TFM mining destroys the environment in Manomapia causing water and air pollution
Presence of toxic gases in the air, soil and water, the inhabitants of Manomapia, a district located in the urban-rural commune of Fungurume, are plunged into a humanitarian drama caused by the 30k copper processing plant and cobalt owned by Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM).
Denounced since 2020 by the local civil society of Fungurume in particular for lack of clarity in the environmental and social impact study, the installation in 2023 of the “30K” factory for the processing of copper and cobalt exploited by Tenke Fungurume Mining , disrupted the peace and quiet of the inhabitants of Manomapia, in the province of Lualaba.
In this neighborhood, nestled on top of green hills, surrounded by rapidly changing vegetation, gas from the “30K” factory has polluted the air causing respiratory problems, tickling in the eyes and runny nose. blood. Civil society affirmed that the first cases of air pollution were reported as soon as this factory entered production in mid-2023.
“We noticed that the wind was tickling on the body, people were scratching all over the place. There were large pimples appearing on the body,” explained Félix Kafuka Mwibale, deputy spokesperson for the civil society consultation framework. And added: “as there was a similar case in Kabombwa, we were already saying that it was following the installation of the 30K factory”.
This environmental disaster, which appears, according to testimonies, to come from poor adjustment of the acids used in the processing of ores in this factory, has already led to the death of at least ten people, including children under the age of 5 years. But, when questioned on this subject, the mining company rejected all the accusations outright, local representatives revealed to MINES.CD.
“When my child died, we informed the company. But we didn’t see it coming. They didn’t take care of anything,” testifies Fiston Mwamba, a father in his thirties who lost a 2-year-old child in February 2024 while vomiting blood following the presence of acidified gases in the air.
“The doctors who came to make the assessment concluded that it was the acid that had killed him. All the evidence was there. Unfortunately the company refused to recognize this case,” he explained.
According to revelations collected by MINES.CD, no other victim, like this father, has been taken care of by Tenke Fungurume Mining. It is a non-recognition that the community continues to deplore and denounce.
Since October 2023, environmental damage has also affected the land, making it “unsuitable” for agriculture. During the same period, the municipal environment service, which discovered traces of toxicity in the subsoil, had banned the consumption of agricultural products grown for reasons of food safety, indicated the residents interviewed by our editorial staff.
“All the food is burned, it is forbidden to consume the vegetables that we grew in our plots and in our small fields, because they said they were contaminated by acid,” said Patrick Assani, a resident of the neighborhood, taking on a major social challenge following the misdeeds of the factory. “It became difficult. When society refuses to recognize all this, it’s as if we don’t exist,” he lashed out.
On the other side, the Kebangi and Kelangilé rivers, whose waters were used for washing clothes, irrigating fields or even used in household work, were not spared the harmful consequences of acidified gases.
Local residents, who noted the disappearance of certain aquatic species, painted a gloomy portrait of pollution in their locality.
“One morning we saw dead fish floating on the water. This worried us and we had to alert the authorities about it,” a local resident told us.
“After investigations, it was noted that basically, it was a leak in certain perforated pipes of the 30k factory which began to discharge acids into the Kebangi river, then Kelangilé reaching dipeta,” he said. he added, asserting that this pollution has contributed to destroying the social fabric.
Thus, following numerous cries of warning from residents and calls from civil society organizations, the mining company, which has already been taken to court by the local community, has started, since April 1, 2024, a process of relocation of homes located within the 1000 meter radius with the TFM “30K” factory.
However, the terms agreed between the government and the mining company for the displacement of the population did not address the problems, says the impacted community.
SOURCE:mines-cd
