KCM toxic gas - an update

KCM shuts acid plant, as ZEMA probes sulphur dioxide discharge

By Natasha Sakala

Diggers news

18 November 2019

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Plc in Chingola has shut down its Acid Plant
after it discharged sulphur dioxide resulting in over 45 employees and
school children suffocating.

The employees had been hospitalized after suffocation from sulphur dioxide
at Nchanga South Hospital, with several pupils at Nchanga Trust School
also rushed to same health facility after being affected by the sulphur
dioxide discharge.

In an interview, KCM corporate affairs manager Eugene Chungu said that
investigations were still ongoing to ascertain the cause of the emission.

“As things are today, the plant has been shut down, the acid plant where
we anticipate was the source of the emission, it’s been shut down. And
then, all the people that were affected have been taken to the hospital,
they have been assessed and some in fact have been discharged; all the
employees have been assessed and been determined to be well and they will
be discharged this (Friday) afternoon. The pupils, themselves, those in
exam-writing grades will be allowed to write exams this (Friday)
afternoon. Currently, we are undertaking investigations and they have
still not been concluded, once they conclude, I will make sure I send you
the comprehensive statement,” said Chungu.

And when reached for comment, KCM provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu
said mining remained a dangerous activity and that accidents could happen
at any time.

And Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) corporate affairs
manager Irene Chipili stated that the Agency had dispatched inspectors to
Chingola to carry out detailed investigations into the latest incident.

“ZEMA would like to inform members of the general public that there was an
incident recorded last night, 14th November, 2019 at KCM Nchanga Mine
involving an abnormal discharge of sulphur dioxide from the Sulphur Burner
component of the Acid Plant. This unfortunate incident resulted in a
number of people living in the surrounding areas of the plant being
affected by the emissions. Preliminary information made available by KCM
indicates that some people have been hospitalized,” stated Chipili,
Friday.

“As an immediate action, the Acid Plant has been shutdown to facilitate
investigations into the circumstances regarding this discharge and ZEMA
has since dispatched inspectors to Chingola to carry out detailed
investigations into this incident. Further regulatory action will be
undertaken in line with provisions of the Environmental Management Act No.
12 of 2011 (“EMA).”

Prior to this latest accident, Milingo Lungu had stated that KCM had
ramped up production despite the Nchanga smelter still undergoing a
planned shutdown.

In a statement released, Wednesday, Milingo noted that the Nchanga smelter
was set to resume operations by this Tuesday.

“Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) has continued to ramp up production at all
the Business Units including Nchanga Business Unit, Konkola Business Unit
and Nampundwe Mine near Lusaka, while the Smelter at Nchanga is undergoing
a planned shutdown. The Smelter is scheduled to restart operations by
November 19, 2019. The Konkola Underground Mine at Chililabombwe is
targeting close to 2,000t of integrated copper in concentrates this month
while Nchanga Underground and Nchanga Open Pit Mines have targeted 1,300t
of copper in concentrates. The Tailings Leach Plant (TLP) at Nchanga has
set a target of at least 3,000t of cathodes for the month of November,”
stated Milingo.

“Management, employees and contractors are doing a good job and my focus
continues to be ensuring that we nurture the value of the KCM asset. This
requires improving the Company’s production, but also securing the funding
to help sustain the KCM’s working capital, which was completely eroded
during the previous era.”