Dozens of Zambian farmers have filed a lawsuit against Chinese mining company Sino-Metals Leach (SML), seeking $220 million in damages following a massive toxic spill earlier this year that severely contaminated land and water resources.
The incident occurred on Feb. 18 near Kitwe, in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, when a waste dam at the SML-operated mine burst. The company initially estimated the volume of the mining effluent released to be around 50,000 metric tons. However, a subsequent assessment by Drizit, an independent clean-up firm contracted by Zambia’s environmental agency, found the actual volume to be at least 30 times higher than SML’s initial figure.