Latest news with #coppermining
Reuters
3 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
Zambia denies health risks flagged by US embassy over acid spill
LUSAKA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Zambia denied on Thursday that an acid spill in its copper-mining region six months ago still posed a serious health risk, a day after the U.S. embassy restricted travel to the area for U.S. officials citing widespread contamination. The spill occurred in February, when a tailings dam failed at a Chinese-run copper processing plant, spewing 50,000 cubic metres of acidic slurry into nearby rivers. The Southern African country's government has sought to clean up affected areas using lime to lower acidity levels and said there was no need for alarm. "Laboratory results show that the pH (acidity) levels have returned to normal and concentrations of heavy metals are steadily decreasing, which means that the immediate danger to human, animal and plant life has been averted," government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa told a press conference. Water and sanitation minister Collins Nzovu said Zambia would speak to the U.S. over the concerns it had raised. The U.S. health alert, opens new tab on Wednesday said the acid spill had polluted water and soil around the town of Chambishi where the plant is located and that contaminants could also become airborne. The company that operates the plant, Sino Metals Leach Zambia, has cooperated fully with the government and is paying for mitigation measures, Mweetwa said. A spokesperson for Sino Metals Leach Zambia did not respond to Reuters' questions on Thursday, stating the company had nothing to add to the government's comments on the acid spill.
Bloomberg
26-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Zambia Court Adjoins ZCCM to Sampa's Challenge on Mopani Sale
A Zambian court adjoined the state-owned copper-mining company to a case brought by an opposition lawmaker challenging the sale of Mopani Copper Mines. ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc was joined to the petition challenging the 2024 transaction on June 20, it said in a regulatory statement Thursday.
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
The Supreme Court rejects a plea to block a copper mine on land in Arizona that's sacred to Apaches
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from Apaches who are fighting to halt a massive copper mining project on federal land in Arizona that they hold sacred. The justices left in place lower court decisions allowing the transfer of the Tonto National Forest land, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper, which plans to mine what it says is the second-largest known copper deposit in the world.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
The Supreme Court rejects a plea to block a copper mine on land in Arizona that's sacred to Apaches
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from Apaches who are fighting to halt a massive copper mining project on federal land in Arizona that they hold sacred. The justices left in place lower court decisions allowing the transfer of the Tonto National Forest land, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper, which plans to mine what it says is the second-largest known copper deposit in the world. The Trump administration has said it will push to complete the transfer. A group known as Apache Stronghold, representing the interests of certain members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, has argued that the land transfer will result in the destruction of the site in violation of its members' religious rights. Apache tribes in Arizona consider Oak Flat, which is dotted with ancient oak groves and traditional plants, essential to their spiritual well-being. An estimated 40 billion pounds of copper could be mined over the lifetime of the mine, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The project has significant support in nearby Superior and other traditional mining towns in the area. The company estimates the mine will generate $1 billion a year for Arizona's economy and create thousands of local jobs. Resolution Copper is a subsidiary of international mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP. Congress approved a land swap in 2014 that would give Resolution Copper 3.75 square miles (9.71 square kilometers) of forest land in return for eight parcels it owns in Arizona. In the waning days of the first Trump administration, the U.S. Agriculture Department issued the required environmental review that would allow the land swap to proceed. Apache Stronghold sued in federal court to block it. With the change in administrations to President Joe Biden, the Agriculture Department, which includes the Forest Service, pulled back the review to further consult with Native American tribes. But the suit proceeded and a year ago, the federal appeals court in San Francisco split 6-5 to allow the land transfer to go forward, rejecting Apache Stronghold's arguments about religious freedom and its invocation of a 1852 treaty between the U.S. government and the Apaches. The five dissenting judges described the outcome as a tragic error that would result in 'the utter destruction' of the sacred site. The Forest Service already has provided the 60 days notice that it intends to re-issue the environmental review, as required by a court order.
