Message Mar 10 Avr 2012 16:05

Zambian Watchdog Sets Mopani Mine Deadline To Resume Operati

Zambian Watchdog Sets Mopani Mine Deadline To Resume Operations
04/10/2012 | 07:19am
Zambia's environmental watchdog has given Mopani Copper Mine, a unit of Glencore International AG, (GLNCY) until April 30 to complete eight measures to secure the reopening of its Mufulira West leaching project in Zambia.

Zambia Environmental Management Agency set out the eight measures to reduce the project's impact on the surrounding area when it suspended the operations on March 1 after inspecting the site. ZEMA said the process, which involves metals being leached from a heap of crushed ore by applying acid to it, had caused acid mists.

ZEMA spokesman Alex Musesho told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday that following a meeting involving Zambia's vice president, representatives of Mopani Copper Mine, ZEMA and other interested groups to discuss the suspension over alleged pollution recently, the company was directed to comply with the eight parameters by April 30.

Failure to comply by the deadline would mean the project would remain closed, he said.

The meeting also agreed that a team of medical experts should visit the residents of Butondo township in Mufulira near the mine to verify claims of respiratory problems arising from the acid mists emitted from the leaching project.

"We are waiting for Mopani to get back to us and if we are satisfied with the parameters, we'll recommend that the project re-opens," Musesho said.

A spokesman for the international trader Glencore, Simon Buerk has been unable to respond to emails sent to him in Switzerland by Dow Jones over the matter.

Mopani Copper Mine chief executive Dan Callow referred all inquiries on the matter to Buerk.

Among the eight demands in the ZEMA suspension order were that Mopani erect acid mist barriers to minimize the "down-wind effects of acid mist and vapor" get "effective and efficient acid mist/vapor equipment, which takes into consideration measurements for meteorological parameters such as wind speed and direction, humidity, temperature, etc. to get more reliable and accurate data."

ZEMA also wanted effective measures to reduce noise pollution from the crusher plant be put in place. The eighth point was that Mopani prepare a comprehensive environmental and social management plan for the heap leach process which should be submitted to ZEMA for approval.

At the time a Glencore spokesman said that Glencore was "surprised" by the suspension of a part of its Mopani mine, particularly since the Zambian government had renewed the mine's license only two weeks ago following an inspection and clean bill of health in early February.

"Mopani's heap leach project has been operating since 2007. It has been properly and closely monitored by the relevant authorities and has always been given a clean bill of health, meeting or exceeding the terms of its license," it added.

Mopani Copper Mine is one of Zambia's largest copper and cobalt producers with a labor force of more than 10,000.

-By Geoffrey Sinkamba, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; jeff.kapembwa@gmail.com

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