Zambia plans to spend more than $100-million on cleaning up contaminated lead and copper mine sites, a lawmaker announced on Wednesday. Environment Minister Patrick Kalifungwa said government was launching the ”Copperbelt Environment Project” to ensure the well-being of people living close to mines that posed possible health risks.
The project follows an environmental impact assessment carried out by a government owned mining company — ZCCM-Investment Holdings — that found traces of lead in soil around a closed mine in the north of the country.
The mine dumps around the defunct Kabwe mine were left uncovered and winds carried poisonous dust into a nearby settlement. Residents complained to government after some were diagnosed with lead poisoning, despite a the mine shutting down in 1994. Kalifungwa said the project would not only secure mining sites, but also address environmental and social liabilities associated with the mining sector. He said environmental regulations would also be beefed up to ensure compliance by the mining sector.
The project will be partially funded by the World Bank and the International Development Association. Studies cited by the government found that high amounts of lead in the soil can lead to learning disorders and even premature death. – Sapa-AP