Report accuses ArcelorMittal of Liberia land grabs, water pollution

French investigative outlet Disclose recently published a report accusing steel giant ArcelorMittal of engaging in land grabs and potential water pollution in Liberia, particularly in the northern regions where the company mines iron ore. The report alleges that hundreds of farmers have had their land seized by the company, a major employer in the impoverished West African nation, despite its abundant resources such as iron ore, timber, diamonds, and gold.

The Liberian government has confirmed that 694 farmers are waiting for compensation, while another 160 farmers on ArcelorMittal's concession have been overlooked by authorities.

The steel manufacturer, however, maintains that local community members have encroached upon concession lands, planting crops in hopes of securing compensation. All claims for compensation for the use of privately owned land have reportedly been addressed by ArcelorMittal.

Disclose interviewed seven individuals who claimed their land was destroyed, blocked, or degraded by the company between August 2024 and September 2025. One farmer from Gbarpa, near the foot of two mountains mined by ArcelorMittal, reported that in March 2022, excavators destroyed a significant portion of his rubber, cacao, and avocado crops while he was away.

He received a $9,000 compensation, but the company denied further compensation for the destroyed crops. Two years later, ArcelorMittal constructed a dam intended to retain water, but it failed to function properly, flooding his fields with brown water. ArcelorMittal stated that they do not approve of land clearing activities outside their established land access, consultation, compensation, and permitting processes.

The report also detailed the chemical contamination of water in five villages located within the mining concession. Independent laboratory tests found heavy metals, including lead, in 37 samples, with some levels up to 63 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended limits. Additionally, high levels of fluoride were detected in 19 samples. ArcelorMittal, however, argued that the presence of heavy metals alone does not prove a direct link to their operations.