The Zambian government is investigating a chemical spill in its Copperbelt Province allegedly linked to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), owned by U.K.-based multinational Vedanta Resources.
Residents in Chingola district told Mongabay they observed discoloration of the Kafue River and fish die-off on Sept. 28, raising fresh concerns about the environmental and social impacts of mining operations in one of Zambia’s most important copper-producing regions.
According to a statement by Gilbert Siame, Zambia’s minister of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE), the incident was caused by a leaking pipe at KCM’s tailings leach plant and an overflow from the company’s pollution control dam outside Chingola.
“The pollution control dam was full, that’s why it spilled,” Eugene Mulenga, Chingola-based human rights activist and coordinator for caritas, told Mongabay. “The [chemical] discharge happens all the time, mostly at night, and the local residents consume this water because they don’t have another option.”
Following the Sept. 28 spill, tests conducted by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), KCM and local water utility Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation Company showed elevated levels of turbidity and conductivity downstream along the Kafue River.
In a statement issued Oct. 1, KCM contested its responsibility in the spillage, saying that company officials reported the incident to ZEMA and asked for a fact-based investigation. Mongabay reached out to the company but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Siame noted in the statement shared with Mongabay that authorities are still testing water samples to confirm heavy metals and other contaminants.
He added the ministry has ordered KCM to conduct a comprehensive assessment of its pollution control dams, tailings pipelines and related infrastructure to determine whether other facilities could pose environmental risks.
“The Ministry is consulting with relevant stakeholders on the appropriate penal sanctions against the polluter in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Management Act,” he wrote in the statement.
Under this law, major toxic discharges or hazardous waste violations can result in penalties of up to 280,000 Kwacha ($14,000).
The Sept. 28 incident adds to a long history of environmental concerns surrounding KCM and other mining companies operating in Zambia’s Copperbelt. KCM was previously at the center of a major legal case in the U.K. following a 2008 pollution incident. The case was settled out of court in 2021, with the company paying compensation to around 2,500 affected villagers “without admission of liability.”
KCM, one of Zambia’s largest copper producers, is expanding and recapitalizing mining and processing operations in the country as the government seeks to more than triple national copper output in the coming years. Vedanta Resources owns 80% stake in KCM.
The Zambian government had placed KCM into liquidation in 2019, citing concerns including tax evasion, unpaid debts, inadequate investment and environmental pollution, but the company picked up operations again in 2024.
Banner image: Dead fish at Hippo Pool, north of Chingola, where the Kafue River narrows into a shallow valley. Image by Victoria Schneider for Mongabay.
