Gold Fields disclosed that it has backed its environmental rehabilitation obligations at the Tarkwa Mine with a $107.7 million reclamation bond lodged with Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
The bond is slightly above the company’s estimated $107.2 million cost of fully restoring the mine site when mining activities eventually end.
The financial provision forms part of the company’s broader environmental management programme at Tarkwa, where Gold Fields said it has invested $46 million since 2016 in rehabilitating land affected by mining.
The company said more than 818,000 trees have been planted since 1998 across old rock dumps and waste areas as part of its rehabilitation efforts.
Some of the restored areas have subsequently been put to agricultural use, with rubber, coconut, oil palm, cashew, citrus and mango among the crops being cultivated.
Gold Fields said the agricultural use of rehabilitated land is intended to support productive use of areas affected by mining and provide opportunities for livelihoods around the mine.
Water management has also formed part of the mine’s environmental programme.
According to Gold Fields, the Tarkwa Mine recycles and reuses more than 97% of the water used in its operations through treatment and recirculation systems.
The company said the system reduces the need to discharge water into nearby rivers and streams and helps protect water sources used by surrounding communities.
The rehabilitation programme has also included monitoring of wildlife in restored areas.
Gold Fields said camera traps used by its conservation teams have recorded species including the Tree Pangolin, Mona Monkey, Bosman’s Potto and Royal Antelope in rehabilitated areas.
The company said the sightings provide evidence of wildlife using areas that have undergone rehabilitation.
Gold Fields also disclosed that the Tarkwa Mine has maintained international safety and environmental certifications for more than two decades.
The environmental commitments come as mining companies face the longer-term challenge of managing land and environmental liabilities beyond the productive life of their operations.
For Tarkwa, the rehabilitation work is being undertaken alongside ongoing mining activities, with some former mining areas already being returned to agricultural and ecological use.
The reclamation bond provides a financial mechanism for meeting the estimated cost of restoring the site, while the ongoing rehabilitation programme addresses areas affected by mining before the eventual closure of the operation.
