A Minerals Engineer and Senior Metallurgist at Ascot Gold Mine in Canada, Roselyn Yeboah, has highlighted the lack of proper education among illegal miners in Ghana on the safe use of cyanide.

According to her, this knowledge gap poses serious environmental and health risks, contributing to the severe impacts of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 12, she explained that cyanide is a dangerous chemical commonly used in the gold extraction process.

However, many illegal miners lack the necessary training and understanding of its safe handling, leading to contamination of water bodies and surrounding ecosystems.

She stressed the need for more education and strict regulation to mitigate these risks.

Madam Yeboah emphasised that while cyanide can be used safely in regulated environments, the current situation with illegal miners shows a clear absence of these standards.

"Most of these miners don’t have access to the proper training and information on how to use cyanide like the big mining companies do, and this makes the whole process hazardous to the environment and themselves," she noted.

The minerals engineer called on the government and relevant stakeholders to invest in educating both small-scale and illegal miners on safer mining practices. She urged authorities to enforce stricter measures in the fight against galamsey, to not only protect the environment but also ensure the well-being of communities affected by illegal mining activities.