State-owned gold mining company N.V. Grassalco has announced it will commission an independent external investigation into pollution affecting the Moeroekreek and Saramaccarivier in Suriname, following a government inquiry that has already held the company accountable for the environmental damage. The incident, which has resulted in widespread fish death and harm to riverside local communities, has drawn sharp attention from national authorities, with President Jennifer Simons formally naming Grassalco as responsible for the contamination.
In response, Grassalco has contracted SEPCO Industries, an international environmental consulting firm with a local presence in the region, to conduct what the mining company describes as an independent baseline assessment and environmental impact report. The firm has committed to carrying out full remediation of the affected area if the independent investigation confirms a causal link between its mining operations and the observed ecological damage, including the mass fish mortality.
In an official statement released Wednesday, Grassalco noted that it takes the government’s formal liability finding “extremely seriously”, and expressed regret over the ecological harm, large-scale fish death, and negative impacts on local communities living along the two waterways. However, the company stopped short of accepting responsibility for the contamination at this stage, pointing out that the site where the fish kill was detected sits roughly 15 kilometers away from its active mining concession in Maripaston.
The new external probe runs parallel to an internal investigation being led by Grassalco’s own Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department, and comes after the National Environment Authority (NMA) already completed its own inquiry into the contamination, prompting presidential action against the firm. Grassalco emphasized that hiring an independent third-party researcher is intended to guarantee that findings will be credible and free from corporate influence. Results of the external investigation are expected within six to eight weeks, and will be published in full directly to the public with no redaction, according to the company.
The investigation will combine desk research, on-site fieldwork, and sampling of surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment, and local biota. All laboratory test results will be benchmarked against both national Surinamese and international environmental quality standards, before a final report is issued with findings and recommendations for any required cleanup. Beyond the full investigation, Grassalco also plans to run a small-scale remediation pilot project in the affected area to test cleanup methods before any potential large-scale deployment.
Grassalco reiterated that these preliminary actions do not constitute an admission of guilt for the pollution. “If the independent probe confirms the link between our operations and the reported fish death, we will proceed immediately with full remediation of the affected area,” the company said.
Moving ahead of investigation results, the mining firm has already begun providing support to impacted local populations. Grassalco says it has already established direct contact with affected households, and will provide clean drinking water to communities on an as-needed basis, with plans to expand support to address any additional identified needs.
To maintain transparency throughout the process, Grassalco has committed to keeping local communities updated during and after the investigation. Public community meetings will be held where residents can ask questions directly to Grassalco’s leadership, and a dedicated hotline will be launched to field questions and reports from affected residents.