Residents of the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality and its environs have been advised to avoid cyanide related galamsey operations in their communities.
These operations are being encouraged by foreigners who have no idea about the dangers and its effects on the health of an untrained person.
Mr Francis Fynn, a Senior Safety Officer of Goldfields Ghana Limited, said these at a day’s cyanide awareness training for a section of its stakeholders on Thursday.
He said cyanide if not properly used could lead to deaths, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, convulsions and collapse, decreasing consciousness and cassation of breathing among other things.
Mr Fynn said it was dangerous for communities to offer land to foreigners to engage in galamsey activities in disused mine pits.
He explained that the foreigners, who had no experience in cyanide usage, dug shallow pits, connected with pipes, used tarpaulin as a cover and poured heavy concentrations of cyanide into the pits.
“These exposed pits could overflow into nearby streams and other water bodies and cause serious health and environmental problems for innocent victims” he stressed.
Mr Fynn, therefore, appealed to chiefs, land owners and individuals within the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality to report any foreign galamsey operator found in their communities.
Mr Christian Debrah, Environmental Superintendent of GGL, said the foreign galamsey operators could steal cyanide from mining companies for their negative operations, while others could hijack cyanide convoys earmarked for the mines.
He said already some of the foreigners, who were operating at Simpa; Asaman-Kakraba; Abekoase; Prestea; Samahu among other places have been arrested by the Police and were facing prosecution.