Message Mar 14 Juin 2011 08:18

Ndola Lime continues ops

By Times Reporter

NDOLA Lime Company has continued with its operations despite a directive from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to shut down the plant.

ZEMA recently suspended the company’s licence to operate its rotary kiln that was polluting the environment.

Acting general manager Abraham Wikita said yesterday that Ndola Lime was not defying the directive to shut down the plant, but was operating while waiting for the outcome of its appeal against the order.

“We have not shut down because doing so is a process which has a lot of things which need to be taken into consideration.

“I want to make it clear that ZEMA has not directed us to stop operating but they have only directed us to suspend operations of the kiln which is releasing dust emissions which are above the allowable limits,” he said.

On June 6, ZEMA northen region manager Patson Zulu said the oganisation had officially directed Ndola Lime Company to shut down its plant.

That followed the suspension of operations of the rotary kiln after the dust abetment unit developed a fault.

Mr Zulu maintained yesterday that Ndola Lime should close its plant until its appeal case to the ZEMA director was concluded.

But Mr Witika said the company had put in place measures aimed at reducing the dust emissions and the repair and maintenance process of the vertical kiln which was supposed to be done during a 40-day period starting from last month would now be shortened.

“We have formally requested ZEMA to allow us to operate until the vertical kiln is brought back to life. We are now consulting the authorities on how best we can resolve this issue,” he said.

Ndola Lime Company production manager Wilson Manda said the period remaining for the completion of the maintenance of the other kiln which hadr stopped operating was shorter than the process of importing from alternative sources.

Meanwhile, Mines Deputy Minister Jazzman Chikwakwa, who yesterday toured the Ndola Lime and Lafarge plants, said the Government was concerned with pollution of the environment caused by some industries in Ndola.

Mr Chikwakwa said Government wanted to work with the manufacturing companies and other stakeholders and see how it would come up with a lasting solution to the problem.