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Nimba Western Area Iron Ore Deposits Liberia
Environmental Baseline Studies
Summary
FEBRUARY 2010
Published in collaboration between
Environmental Protection Agency Government of Liberia
www.epa.gov.lr
ArcelorMittal Liberia Limited www.arcelormittal.com
About this series of documents Under a Minerals Development Agreement, the Government of Liberia has granted ArcelorMittal a concession to develop iron ore mines in Northern Nimba County. This will involve the re-opening of a mine previously operated by LAMCO at Mount Tokadeh, and the initiation of new mines at Mounts Gangra and Yuelliton.
It is ArcelorMittal’s policy to abide by all environmental legislation and to adopt high standards of corporate responsibility in work that may affect neighbouring communities and other stakeholders. In fulfilling this policy during the planning of mining in the Nimba Western Area Deposits, the company has commissioned major environmental studies. These have generated baseline information on the existing environmental conditions, that may be of significant value to Liberian society. Although these studies are still continuing, both the company and the Environmental Protection Agency consider it valid to make the initial data available for public use.
All bona fide organisations working towards the development and betterment of Liberian society and environment are welcome to use this information. The full documents are available on both collaborators’ websites.
Nimba Western Area Iron Ore Deposits, Liberia
Summary of Environmental Baseline Studies
February 2010 Page 2 of 4
PROJECT LOCATION The project that is the subject of these studies is focussed on iron ore mines in northern Liberia close to the borders of Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. These lie in Nimba County, north of Sanniquellie. From there a railway runs around 250 km straight across the country to the Port of Buchanan. The mines, railway and port together form the concession.
Map showing the location of the mines, railway and port
BASELINE INFORMATION The baseline information generated up to the end of 2009 is published in the following five volumes. Volume 1: Terrain and Soils An account of the landforms and soils found in the project area. Detailed assessments are given of the soils on and around the west Nimba mountains. Volume 2: Hydrology Data on the prevailing climate and hydrology, particularly regarding northern Nimba County. The studies also give details of catchments damaged by former mining operations. Volume 3: Flora and Fauna This volume assesses the ecology of the area. The biggest part is based on two Biological Preliminary Assessments of the fauna in the Nimba mountains. There is also a significant study of aquatic organisms. Volume 4: Communities This records the findings of two major household surveys, of the mine areas and the railway corridor. It also includes a study of agriculture and land tenure. Volume 5: References and Bibliography The extensive lists of published references for all of the above documents.
1. TERRAIN AND SOILS The terrain at the mine sites in northern Nimba is dominated by ancient mountains rising 600 to 800 metres above broad, open valleys. Towards the south, the landscape is highly dissected with numerous small valleys cut into a strongly weathered plateau.
Mount Gangra: an ancient mountain landform
Soils are deep, iron-, aluminium- and clay-rich cambisols, generally friable and permeable. They have a good structure and so are not easily eroded. The humid tropical conditions cause rapid break-down of organic matter and therefore poor topsoil develop-ment, but also help to make them reasonably fertile. Soil depth is much less on the mountains. In low-lying areas of the plains and valleys, gleysols are found, dominated by periodic or permanent waterlogging. Landforms and soils are stable except where they have been severely disrupted by human activities. By far the worst problems are associated with former mine workings, where instability and erosion are active.
Legacy damage from former mining at Mount Tokadeh
Nimba Western Area Iron Ore Deposits, Liberia
Summary of Environmental Baseline Studies
February 2010 Page 3 of 4
2. HYDROLOGY There are numerous catchments in the project area, though all drain ultimately into the St. John River. Most of the streams and rivers are in good condition and contain extensive aquatic biodiversity. However, those draining the former mine workings of Mounts Nimba and Tokadeh continue to be polluted by the damage noted above, and are biologically sterile.
A mountain catchment in good ecological condition
The climate of Liberia is humid tropical, with an average of around 4,000 mm per year on the coast declining to around 1,800 mm near the northern border (but perhaps as much as doubled locally on mountain tops). There is a long wet season from May to October, with September as the wettest month in nearly every year. With this regime, water courses and swamps are almost all perennial. The studies included assessments of many physical and chemical aspects of the hydrology of the area, setting a useful baseline and increasing understanding of hydrology in Liberian conditions.
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Example of gauging results of rainfall and river flow
3. FLORA AND FAUNA Much of the area studied has been disturbed by mining, logging and agriculture. This has led to a mosaic of vegetation types, giving varying habitats that in turn support corresponding varieties of wildlife. Remaining areas of canopy forest include different plant associations, linked to local terrain and climate factors. Secondary forest is complicated by the differences of recovery from varying ages and types of disturbance.
Land cover around the mine sites: the continuous green areas show less disturbed forest
The biological studies revealed a tremendous biodiversity. They confirmed that the “control” site within the East Nimba Nature Reserve is well justified for protection. The mine sites were not as diverse, but they still contain significant numbers of animal species. At all the sites, 66 large mammal species were identified, including eight primates. Among other fauna were 242 species of birds, 33 fishes, 43 amphibians, 78 molluscs, 74 ant and termite species, and an impressive 742 species of butterflies and moths. Among these are animals of conservation concern, some of which require further study. There are also some that are new to science, although final identification studies are not yet complete.
Lepidoptera were found to be particularly prolific
Nimba Western Area Iron Ore Deposits, Liberia
Summary of Environmental Baseline Studies
February 2010 Page 4 of 4
While the biodiversity is good, and the smaller species certainly benefit from the presence of secondary forest, many are already under threat. With only a limited level of agricultural development achieved so far since the civil war, bushmeat hunting remains a serious problem, especially for the larger animals. Hunting is common throughout northern Nimba.
Hunting and sale of bushmeat threatens biodiversity
4. COMMUNITIES Comprehensive socio-economic studies were carried out of large samples of households in both the area around the Nimba mines and along the railway corridor. These revealed a picture of severe rural poverty, with high levels of deprivation for all development indicators. Women are particularly badly off, with fewer girls surviving and fewer living into old age. Schooling is limited and literacy low, while access to health care is also poor. No households have electricity or running water, and only 1 percent had any form of sanitation. Per capita annual income levels were almost all below the national mean, and averaged only US$ 79 in the rural “towns” of Nimba.
Population pyramid for the mine area; 5-year age bands
Severe rural poverty lies behind the smiles
A separate study was made of agriculture and land tenure in northern Nimba. Land allocation remains strongly dominated by the clan structures. Most rice production is through upland rainfed varieties farmed through shifting cultivation and without any external inputs (i.e. no fertilisers or pesticides). This makes for a laborious undertaking, although local systems of reciprocal labour help mitigate this. Cassava is frequently inter-cropped with the upland rice, while sugar cane and rubber farming provide diversification.
Accessibility: always a problem, especially in the wet
5. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
This volume gives the full lists of published and unpublished documents and data that were identified and used in the course of the environmental baseline studies. As such, it represents a unique listing of environmental information relating to the Nimba mountains and other parts of Liberia. It is broken down by technical study area.
