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CCZ urges Nkandabwe Coal Mine to finalize EIA report
The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) has appealed to Nkandabwe Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district of Southern Province to expedite the process of formulating the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document.
CCZ Program Officer, Andisen Zulu has expressed concern that the mining company has delayed in formulating the Environmental Impact Assessment document.
He says this considering that coal mining negatively affects the livelihoods of many in communities, destroys animal habitats, and pollutes the environment whilst at the same time its burning significantly contributes to climate change.
Mr. Zulu has reminded Nkandabwe Coal Mine that standard international practice requires mining projects to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to evaluate the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development taking into account beneficial and adverse inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human health impacts.
He says industrial and commercial development in Zambia, particularly large-scale mining have brought about the risk of environmental damage by exerting unmitigated pressures on the environment thus the need for the mining company to ensure that they expedite this process.
QTV’s Favourite Kalando reports that Mr Zulu who was speaking when a team from the CCZ and its partners from the CTPD and Joint Country Programme visited Nkandabwe Coal Mine, explained that they are in the district to conduct a Community Company Assessment study.
He said the study is aimed at understanding on how communities perceive the benefit accrued from the mining activities in their area.