The executive of Sierra Leone Indigenous Miners’ Movement (SLIMM) eastern region has concluded one-week sensitization tour on the environmental protection assessment survey in mining areas in Simbaruk, Kandu Leppiama, Nongowa and Lower Bambara chiefdoms in the Kenema district.
SLIMM’s national chairman, John Brima Sankoh, who was head of the delegation, said the main purpose of their sensitization exercise was to assess the scale of environmental damages and illegal mining in the areas and to develop a plan for the rehabilitation of extraction areas for agricultural production.
He stated that their survey would do a research on the biodiversity and bio-safety in the mining environment and ensure development management.In his statement the board of director, chief Siaka Sandi, said “SLIMM is working in accordance with the environmental assessment Act 2000, which says that any person or persons willing to undertake any mining operation with heavy machinery, an inspection and site survey must be carried out before issuance of any relevant document for operations”.
This, he firmly said, “must get the approval of the ministry of agriculture and food security especially where coffee, palm oil and cocoa plantation exist”.
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