Published: March 23, 2026
MONROVIA — Bea Mountain Mining Corporation has pushed back against the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest account of a fish mortality incident in Grand Cape Mount County, disputing any link between its operations and the contamination and calling for an independent, science-based investigation.
In a statement issued following the EPA’s March 20 update on the Marvoe Creek incident, the company said the regulator’s apparent shift in attributing the source of contamination to BMMC infrastructure was not supported by publicly disclosed scientific evidence.
At the center of the dispute is what caused the fish kill—and more critically, where it originated.
BMMC maintains that it was the first to detect and report the incident on Feb. 24, triggering the EPA’s investigation. The company said that initial laboratory findings, confirmed by the EPA in a Feb. 27 communication, indicated that cyanide and related mining chemicals were within regulatory limits.
Instead, those findings pointed to elevated levels of cypermethrin—a pesticide commonly associated with agricultural use—as the likely cause of the fish deaths.
“Cypermethrin is not used in any of our operations,” the company said, emphasizing that all chemicals in its inventory are fully disclosed to and approved by the EPA.
The company argues that identifying a contaminant alone does not establish its source, cautioning that any attribution of responsibility must be grounded in verifiable and transparent scientific analysis.
Regulatory Tension Emerges
The EPA’s more recent position, which reportedly links the contamination to BMMC infrastructure, has raised concerns within the company about consistency and due process in the investigation.
While the EPA has not publicly detailed new scientific findings underpinning that conclusion, BMMC said the shift risks undermining confidence in the integrity of the investigative process.
The company also addressed allegations that its personnel buried dead fish during the incident, saying it became aware of the claims during a Joint Security investigation and immediately launched an internal review.
BMMC said any actions taken at the time were aimed at protecting public health and should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.
Call for Independent Inquiry
Framing the issue as one of scientific credibility and public trust, BMMC is now urging authorities to pursue an independent and transparent investigation to determine how the contaminant entered the creek.
“The identification of a contaminant does not, in itself, establish its source,” the company said, stressing the need for conclusions to be based on objective evidence and established scientific standards.
The Marvoe Creek incident has drawn national attention, highlighting longstanding concerns about environmental oversight, mining operations, and accountability in Liberia’s extractive sector.
BMMC said it remains committed to cooperating with the EPA and other authorities and will continue to engage stakeholders as more verified information becomes available.
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