Zambia to restart construction of key copper project
Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:26am EST
reuters.com
LUSAKA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Zambian authorities said on Tuesday they had lifted a ban on a new project to construct a key leach plant for copper processing which was suspended a fortnight ago after it failed to meet environmental standards.
The Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) blocked a leach plant project at Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) a fortnight ago, after a spillage of pregnant liquor solution (PLS), which officials say contaminated drinking water pumped to residents.
The ECZ said in a statement that Mopani had elevated underground walls in the settler tanks and had also taken several other measures to avoid spillage.
The spillage contaminated drinking water and caused diarrhoea and dizziness among some residents of Mufulira town, 450 km (281 miles) north of Lusaka.
"The ECZ is now satisfied that the measures that have been put in place are adequate to prevent the recurrence of the events that led to the suspension of the Stage II Insitu Leach Operations," the statement said.
Mopani chief services officer Passmore Hamukoma told Reuters that the project was near completion.
"The ECZ has therefore lifted the suspension on the operations of Stage II Insitu Leach with immediate effect," the statement added.
Government officials in the mineral-rich Copper Belt province said Mopani had been negligent and had caused the water contamination.
Mopani, a joint venture of Swiss firm Glencore International AG [GLEN.UL] and Canada's First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research), is one of several copper and cobalt mines carrying out infrastructure expansions and upgrades to boost copper production, which is Zambia's economic lifeblood.
Copper mining is Zambia's economic mainstay and the vast copper mines are a major employer in this southern African country of 12 million people. (Reporting by Shapi Shacinda, Editing by Peter Blackburn) |
