Zambian Farmers Sue Chinese Mining Company Over Toxic Spill, Seek $220 Million in Damages

Zambian plaintiffs alleged that Sino-Metals Leach’s toxic spill caused health problems and contaminated land and water sources.

Zambian workers constructing a new $300 million copper smelter in Chingola, Zambia, on top of some of the richest copper deposits in the world, on Dec. 13, 2006. AP Photo/Joseph Schatz

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 about 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.