Environmental Incident at Beposo Tailings Storage Facility in Ghana
A report by Ghana’s EPA detailed an incident involving 80,000 cubic meters of water released from the Beposo TSF at Iduapriem Mine on February 17, 2025. Satellite imagery shows conflicting information regarding the spill, raising questions about the containment efforts and environmental impact. Further expert insights are necessary to elucidate the situation.
On February 27, 2025, Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority reported an environmental incident at the Beposo Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) associated with the AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine. The report revealed that 80,000 cubic meters of water were released from the TSF on February 17, 2025. The extent of the incident remains unclear, with Lindsay Newland Bowker monitoring it via LinkedIn, highlighting the lack of substantial information available.
AngloGold Ashanti had previously indicated that the Beposo TSF was scheduled for commissioning in 2023, coinciding with the decommissioning of the Greenfields TSF. The location of the mine can be identified at the coordinates 5.274, -2.066. A satellite image from January 27, 2025, shows this facility, with notable features including a deep excavation and the new TSF positioned to the west.
Several images, including one from February 17, 2025—on the day of the spill—indicate no visible signs of failure. A subsequent image from February 20 also displays no apparent changes. However, a more recent image from March 3 reveals considerable alterations in the area northeast of the TSF, indicating a possible plume of material in the fields, suggesting a change measuring approximately 405 m in length and up to 233 m in width, covering an area of around 4.2 hectares.
There appears to be discrepancies between the information provided by the Ghana EPA and the satellite imagery, particularly regarding the timing and size of the affected area. It remains plausible that the polluted water spread beyond the visible area in the images, or the plume might not be related to the reported spill. The Ghana EPA claimed that seepage was contained by constructing a coffer dam at the facility’s toe, with supernatant water pumped to an emergency pond, raising questions about the pond’s location and the dam’s existence. The situation is surrounded by uncertainties, and further expert analysis is needed to clarify these findings.
The Beposo Tailings Storage Facility incident raises significant concerns regarding environmental management and the reliability of information provided by authorities. The discrepancies noted between official statements and satellite imagery underscore the need for a thorough investigation. As the situation unfolds, greater clarity is essential to understand the environmental impacts and the measures taken by AngloGold Ashanti regarding the TSF.
Original Source: eos.org
