PRESTEA RESIST SURFACE MINING @ MBEASIE NSUTA

Some angry youth of Prestea.

Tension keeps heightening each day in Prestea, a mining community in the Wassa West District of the Western Region as residents of Prestea threaten to resist any moves by Golden Star Resources Limited a mining company operating in the area to extend its surface mining operations to Mbeasie Nsuta a suburb of Prestea.

Ahead of a public hearing to discuss the environmental impact assessment of the surface mining operations at Mbeasie Nsuta, the residents have asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that Golden star resources reclaim the Plant North Pit and fulfill other obligations.

The residents of Prestea fears that if Golden Star Resources Limited begins it surface mining operations at Mbiase Nsuta, it will never reopen the Prestea Underground Mines which residents believe will create jobs for the youth and the people of Prestea and its environs.

The EPA in a letter dated September 8 2009 and signed by the Executive Director Mr. J. A Allotey warned Golden Star Resources Limited that the agency would not process any application from the company until the Plant North Pit which is in the heart of Prestea Township is backfilled.

From September 8 2010 the company was given eight month grace period after failing to backfill the mined out pit within the twelve month warning so the people of Prestea are questioning why the EPA is considering granting Golden Star Resources Limited a permit to operate a surface mining at Mbease Nsuta a suburb of Prestea.

Golden Star Resources has discovered a new ore deposit at Mbeasie Nsuta, after exhausting it reserves at Prestea, the company is counting on the EPA to grant it a permit to undertake surface mining in the above mentioned area. Hence the proposed public hearing scheduled to take place at Mbeasie Nsuta on the 3^rd of February, 2011 was postponed to 10^th February, 2011.

But the entire people of Prestea led by the Prestea Stakeholders Coalition, Voices of Tomorrow Leaders Foundation (VOTOLEAF), Assembly Members and the Member of Parliament (MP) said they would not see Golden Star Resources Limited extend their operations to Mbeasie Nsuta unless they have totally reclaim the plant north pit mine and fulfill other obligations.

However Chief of Mbeasie Nsuta said he want to sit down with the management from the Golden Star Resources Limited to put down proper measures which will compel the company to do the right things if they failed to do them at Prestea not his town.

Both the Golden star resources and the officials of the environmental protection agency have refused to comment on this issue and the public hearing slated for tomorrow is still hanging.