EPA Grants Environmental Impact Assessment License to JM Mining Company

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license to JM Mining Company Limited for its gold mining project in the Kambui Hills, Kenema District.

The license, approved on September 4, 2024, marks a significant development in the mining activities in the region, which have long been awaited by the local community.

In an official letter dated September 5, 2024, and addressed to JM Mining Company’s Exploration Manager, the EPA announced the decision following a board meeting. The letter, issued from the EPA headquarters, reads in part:

“I write to inform you that the Board of the Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone met on September 4, 2024, to make decisions on the ESHIA license application. During the meeting, board members deliberated on and approved JM Mining Company Limited’s application for the issuance of an environmental impact assessment license for your gold mining project in the Kambui Hills in Kenema District.”

The license approval is seen as a victory for both the company and the local community, who have been eagerly anticipating this move for several years. JM Mining Company has been involved in the development of the Bambawo community since 2017, a time when mining activities were still at their infancy.

In light of the approval, JM Mining representatives have been summoned to a meeting at the EPA-SL Head Office in Freetown on September 10, 2024, at 10:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to finalize the EIA license and monitoring fees. The letter concludes with the EPA expressing optimism for continued cooperation with the company.

This development is expected to accelerate the mining project and bring potential economic benefits to the region, though it also places emphasis on the environmental responsibilities the company must now uphold.

The Kambui Hills project is expected to generate significant employment and boost the local economy, but concerns remain about the environmental impact, which the EPA will be monitoring closely in the coming months.