Zambia's environment regulator rejects mining project
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E-mail Xinhua, September 13, 2012
Zambia's environment regulator rejects mining project
LUSAKA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's environmental regulator has rejected plans by an investor to start a mining project in one of the country's national parks due to various environmental concerns, the Post of Zambia reported on Thursday.
Zambezi Resources, which is a Bermuda-registered and Australian securities-listed company, had submitted an environmental impact assessment report for its proposed 494 million U.S. dollars mining project in the Lower Zambezi National Park in Luangwa district of Lusaka Province.
The project, which has faced criticism from environmental lobby groups, was scheduled to commence operations in 2015.
Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) spokesperson Irene Chipili said the project has been rejected because of various environmental concerns.
"The Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) will be located in the Zambezi escarpment. The area is prone to earthquakes and it is therefore risky to put up a TSF as the chances of failure are high, " she was quoted as saying by the paper.
She pointed out that the mine is located about 30 km from the Mana Pools world heritage site in neighboring Zimbabwe and that any possible failures of the TSF or abnormal discharge of effluent would negatively affect the world heritage site.
"The integrity of the national park will therefore be compromised and in the long term the ecological value would be affected," she added.
In June, over 100 environmental lobbyists rejected the proposed plans to set up the mine in a national park and advised the government to thoroughly analyze the impact of mining on the environment and wildlife.
The investor was given a license for the large-scale mining project, which is called Kangaluwi Copper Project, in 2003. According to the investors, 15 million tons of copper per year is expected to be produced when the mine becomes fully operational and will employ 250 people in the initial stage. Enditem
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