly a plume of material in the fields northeast of the TSF.
The discrepancies observed between the Ghana EPA’s statements regarding the timing and extent of the release and satellite imaging raise questions about the scope of pollution in the surrounding area. The Ghana EPA reported that the seepage was managed by constructing a coffer dam and pumping contaminated water to an emergency pond; however, the locations of these interventions remain unclear, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the incident. Further expert analysis may be necessary to clarify these issues.
In summary, the recent environmental incident at the Beposo Tailings Storage Facility has raised significant concerns regarding the management of mining operations in Ghana. The release of contaminated water and subsequent satellite imagery have highlighted discrepancies in reporting and visible impacts. Continued scrutiny and expert investigation are essential to ensure environmental safety and accountability in the region.
Original Source: eos.org
