Mining in Protected Areas Wisdom Or
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April 2008 December 2008 28th Edition Mining in Protected Areas Wisdom or ..........? Growing tension between conservation and economic objectives remain a challenge to many countries! Development benefits flowing from protected areas and the need to reflect them in the plans and budgets of forestry, agriculture, energy, tourism, mining, fisheries and other economic sectors need environmental focus. Fundamentally, governments give overriding emphasis to economic growth as a goal in itself, and the critical dimensions of development relating to quality of life of the citizens tend to be sidelined. Some important attributes of protected areas which bring contentment, happiness, education, enjoyment and health to communities and wildlife fall outside an economic growth perspective. Source: NAPE File Photo File NAPE Source: Copper Oxide from the abandoned Kilembe copper mines in Kasese flowing intoRiver Nyamwamba and Lake George. Editorial Mining in protected areas is prohibited by Law in Uganda (Uganda Wildlife Act, 2000). Despite this, government has initiated limestone mining in Dura- Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) and fossil oil News 4 exploration in the Albertine Rift. Dura, where the proposed limestone mining will be Civil Society Oppose Tullow’s taking place an animal corridor between Kibaale and Construction of Hazardous Waste Queen Elizabeth National Parks. It also lies within a Storage............................................4 Ramsar site rich in biodiversity. Also, there are several sites earmarked for commercial Key Findings in a Study on oil drilling along the Albertine Graben that are situated Limestone Mining at Dura.............5 within Wildlife conservation areas and national parks. In both cases (limestone & oil), the Environmental Press Clippings 7 Impact Assessments (EIAs) was hastily and inadequately done and do not comprehensively address the negative Government Sued Over Mining in impacts that would result from such mining activities Queen Elizabeth..............................8 in protected areas. There is no comprehensive Sectoral Strategic Environmental Assessment (SSEA) that should have formed basis for planning of commercial activities Insight 9 in such protected areas. To Build or Not To Build an Oil It is a well known fact that mining in National Parks Refinery in Uganda ....................... 9 and other protected areas will have significant impact on wildlife and tourism, which is a major foreign exchange earner in the country. Mining in these areas will have Special Report 12 significant threat on watercourses in the area, especially Civil Society Groups Urge DRC, River Nile, River Semuliki and Lakes Albert, George and Edward that have transboundary significance. Uganda to Resolve Border Spat..12 The biggest challenge, therefore, remains balancing benefits of mining with ecosystem (wildlife) Commentary 14 conservation/protection, tourism, fisheries, freshwater Development is Failing the supply, social, economic and the peoples’ livelihoods in the country. National Park Concept..................14 There is an “Approval Syndrome” that is politically Features 18 motivated at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) where projects are approved without Mining at Dura in Queen Elizabeth thorough assessments and consultations to ascertain the National Park, the Worst Project ... feasibility, benefits, risks and need for the projects. ........................................................18 There are key policy and legal issues concerning mining in protected areas, which if not satisfactorily addressed, Experience from Other Places 20 will render the proposed activities a violation of national law on protected areas. The Role of Communities in the Management of Protected Areas In this regard, civil society is already in Court ........................................................20 challenging Lafarge-Hima’s mining activities in QENP. The Court is yet to make the ruling. We are waiting for the court rulling. Events 22 The question is, is mining in protected areas wisdom, War of water between Tanzania madness, corruption or mere greed? and Uganda ..................................23 In this issue, NAPE discusses the pros and cons of mining in protected areas in Uganda. EDITORIAL BOARD Frank Muramuzi Chairman A Publication of the National Association Obbo Betty Secretary of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) Geoffrey Kamese Member P. O. Box 29909 Kampala, Uganda Mushabe Franklin Member Phone: +256 - 414 - 534453 Oweyegha-Afunaduula Member Fax: + 256 - 414 - 530181 E-mail: [email protected] Tabaro Dennis Member http://www.nape.or.ug News... Civil Society Oppose Tullow’s Construction of Hazardous Waste Storage Facilities in Protected Areas Tullow Oil is seeking permision from government to construct hazardous waste storage facilities at Kaiso-Tonya and Butiaba-Wanseko in Western Uganda within protected areas. Government is committed to issuing licenses for this purpose. Civil Society in Uganda is opposed to the action, because it is against the law on protected areas and has significant social, economic and environmental impacts . Below are contents of a letter Civil Society sent to National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). Reference is made to a Public Notice ii. The natures of the wastes that will ronment and this calls for an EIA to placed in the New Vision newspa- be generated from drilling activities be conducted. per of Tuesday, October 28, 2008 by include flammable (liquids & solids), NEMA regarding NEMA’s intention oxidizing, toxic/poisonous, infec- v. The capacity of the institution (Tul- to issue license to Tullow Uganda tious, eco-toxic and persistent mate- low) seeking a license for establish- Operations (PTY) to establish haz- rials that obviously have significant ment of hazardous waste storage ardous waste storage facilities at:- social (health & safety), economic facility needs to be first assessed to 1. Exploration area 2 Kaiso-Tonya, in and environmental negative effects/ determine whether they are capable Kaiso village, Tonya parish, Buseruka impacts. or not to handle hazardous wastes. Sub-county, Hoima district, and 2. Butiaba-Wanseko Exploration iii. The EIAS for the Early Oil Produc- vi. Uganda is signatory to various in- area, in Butiaba village, Butiaba Par- tion Scheme (EPS) suggests differ- ternational Conventions, protocols ish, Biiso Sub-county, Buliisa district. ent types of waste handling facilities and treaties, which require sound and the use of South African Stan- management of hazardous wastes Civil society organizations contest dards in the management of hazard- and chemicals. If a license is issued this plan of issuing licenses to Tul- ous chemicals (EPS-EIA, B1.5 page without establishing the likely im- low Uganda Operations (PTY) to 11), but does not explicitly state the pacts and putting in place proper establish hazardous waste storage technological, design and site speci- mitigation measures, it would be a facilities at Kaiso-Tonya and Butiaba- fications and/or approaches that contravention of these conventions, Wanseko. will be applied in the management protocols and treaties such as:- of the hazardous wastes generated This notice serves to express our ob- from the drilling activities. • Basel Convention that deals with jection to the issuance of a license to the movement of hazardous wastes Tullow Uganda Operations (PTY) to iv. According to NEMA no site-spe- and their elimination. establish hazardous waste storage cific EIAS for the hazardous waste • The Bamako Convention that pro- facilities in the above mentioned storage facilities was carried out. tects human health and environ- sites, because of the following rea- The assumption was that the EPS- ment from dangers caused by haz- sons:- EIAS would suffice. However, Sec- ardous wastes. i. These sites are within wildlife pro- tion 15 of the Waste Management • The Vienna Convention provides tected areas that are highly ecologi- Regulations and 19(5) of the NEMA for the protection of the ozone layer cally sensitive and have significant Act Cap 153 require that an EIA be through control of ozone depleting social, economic and environmental done. Such hazardous waste storage substance, which are usually gener- ramifications. facilities will obviously have signifi- ated from oil drilling activities cant negative impacts on the envi- • The Stockholm Convention on Per- 4 NAPE LOBBY sistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), halted until the following are ad- Standards as proposed in the EPS- which are generated from oil drilling dressed:- EIA (Section B1.5, page 11). activities; among others. i. An Environmental Impact As- iii. Oil exploitation should be de- sessment of the storage facilities is layed, until proper hazardous waste RECOMMENDATIONS conducted and subjected to public management systems are put in Issuance of license by NEMA to Tul- scrutiny as required by law. place to handle the hazardous low Uganda Operations (PTY) for the ii. The existing Ugandan legislation wastes that will be produced. establishment of hazardous waste needs to be improved and effec- storage facilities at Kaiso-Tonya and tive standards be put in place for Butiaba-Wanseko in Hoima and Bu- management of hazardous wastes, liisa districts respectively; should be instead of relying on South African Key Findings in a Study on Limestone Mining at Dura in Queen Elizabeth National Park Government of Uganda has other natural resources by humans Uganda is a signatory, requires initiated limestone mining in Dura in