Zambia, a mining operation in Zambia by a Chinese company, experienced a leak of acidic waste, causing a major river to ‘die’ overnight. Signs of contamination have been found at least 100 kilometers downstream of the river. Zambian authorities are concerned that this waste leak will have long-term effects, potentially affecting the lives of millions of people.
According to a report by the Associated Press on Saturday, the leak occurred on February 18 when a tailings dam at a Chinese-owned copper mine in the northern part of the country collapsed. The dam was used to contain acidic waste.
Investigators from the Zambia Institute of Engineering stated that the collapse resulted in approximately 50 million liters of waste containing concentrated acid, dissolved solids, and heavy metals flowing into a river that leads to Zambia’s most important waterway, the Kafue River.
The Kafue River runs through central Zambia, spanning over 1,500 kilometers. Around 60% of the country’s population of 20 million people live in the Kafue River basin, which serves as a source of water for fishing, agricultural irrigation, and industrial use. Additionally, the river provides drinking water for approximately 5 million people, including those in the capital city of Lusaka.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has sought experts’ help and described the leak as a crisis threatening the residents and wildlife along the Kafue River.
Authorities are concerned that as mining waste infiltrates the ground or is carried to other areas, groundwater will become contaminated. They are still investigating the extent of environmental damage.
Reporters from the Associated Press visited certain areas along the Kafue River and observed dead fish washed up on the riverbanks about 100 kilometers downstream from the mining operation run by the Zambia-China Joint Venture Company, a subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Industry Group.
“Before February 18, this river was full of life,” said Sean Cornelius, who lives near the Kafue River. “Now everything is dead, like a completely lifeless river. Unbelievable. Overnight, this river died.”
He mentioned that nearby fish and birds disappeared almost immediately.
The Zambian government has deployed the air force to drop hundreds of tons of lime into the river to neutralize the acid and reduce damage. Additionally, boats have been spraying lime on the river.
A few days after the mining accident at the Chinese-operated copper mine, another smaller acid waste leak was discovered at a different Chinese-owned mine in the Zambian Copperbelt, with authorities accusing the smaller mine of attempting to conceal the incident.
Local police reported a miner died after falling into acidic substances at the second mine. They also stated that the mine continued operations after being instructed by authorities to stop. Two Chinese mine managers have been arrested, according to the police.
Following orders from Zambian authorities, both mines have ceased operations, sparking anger among many Zambians.
Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said the situation is very serious, and the Zambia-China Joint Venture Company will bear the costs of cleanup.
Zambia is one of the world’s top copper producers, with Chinese enterprises being major players in Zambia’s copper mining sector.
According to minutes released by the Zambia-China Joint Venture Company, Chairman Zhang Peiwen of the subsidiary in Zambia met with Zambian government officials and apologized for the acid leak incident.
Environmental engineer Mweene Himwinga attended the meeting with Zhang and Zambian government officials and expressed dissatisfaction with the Chinese side’s so-called “apology.”
“They seem to care very little, showing no respect for Zambia,” Himwinga said. “I find this really worrisome because, ultimately, as Zambians, this is our only land.”
Despite the economic significance of these minerals to these countries, Chinese enterprises’ large-scale mining operations in resource-rich regions in Africa (including neighboring countries of Zambia like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe) often face criticism for their environmental impacts.
Chinese-owned copper mines are accused of disregarding Zambia’s safety, labor, and other regulations, attempting to control the supply of key minerals, leading to discontent among local residents. Zambia also owes China over $4 billion in debt and had to restructure loans from China and other countries after defaulting in 2020.