TFM Responds to EIA Report, Reinforces Commitment to Environmental and Community Safety

Tenke Fungurume Mining Clarifies Facts After EIA Report on 30K Plant Environmental Performance

Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) has addressed the report published on March 9, 2026, by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), which assessed the environmental performance of TFM’s 30K processing plant.

While TFM recognizes the importance of independent evaluations regarding health, occupational safety, environmental protection, and community welfare, the report contains several claims that are factually inaccurate or based on unverified assumptions. TFM considers it essential to set the record straight.

Since January 29, TFM has responded openly to EIA inquiries and provided an official written response addressing all concerns.

However, key facts and the company’s position were misrepresented or incompletely reported, and the dissemination of unverified information has negatively affected the company’s reputation. TFM therefore wishes to clarify the following points:

Comprehensive Environmental Monitoring

Contrary to EIA’s claim that only passive monitoring is in place, TFM operates a dual monitoring system both active (daily) and passive (monthly).

This was detailed in TFM’s written response to EIA on February 10, 2026, but was not reflected in the published report.

Data collected between late 2024 and early 2025 confirm that SO₂ concentrations remained within the Democratic Republic of Congo’s regulatory limits and aligned with IFC EHS guidelines.

A temporary spike in emissions occurred during the plant’s commissioning phase in late 2023, but it was promptly identified and corrected. These facts were transparently reported in TFM’s 2024 ESG report.

Methodology Concerns

TFM identified significant methodological gaps in EIA’s monitoring data, including the use of low-precision equipment, improper handling of samples, and readings inconsistent with expected environmental dispersion patterns.

Independent monitoring conducted by Skyside confirmed compliance with all applicable standards.

Community Health and Safety

TFM prioritizes the health of surrounding communities and insists that concerns be addressed using verified data and rigorous assessment.

No causal link has been established between TFM’s operations and alleged community health issues. The EIA report presents fundamental methodological issues:

• It attributes health impacts to 2022, though the 30K plant only began operations on August 30, 2023.
• Reference data for outcomes such as miscarriages or congenital anomalies are insufficient for a clear causal link.
• Confounding factors, such as increased healthcare access and demographic changes, were not adequately considered.
• Data from a single clinic were used to draw conclusions about the wider region, which is methodologically unsound.

Worker Safety

Worker safety remains a top priority. Incident records for 2024 and 2025 show no verified cases of workers fainting or being forced to continue work during SO₂ alarms. TFM’s Stop Work Authority (SWA) policy empowers employees to halt unsafe activities without retaliation.

Resettlement and Social Responsibility

TFM recognizes that relocation processes are sensitive and supported the resettlement of Manomapia through a multi-stakeholder approach involving the community, NGOs, government authorities, and TFM.

 Compensation was determined through annual market studies, approved by the oversight committee, and documented in line with IFC Performance Standard 5.

Commitment to Environmental and Community Standards

As a major mining operator in the DRC, TFM is committed to environmental responsibility, regulatory compliance, and community governance. Operations are certified under the Copper Mark program, and the company welcomes fact-based, professional external assessments.

TFM remains open to dialogue with regulators, communities, and stakeholders, supporting verified information, independent evaluations, transparent communication, and continuous improvement.

However, TFM cannot accept unverified allegations and reserves the right to take appropriate action to address factual inaccuracies contained in the EIA report.