On Feb 18, the wall around a toxic-waste pool collapsed at the Chinese copper mine above a Zambian village and a poisonous river of stinking yellow liquid laden with cyanide and arsenic rushed downhill, inundating homes and fields.
Months later in Aug, officials from Sino Metals, a unit of 
state-owned China Nonferrous Mining Corp, showed up at the village. The farms there are now too toxic to sustain crops for at least 3 years.
A villager was offered $150 by Sino Metals but, to get the money, she’d have to agree never to talk about the spill, take legal action against Sino Metals or even reveal the contents of the nondisclosure agreement. The deal also entitled her to 11 pounds of cornmeal every month. Those terms were reportedly the same for all victims.
Sino Metals officials were “very inhumane.” The affected people were not even shown the amount they’d receive until after they signed the document.
The spill is the 6th-worst mine-tailings dam accident ever by volume. Toxic sludge flowed into the Kafue River, leaving dead fish along a 70-mile stretch and poisoning farm fields.
“One organization that analyzed over 170 water and soil samples from this disaster report that they have never encountered a polluter that has demonstrated such a lack of remorse or accountability as Sino Metals.”
Sino Metals said 50,000 metric tons of waste had reached the river, but after months of investigation, Drizit Environmental, a South African firm contracted by Sino Metals, concluded that 1.5 million tons of toxic waste had overflowed into the Kafue valley, 30 times what Sino Metals had said. Sino Metals terminated the firm’s contract a day before the final report was due.
Sino Metals has promised to pay a total of $650K to tens of thousands of farmers and fishermen affected by the spill. To receive payment, locals had to agree to waive the right to make future claims.
In Aug, Chinese mine officials, accompanied by Zambian government officials, went door-to-door in the village of Sabina near a tributary of the Kafue River.
Among those they visited was Timmy Kabindela, whose family has 4 fish ponds and gardens of cabbage and corn on 50 acres of land. Before the spill, the family business had sold ~$900 of fish a week to restaurants in Chambishi. The toxic spill killed tens of thousands of tilapia in Kabindela’s ponds.
Weeks later he drove to Sino Metals’ offices at the mine, where he was promised a cash settlement of $700, free drinking water for 3 months and several tons of lime to neutralize the polluted pond water. After learning about the other terms of the proposed agreement, he cut the meeting short and drove 240 miles to Lusaka to consult his lawyers.
The Chinese returned the following day, this time accompanied by police, and put the contract in front of his 80-year-old mother, who signed it.
“She had no idea what she was signing. I am determined to fight these Chinese in court. They are tricksters.”
Kabindela and dozens of others retained a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against Sino Metals, seeking some $200M in compensation and environmental restoration. China Nonferrous Mining would fight the suit.
Meanwhile, Sino Metals bulldozers have been leveling ground and removing dried tailings from riverbanks and gardens, which could make investigations difficult. Next to the ruptured dam, another earthen wall is being built in preparation for the resumption of mining operations.
“The Chinese are just putting up a show. They’re deceiving people into signing documents they can’t comprehend. They don’t care about the plight of the victims.”
Sino Metals has hired a security unit to keep locals from talking to the news media or environmental activists. The police had also warned residents not to speak to journalists or share pictures of the damage. Weeks earlier, a Sino Metals drone had spotted environmental-group activists speaking to residents. Police rushed to the scene and arrested several activists.
wsj.com/world/asia/chi
state-owned China Nonferrous Mining Corp, showed up at the village. The farms there are now too toxic to sustain crops for at least 3 years.
A villager was offered $150 by Sino Metals but, to get the money, she’d have to agree never to talk about the spill, take legal action against Sino Metals or even reveal the contents of the nondisclosure agreement. The deal also entitled her to 11 pounds of cornmeal every month. Those terms were reportedly the same for all victims.
Sino Metals officials were “very inhumane.” The affected people were not even shown the amount they’d receive until after they signed the document.
The spill is the 6th-worst mine-tailings dam accident ever by volume. Toxic sludge flowed into the Kafue River, leaving dead fish along a 70-mile stretch and poisoning farm fields.
“One organization that analyzed over 170 water and soil samples from this disaster report that they have never encountered a polluter that has demonstrated such a lack of remorse or accountability as Sino Metals.”
Sino Metals said 50,000 metric tons of waste had reached the river, but after months of investigation, Drizit Environmental, a South African firm contracted by Sino Metals, concluded that 1.5 million tons of toxic waste had overflowed into the Kafue valley, 30 times what Sino Metals had said. Sino Metals terminated the firm’s contract a day before the final report was due.
Sino Metals has promised to pay a total of $650K to tens of thousands of farmers and fishermen affected by the spill. To receive payment, locals had to agree to waive the right to make future claims.
In Aug, Chinese mine officials, accompanied by Zambian government officials, went door-to-door in the village of Sabina near a tributary of the Kafue River.
Among those they visited was Timmy Kabindela, whose family has 4 fish ponds and gardens of cabbage and corn on 50 acres of land. Before the spill, the family business had sold ~$900 of fish a week to restaurants in Chambishi. The toxic spill killed tens of thousands of tilapia in Kabindela’s ponds.
Weeks later he drove to Sino Metals’ offices at the mine, where he was promised a cash settlement of $700, free drinking water for 3 months and several tons of lime to neutralize the polluted pond water. After learning about the other terms of the proposed agreement, he cut the meeting short and drove 240 miles to Lusaka to consult his lawyers.
The Chinese returned the following day, this time accompanied by police, and put the contract in front of his 80-year-old mother, who signed it.
“She had no idea what she was signing. I am determined to fight these Chinese in court. They are tricksters.”
Kabindela and dozens of others retained a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against Sino Metals, seeking some $200M in compensation and environmental restoration. China Nonferrous Mining would fight the suit.
Meanwhile, Sino Metals bulldozers have been leveling ground and removing dried tailings from riverbanks and gardens, which could make investigations difficult. Next to the ruptured dam, another earthen wall is being built in preparation for the resumption of mining operations.
“The Chinese are just putting up a show. They’re deceiving people into signing documents they can’t comprehend. They don’t care about the plight of the victims.”
Sino Metals has hired a security unit to keep locals from talking to the news media or environmental activists. The police had also warned residents not to speak to journalists or share pictures of the damage. Weeks earlier, a Sino Metals drone had spotted environmental-group activists speaking to residents. Police rushed to the scene and arrested several activists.
wsj.com/world/asia/chi
Quote
Byron Wan
@Byron_Wan
Authorities and environmentalists in Zambia fear an acid spill at a -owned mine that contaminated a major river could potentially affect millions of people over the long term after signs of pollution were detected at least 100km downstream.
The spill happened on Feb 18 when a
Show more-owned mine that contaminated a major river could potentially affect millions of people over the long term after signs of pollution were detected at least 100km downstream.
The spill happened on Feb 18 when a