Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the closure of China Union’s Bong Mines operations, citing multiple breaches of environmental regulations, according to a report by Reuters.
The shutdown follows the company’s repeated failures to address violations highlighted by the regulator earlier this year. Despite being warned twice since June 2024 and facing fines, China Union continued its operations without obtaining necessary environmental permits, further exacerbating pollution and environmental degradation.
Bong Mines, located roughly 150km northeast of Monrovia, was acquired by China Union in 2008 through a $2.6bn investment. The mine, which began shipping iron ore in 2014, has been operating without an effluent discharge licence, constructing a processing plant without required permits, and improperly discharging tailings into a wetland area.
The EPA stated that the mine’s operations would remain suspended ‘until full compliance is achieved and the identified environmental concerns are duly addressed.’
In a statement, the EPA condemned China Union’s disregard for environmental regulations, emphasising that the company ‘blatantly ignored’ warnings and continued its operations unlawfully.
This action against China Union comes in the same year that Vedanta Group, through its subsidiary Western Cluster (WCL), announced a $2bn investment in Liberia’s mining sector. Vedanta stated that the investment aims to unlock the country’s economic potential and create numerous employment opportunities through the expansion of operations.
Credit: Africabriefing
