[Translated by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

Dangerous lime mining by TFM: Investigations into the impact of the Tenke Fungurume Mining lime plant on the local community in Kabombwa village

28/11/2022

Based on complaints from the local community of the Kabombwa village living around the operating units of the mining company Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM), the AFREWATCH team has conducted, between February and November 2022, investigations on the impacts of the new lime plant on the health and environment of this community. Since the factory started operations, locals communities have complained, among other things, about the whitish dust which formed the basis of coughs, suffocations, etc.; water and air pollution claimed to be the cause of skin rashes, tickling and various infections from which almost all members of the community and more particularly children suffer. [...]

While for its part, the company TFM believes that there is no link between the production of lime and the diseases currently suffered by the local community of Kabombwa. According to them (TFM), the results of the analysis of the samples (of water and soil) produced by the certified international laboratory do not establish any link between the health problem of the community of Kabombwa and the presence of the lime plant. [...]