Dundee emissions cause concern
While residents complain of irritations which they ascribe to recent plumes of gas from the mining plant, the mine says there is no evidence to show the emission levels present a health risk.
Angry posts on social media over the last two weeks have complained about thick plumes of smoke being emitted from the Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPMT) smelter day and night, which have caused a number of health problems.
Residents preferring anonymity complained of tight and burning chests and difficulty breathing, burning eyes and runny noses, yellow phlegm coughed up, and their gardens “burnt like winter freeze”, presumably as a result of the emissions.
“We are slowly being killed. We are sick and tired of this,” said one resident.
Some residents claimed the emissions are more intense as the mine is allegedly pushing up its production, and said the mine has acknowledged that it is currently experiencing problems with the acid plant.
The mine did not comment on the alleged “problems with the acid plant” and neither would it say whether more emissions have been experienced over the last couple of weeks. “Namibians are not benefiting from it at all, except for having jobs. The money is being made elsewhere,” one resident said.
Dundee said the emissions residents complain about are “random and generally experienced due to operational upset conditions, including power trips and during the start-up of the plant”.
It said ambient levels of sulphur dioxide in Tsumeb “on occasion cause some individuals to complain of irritation and voice their concern”.
“When complaints are received or elevated levels are detected at the air quality stations, immediate actions are taken to mitigate emissions, including reducing plant feed rates,” Dundee spokesperson Alina Garises said. She said air quality monitoring stations are placed at various locations in and around Tsumeb. These include those at the stadium and the mine's information centre, for the continuous monitoring of concentrations of airborne fine particular matter (PM10) and sulphur dioxide in the community, as well as to sample airborne particular matter for further analysis on a weekly basis.
Garises said the mine is “committed to comply with environmental legislation and regulations and is committed to transform the Tsumeb smelter into a world-class facility”.
The Canadian company took over the mine from Weatherly International in 2010 and said it has since then started a major investment in environmental improvements at a cost of about N$4 billion, including equipment to reduce emissions and to improve environmental monitoring.
It said it installed large industrial filters, or bag houses, to remove fine particles from the smelter gasses in 2011. In 2016, it said, it commissioned a sulphuric acid plant to remove more than 90% of the sulphuric dioxide from the gases released into atmosphere and to convert it into sulphuric acid.
For this, it has invested over N$2.3 billion, the mine said.
In addition, it said, it has developed an environmental management plan to further reduce emissions to air and water through accepted international practices and to improve the reliability of environmental performance.
Garises said the company is in the process of completing a comprehensive environmental social impact assessment which includes extensive specialist studies.
“To date, these studies have shown the ongoing operation of DPMT has not had a measurable negative impact on soil contamination in the region nor is there evidence that shows that current emission levels present a health risk to the community,” Garises said.
In a press statement on its website in January of this year Dundee reported it produced 219 300 tons last year as compared to the 200 000 tons produced during previous three years.
By April 2017 an in-house environmental impact assessment report stated that Dundee is proposing to upgrade and optimise its operations to increase the copper concentrate throughput capacity from 240 000 tons per year to 370 000 tons.
CATHERINE SASMAN
Residents preferring anonymity complained of tight and burning chests and difficulty breathing, burning eyes and runny noses, yellow phlegm coughed up, and their gardens “burnt like winter freeze”, presumably as a result of the emissions.
“We are slowly being killed. We are sick and tired of this,” said one resident.
Some residents claimed the emissions are more intense as the mine is allegedly pushing up its production, and said the mine has acknowledged that it is currently experiencing problems with the acid plant.
The mine did not comment on the alleged “problems with the acid plant” and neither would it say whether more emissions have been experienced over the last couple of weeks. “Namibians are not benefiting from it at all, except for having jobs. The money is being made elsewhere,” one resident said.
Dundee said the emissions residents complain about are “random and generally experienced due to operational upset conditions, including power trips and during the start-up of the plant”.
It said ambient levels of sulphur dioxide in Tsumeb “on occasion cause some individuals to complain of irritation and voice their concern”.
“When complaints are received or elevated levels are detected at the air quality stations, immediate actions are taken to mitigate emissions, including reducing plant feed rates,” Dundee spokesperson Alina Garises said. She said air quality monitoring stations are placed at various locations in and around Tsumeb. These include those at the stadium and the mine's information centre, for the continuous monitoring of concentrations of airborne fine particular matter (PM10) and sulphur dioxide in the community, as well as to sample airborne particular matter for further analysis on a weekly basis.
Garises said the mine is “committed to comply with environmental legislation and regulations and is committed to transform the Tsumeb smelter into a world-class facility”.
The Canadian company took over the mine from Weatherly International in 2010 and said it has since then started a major investment in environmental improvements at a cost of about N$4 billion, including equipment to reduce emissions and to improve environmental monitoring.
It said it installed large industrial filters, or bag houses, to remove fine particles from the smelter gasses in 2011. In 2016, it said, it commissioned a sulphuric acid plant to remove more than 90% of the sulphuric dioxide from the gases released into atmosphere and to convert it into sulphuric acid.
For this, it has invested over N$2.3 billion, the mine said.
In addition, it said, it has developed an environmental management plan to further reduce emissions to air and water through accepted international practices and to improve the reliability of environmental performance.
Garises said the company is in the process of completing a comprehensive environmental social impact assessment which includes extensive specialist studies.
“To date, these studies have shown the ongoing operation of DPMT has not had a measurable negative impact on soil contamination in the region nor is there evidence that shows that current emission levels present a health risk to the community,” Garises said.
In a press statement on its website in January of this year Dundee reported it produced 219 300 tons last year as compared to the 200 000 tons produced during previous three years.
By April 2017 an in-house environmental impact assessment report stated that Dundee is proposing to upgrade and optimise its operations to increase the copper concentrate throughput capacity from 240 000 tons per year to 370 000 tons.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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