Glencore:"Surprised" By Zambia's Partial Mopani Copper Mine Halt
March 05 2012 - 9:38AM
Dow Jones News
Mining titan Glencore International PLC (GLEN.LN) said Monday
that it was surprised that the Zambian government has suspended
part of its Mopani copper mine operations after the government
renewed the mine's license only two weeks ago.
"The last visit by the Zambian Environmental Management Agency
was in early February and the license was duly renewed on 21
February," said a Glencore spokesman. "We are therefore surprised
that we are currently required to suspend this project, which we
believe may be due to recent unsubstantiated reports in the local
press," he added.
The Zambian Envrionmental Management Agency order Monday that
Glencore suspend heap leaching at the Mopani mine given concerns
about acid mist exposure.
The agency said in a statement that the local Butondo community
had complained of noise from the crusher, cracking of houses,
vibrations, dust, [and the] effects of acid mist on their health"
and has requested that the company pay for medical treatment and
reconstruction of homes that have been damaged by the mine.
The Glencore spokesman said that only part of the Mopani mine
was shut. That part of the mine accounts for 1.5% of Mopani's total
production and employs about 300 people.
The agency proposed that the heap leaching operations remain
shut until a series of remedies have been put in place, including
the erection of acid midst barriers.
-By Alex MacDonald, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842 9328;
alex.macdonald@dowjones.com
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