"Uncertainty around Madagascar mine in wake of cyclone", 27 June 2018

The Ambatovy mine complex near Madagascar’s eastern city of Toamasina is a massive operation to extract nickel and cobalt from the country’s rich soil.The $8 billion complex represents the largest-ever foreign investment in the country. Over the years, local residents have suspected the mine of causing environmental and health problems, including air and water pollution. Locals now fear that Tropical Cyclone Ava, which hit Toamasina hard in January, may have exacerbated these problems - fears that Ambatovy and local officials assert are unfounded...

Except that when Ava finally blew away, leaving a trail of destruction and at least 51 people dead, the public was left with little news about what had happened behind the walls of the mining complex. Two of Ambatovy’s three current owners, Japan-based Sumitomo Corporation and Toronto-based Sherritt International Corporation, issued short statements saying the mine would stop operating for a month for repairs. A couple of international news reports suggested the storm had had a greater impact, and in May, an Ambatovy spokesperson confirmed to Mongabay that Ava had caused “extensive damage to facilities and equipment” and forecast that production would return to normal that month. In a separate communication mine representatives said the storm had not impacted the waste lake facility.

Nevertheless, a lack of locally available information has left the population in distress over the possibility of toxic leaks from the mine’s waste lakes and an open-air stockpile of sulfur Ambatovy uses to produce fertilizer, its main product by volume...

In the city still recovering from Ava, a somber mood now prevails. Several residents attributed poor water quality and a litany of health complaints exacerbated since the cyclone to Ambatovy, including a flu outbreak, gastrointestinal problems, eye illnesses, and diarrhea in children...

The Ambatovy communication team didn’t allow Mongabay to visit its facility for this story, saying “the stockpile remains at an appropriate level, as per our operating requirements.” ...

In Toamasina, Ambatovy continues to spread a feeling of unease. Inhabitants worry about the waste dumped into the sea and suspect that the plant has polluted rivers. And while some residents interviewed for this story were pleased that the mine was bringing economic development to the area, most said they fear consequences for fauna, crops and their own health...

Ambatovy has committed to restoring the rainforest cleared for the mine. It also funds conservation and development projects to offset its impact on biodiversity, with a commitment “to supporting forest conservation equal to nine times the mine area that it is operating,” according to its website, and an overarching obligation to create “no net loss but preferably a net gain in biodiversity.”...