Lugbehyee, Nimba County – ArcelorMittal Liberia has scaled up outreach activities to help communities better understand and use AML’s official grievance management procedure. The recent engagement was held on March 30 in Lugbehyee, a community located south of Mount Yuelliton, where AML currently conducts active mining operations.
Community Relations Officer Hilton Gortor guided locals through AML’s Grievance Procedure Mechanism, a formal framework that enables community members to voice issues and have them resolved through official channels, during a well-attended event. Members of the Local Consultative Forum (LCF) can provide grievance forms to residents, who then fill them out and send them to AML’s Community Relations office. Within three months, the organization promises to look into and address issues that are filed.
Despite being attention-grabbing, Gortor warned that holding protests usually results in delays and reflects poorly on AML and the community. Instead, he advised locals to use the grievance system, which guarantees that problems are resolved promptly, fairly, and transparently.
The topic of employment opportunities was also discussed. In order to position themselves for occupations related to AML’s long-term operations in Liberia, young Lugbehyee people were encouraged to develop technical skills, such as learning how to operate mining equipment.
Regarding the environment, the AML team cautioned against a harmful practice that has been documented time and time again: people cutting the wire mesh on sediment dams constructed alongside nearby waterways. The purpose of these buildings is to keep water clean.
The Environmental Department of AML claims that some individuals have purposefully damaged the dams in an attempt to cause environmental damages and be eligible for relocation payments. Regardless of any compensation received, AML cautioned that this conduct has significant environmental concerns that eventually harm farmers and the larger community.
Paye Lah, the town chief and head of the Local Consultative Forum, commended AML for continuing to engage the community and promised residents’ support in strengthening the company’s working relationship.
