Zambia Disputes Scale of Toxic Acid Spill from Sino Metals Mine

Zambia Challenges Claims of Massive Acid Spill at Sino Metals Mine, Launches Cleanup Efforts

The Zambian government has rejected an independent estimate of the toxic acid spill from a Chinese-owned copper mine in February, insisting the incident was far smaller than critics claim and that cleanup operations are already in progress.

Acting Minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu confirmed the government’s support for Sino Metals Leach Zambia Ltd.’s official spill estimate. He dismissed allegations that authorities were downplaying the scale of the disaster.

“Based on the records we have, the estimated amount of acid waste released into the environment was 51,800 cubic meters (13.7 million gallons),” Nzovu said in a statement Wednesday.

That figure is far lower than the estimate from Drizit Zambia, which claimed the disaster was up to 30 times worse. Nzovu added that the tailings dams—where mining waste is stored—are “physical features which no one can hide.”

The spill, near Kitwe, Zambia’s second-largest city, has fueled concern among local communities and prompted health advisories from embassies including the U.S. and Finland.

Although the government maintains that drinking water remains safe, it admitted last month that some natural water samples contained dangerous levels of heavy metals.

Sino Metals last week also dismissed Drizit’s findings—claiming as much as 1.5 million tonnes of toxic material escaped—calling the assessment “misleading and devoid of factual, scientific and technical basis.”

Nzovu said Sino Metals has begun removing visible pollution and residues across an 8-kilometer (5-mile) stretch from the breach site.

Drizit Zambia, initially contracted by Sino Metals to carry out the environmental assessment before the deal was terminated, has stood by its findings. It warned that nearby communities remain exposed daily to hazardous substances including arsenic, cyanide, and uranium.

Nzovu announced that Zambia will appoint a new environmental assessor by September 15, with work expected to begin the following week.

The Chinese embassy in Lusaka also weighed in, saying:

“Sino Metals has been making all-out efforts to cooperate with the Zambian government in dealing with the tailings dam breach. We oppose any irresponsible and exaggerated narratives based on fabricated figures or ill-intended smear campaigns for geopolitical gains.”