EPA Executive Director Alarms Over Use Of Mercury by Illegal Miners

By Patrick N. S. Tokpah
GBARNGA, BONG COUNTY – Dr. Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo, the Executive Director of the Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has alarmed over the pressing issue of illegal, destructive extraction of natural resources in Liberia, particularly concerning the use of mercury by miners.
Dr. Yarkpawolo highlighted the detrimental effects of mercury on human health and the environment, emphasizing the need for responsible mining practices.
He said it is particularly concerning for the use of mercury to mine gold facilitated by the increased number of dredges in the various waters.
“Mercury is a long-lasting chemical that can affect all of us. For example, when we mine gold using mercury, the mercury spreads in the water. The fish live in the water and get their food. The mercury enters the fish. When we eat the fish, mercury enters our bodies. This can cause damage to our kidneys, cause deafness, cause blindness, and cause women to give birth to children with all kinds of brain problems.”
Dr. Yarkpawolo also noted that the element also affects those who smell it.
“Sadly, there have been instances where local authorities in the counties are contributing to the detrimental use of mercury in our waters,” the EPA Boss stressed.
He called attention to how locals are involved in permitting illegal mining activities and the importance of law enforcement cooperation in addressing these issues.
“Sometimes, these miners who are reaping huge money with little or nothing left with the communities will give small money to the local authorities to permit them to mine when our inspectors went there to identify these illegal miners, the local people hid them and prevented law enforcement officers from enforcing the law,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said.
He described the situation as unfortunate, adding, “We are asking the county superintendents to help us prevent this bad behavior and save our people.”
Liberia is a signatory to most of the international environmental agreements, the Convention to Conserve Biological Diversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Wetlands, and many others.
“We have demonstrated the political will over the years to ensure we work to fulfill the objectives of these agreements that we are party to.”
The EPA as a statutory government agency, he noted, cannot protect and manage the environment alone.
The Act creating the EPA identified The Ministry of Internal Affairs as an arm of government responsible for the custodian of the resources. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is the oldest government ministry. The EPA is further mandated by the Act Creating the EPA 2002 to set up or establish County and District Environmental Offices to work in the direction of protecting and managing the environment. The EPA has been in existence for almost 21 years, but unfortunately, it has not been able to establish county offices in all the 15 political subdivisions of the country.
The EPA, under Dr. Yarkpawolo’s leadership, has established four county offices in Bentol- Montserrado, Cestoes- Rivercess, Bopolu- Gbarpolu, and Robertsport-Grand Cape Mount.
“We were able to achieve this work as part of our 100-days deliverables under His Excellency Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s administration. Today, we have Grand Kru and River Gee counties remaining for the establishment of their county offices. We anticipate completing the final decentralization of EPA’s County Offices before the end of next year, depending on the availability of funds”, Dr. Yarkpawolo said.
The establishment of county environmental offices and the EPA’s efforts to combat climate change were also discussed, emphasizing the significance of local and international partnerships in achieving environmental sustainability.
Additionally, Dr. Yarkpawolo acknowledged the support from the Government of Canada in climate change initiatives and the establishment of a Climate Change Laboratory at the University of Liberia.
Strong partnerships and collaborative efforts were encouraged to ensure the protection and sustainable management of Liberia’s natural resources for future generations.
The EPA Executive Director noted that they will continue to solicit strong partnerships both locally and internationally in the execution of the sole mandate.
Moreover, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo lauded various Superintendents, Mayors, and others who continued to assist the EPA in the execution of its mandate in the country.
He further admonished the local leaders to continue to demonstrate the strength and courage to help protect and manage forests, rivers, creeks, wildlife, wetlands, and other endowed natural heritage of the country that God has blessed Liberians with to take our people out of poverty.
He made the statement recently in Gbarnga, Bong County, on August 21, 2024, at the opening ceremony of a two-day Climate Action Planning Forum organized by EPA and its partners for Superintendents and other locals.