Govt issues tight laws on use of hazardous chemicals in mining, industries

The government has implemented rigorous measures aimed at curbing the use of hazardous chemicals, such as mercury, in mining, industrial, and health sectors. According to the newly released "National Environment (Management of Hazardous Chemicals and Products Containing Hazardous Chemicals) Regulations, 2024," violators will face fines ranging from Shs100 million to Shs1 billion, or imprisonment for two to ten years, depending on the severity of the offense.

Mr Akankwasah Barirega, the Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), emphasised that these regulations are crucial for safeguarding human health and the environment. 

“Misuse of chemicals can result in air and water pollution, soil contamination, damage to ecosystem and biodiversity and most importantly climate change. We are particularly more concerned as environmentalists about the chemicals that have environmental consequences,” he said.

He highlighted the presence of heavy metals like lead in mining sites, which pose health risks through contamination of the food chain. He also underscored concerns about chemicals such as herbicides, insecticides, and plastics, emphasizing their links to birth defects, reproductive issues, and overall environmental contamination.

The new regulations explicitly prohibit the use of mercury, a commonly used substance in artisanal gold mining and dental care in Uganda. “A person shall not use mercury or mercury compounds or release emissions of mercury from gold or other mining and processing activities,” the regulations read in part, continuing that people should not “undertake a manufacturing process in which mercury or mercury compounds are used as a catalyst.”

Additionally, the regulations outline exemptions for the use of hazardous chemicals, procedures for their transportation and distribution, registration requirements, emergency preparedness and response measures, and guidelines for transboundary movement and transit through Uganda.

Under offences and penalties, the government said: “A person required to register a hazardous chemical in accordance with regulation 11, who does not do so, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction—in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding ten thousand currency points (Shs200 million) or imprisonment not exceeding seven years or both; in the case of a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand currency points (Shs1 billion).”

During the regulations' launch, Mr Akankwasah emphasised NEMA's zero-tolerance policy towards negligence that jeopardises human health and the environment. He pledged continuous monitoring of chemicals not banned, to ensure they remain at safe levels for both health and environmental sustainability.

Ms Beatrice Anywar, the state minister for environment in her speech read by Ms Margret Athieno Mwebesa, the Commissioner Climate Change department at the Ministry of Water and Environment, emphasised the need to implement the regulations to protect human health and the environment.

“These regulations symbolise our unwavering dedication to environmental protection and public health,” Ms Anywar said. She emphasised the critical role of managing chemical substances responsibly from production to disposal to protect Uganda's natural resources and promote a healthier environment for all citizens.

She further noted that these new regulations provide a solid framework to ensure chemicals are managed responsibly at every stage from production to the final disposal.