By Emmanuel T. Kamanda
From Lofa County, environmental enforcement efforts have intensified as the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) continues its nationwide monitoring exercise aimed at curbing illegal mining and protecting water bodies.
At Massawo, EPA inspectors seized five water pump machines that were actively being used in mining operations. The equipment was reportedly linked to artisanal mining and dredging activities along the Via River, a waterway increasingly pressured by unregulated extraction practices.
During the inspection, the EPA team also observed four dredging machines operating directly on the river. The activities involved both Ghanaian and Liberian miners engaged in what appeared to be coordinated illegal mining operations.
According to field reports, upon the arrival of EPA inspectors, some Liberian miners allegedly instructed the Ghanaian nationals to immediately flee the area, in what appeared to be an attempt to evade enforcement action.
