By: Samuel Flomo, Jr.
Charles M. Sweet, Focus Person of Money Sweet Town, has launched a blistering attack on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), rejecting its final report on the January 18, 2026 hydrochloric acid spill involving MNG Gold and describing it as misleading, contradictory, and hostile to public health and environmental justice.
Reading a press statement on behalf of affected residents, Sweet said the EPA’s report, released on Saturday, February 7, 2026, appeared designed to defend the Agency’s earlier claims rather than uncover the truth surrounding the chemical spill.
According to Sweet, the EPA had publicly assured the nation that the spill posed no lasting environmental or health risk before any scientific testing was carried out, a move he described as reckless and unprofessional.
He pointed out that the EPA’s final report now claims air testing was unnecessary, a position Sweet said directly contradicts statements made by the Agency’s own Bong County representative, Madam Christina Kollie.
Sweet recalled that following her on-site assessment on January 19, 2026, Kollie informed community members that air, soil, and water testing were required because of the dangerous nature of the chemical believed to be hydrochloric acid.
Sweet said this contradiction alone raises serious questions about the credibility, consistency, and independence of the EPA’s findings.
Addressing the EPA’s claim that it has trained twenty chemical handlers nationwide to escort hazardous materials, Sweet dismissed the assertion as disconnected from reality.
He told reporters that no chemical handler was present at the scene of the accident, leaving residents exposed and uninformed.
Instead, Sweet said, community members themselves assisted the driver in controlling the fire without protective equipment or professional guidance, while the only external response observed was the late arrival of an MNG Gold water truck.
Sweet further criticized the EPA’s handling of evidence during its fact-finding mission.
While acknowledging that soil samples collected upstream, downstream, and at the containment trench were tested in a relatively transparent manner, he raised alarm over the excavated contaminated materials removed from the site and transported to MNG Gold’s premises.
He said those materials were not tested openly, and no preliminary results were shared with the community, unlike other samples tested on-site.
Sweet warned that such selective transparency undermines public trust and fuels suspicion of institutional bias.
On the human impact of the spill, Sweet disclosed that approximately 140 residents of Money Sweet Town have so far sought medical treatment at the Manowinsue Clinic.
He cited reports from health workers indicating symptoms including skin irritation, throat itching, and diarrhea—conditions he said residents strongly believe are linked to exposure from the chemical spill.
Sweet announced that, due to growing mistrust in the EPA’s handling of the incident, the people of Money Sweet Town have resolved to engage an independent investigative body to conduct a comprehensive environmental assessment of the affected area.
He stressed that the investigation must include air, water, and soil testing carried out transparently and without interference.
While acknowledging the intervention of the Bong County Legislative Caucus led by Senator Prince Moye, the County Administration headed by Superintendent LoleyahHawa Norris, and the United Bong Citizens Association in the Americas, Sweet maintained that only an independent probe can restore public confidence and deliver justice to affected residents.
He called on the media, civil society organizations, county leaders, and national stakeholders to amplify the concerns of Money Sweet Town, warning that the matter goes beyond a single community.
“This incident touches on human lives, environmental safety, and public health,” Sweet declared. “It deserves urgent national attention, not institutional denial.”
The statement was read and signed by Charles M. Sweet, Focus Person of Money Sweet Town, alongside Town Chief Mary Dolo and Chief Elder James Kollie.