There have been public outcries and concerns from stakeholders in relation to environmental problems resulting from mining activities. These complaints forced the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct an audit with a view to assessing the extent to which the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) enforces the implementation of environmental control systems in the mining sector to mitigate impacts. Staff Writer FAUSTINE KAPAMA reviews the performance audit report recently by the CAG's Office and reports: MINERALS are valuable natural resources which are finite and non-renewable. Minerals exploration and development is closely linked to development of a country's economy and the people. Accordingly, mining is a major economic activity in many developing countries, including Tanzania. Operations in mines, whether smaller, medium and large-scale, are inherently disruptive to the environment, producing enormous qualities of waste that can have significant impacts to the environment for decades. The environmental deterioration caused the mining activities occurs mainly as a result of inappropriate and wasteful working practices and rehabilitation systems. However, as mining activities interfere with the environment and social structure, a harmony and balance is to be maintained between environmental conservation and extraction of minerals in the interest of sustainable development. Mining has a number of common stages or activities, each of which has potentially adverse impacts on the natural environment, society and cultural heritage, the health and safety of mine workers as well as communities at large. Despite having laws and regulations for sustainable management in the country, the environmental enforcement in the mining operations has remained ineffective. As a result there have been reported environmental incidences which endanger the environment and public health. The environmental problems include wide use of dangerous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide by miners, spillage of dangerous chemicals and disposal of dangerous and hazardous mining wastes which have even led to outbreak of diseases and deaths to humans, animals and other living things. This forced the office of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct an audit on the mining operations for the period of three years from 2011/12 financial year to that of 2013/14.