Mozambique mulls BHP pollution

2010-11-01 19:09

Maputo - Mining giant BHP Billiton has postponed the emission of poisonous gasses during reparations at its Mozambican aluminium smelter, pending a court judgement and parliamentary debate on the issue, a spokesperson said on Monday.

The Mozal aluminium smelter, outside the capital Maputo, announced last week that it would start emitting the pollutants during a four-month “bypass” on November 1 - before a court decided on an application to halt the emissions.

But BHP spokesperson Kesagee Nayager told Sapa: "The continuous 'bypass' event... has been postponed while we respond to further requests for information from interested parties."

Following public pressure, BHP on Monday released the last of a range of environmental studies, a dispersion model which attempts to predict how the emissions will affect surrounding residents.

Parliamentary debate

Previously the documents were only available for consultation at the Mozambican environmental affairs department. This complicated access by independent groups, to see if the bypass would damage the environment and harm the 700 000 people living around the plant.

Meanwhile the Mozambican parliament has summoned the government to explain why the bypass permit was granted, the parliamentary press office told Sapa.

Parliament was expected to debate the issue on Wednesday. A coalition of six prominent Mozambican NGOs earlier submitted a petition with 14 908 signatures, calling on the country's legislative body to halt the emissions.

During a community meeting last week, Mozal's asset president Mike Fraser promised transparency during the process.

“We have absolutely nothing to hide. We will make the emission monitoring results during the bypass available to government and civil society,” he said in a statement.

“From time to time there could be slight coal tar pitch odour, similar to that experienced when driving on a newly-tarred road. But none of this translates into an environmental or health risk.

“I simply want to assure the public that we would never knowingly subject our employees and neighbours to harm. To suggest that we would put commercial benefit before moral responsibilities is just plain wrong.

- SAPA