We'll Conduct Unannounced Spot Checks To Track Mercury Pollution From Galamsey - Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings

Minister-designate for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will intensify unannounced spot checks to monitor the use of banned chemicals like mercury and cyanide in illegal mining.

Appearing before Parliament's Appointments Committee for vetting on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings said Ghana is bound by international protocols that restrict the use of such hazardous chemicals.

"With regards to mercury, we have them in a matter of protocol which actually has restrictions on the use of chemicals like mercury and cyanide," she stated.

According to her, enforcement will require equipping the EPA with the needed logistics to conduct random tests.

"I believe that practical steps towards how we monitor this will involve the EPA having spot checks, unannounced checks and tests which means that obviously they have to make sure they have the relevant equipment to test," she said.

Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings also called for tighter monitoring at Ghana's entry points to track the importation of mercury and other chemicals.

"We also need to make sure that we have at the various points of entry the means to actually track any chemicals that are coming into the country," she noted.

She added that testing should go beyond mining sites to include soil, surface water and underground water sources across the country to determine the extent of contamination.

"We need to make sure that we are also randomly checking perhaps underground water because not necessarily being the catchment area but maybe affected as a result of perhaps water that's moved downstream. So spot checks not just at the sites where the illegal mining is concerned but across the country to actually assess the extent of spread of the mercury in our groundwater," she explained.

The nominee stressed that accountability must be enforced without fear or favour when illegal chemicals are found.