Murky manganese: The Ghanaians who will pay the price for EV batteries

An investigation by Global Witness reveals that the Nsuta manganese mine in Ghana, operated by the Chinese company Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group (TMI), is causing severe health and environmental damage to surrounding communities. Local residents report chronic respiratory, skin, and eye conditions, while academic research indicates that mine pit water is concentrated with toxic metals like arsenic, potentially causing cancer and stillbirths. The mine's tailings dump is described by an expert as unstable and steeper than industry standards, posing a risk to nearby homes. Despite the mine's role in supplying manganese for EV batteries used by companies like Tesla, Ford, and General Motors, local communities report inadequate government regulation and erratic distribution of mining revenues. The expansion of the open-cast mine also threatens the Neung Forest Reserve, a critical biodiversity hotspot.

• The Nsuta manganese mine uses highly toxic mine pit water to suppress dust, which exposes local residents to concentrated toxic metals such as arsenic that seep into surface and groundwater.
• Local communities near the mine report chronic health issues, including skin rashes, eye irritation, and respiratory problems like asthma and coughing, attributed to dust and chemical pollution.
• The mine's tailings dump is identified as an unstable structure that exceeds industry standards for steepness and is located dangerously close to residential buildings, causing structural cracks in homes due to blasting.
• The Nsuta mine is controlled by the Chinese company Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group (TMI), which owns 90% of the licence holder, Ghana Manganese Company (GMC). The mine's output is primarily shipped to China to support the EV battery supply chain, including companies like Tesla, Ford, and General Motors.
• Mining operations at Nsuta threaten the Neung Forest Reserve, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot and a refuge for species against climate change, as the open-cast mining process requires clearing topsoil and vegetation.
• Ghanaian regulatory bodies, including the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority, are described as ineffective, providing only 'cosmetic regulation' while mining revenues for local communities remain erratic.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Murky manganese: The Ghanaians who will pay the price for EV batteries. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/murky-manganese-the-ghanaians-who-will-pay-the-price-for-ev-batteries/

Chicago

Global Witness. Murky manganese: The Ghanaians who will pay the price for EV batteries. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/murky-manganese-the-ghanaians-who-will-pay-the-price-for-ev-batteries/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Murky manganese: The Ghanaians who will pay the price for EV batteries |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/murky-manganese-the-ghanaians-who-will-pay-the-price-for-ev-batteries/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndmurky, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Murky manganese: The Ghanaians who will pay the price for EV batteries}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/murky-manganese-the-ghanaians-who-will-pay-the-price-for-ev-batteries/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }