Government issues warning after millions of liters of acid are spilled into major waterway: ‘Disaster’

Millions of people could be affected by a significant acid spill that contaminated a major river in Zambia, and authorities are concerned about the potential long-term impact.

What’s happening?

As detailed by the Associated Press, investigators from the Engineering Institution of Zambia determined that an acid spill at a Chinese-owned copper mine on Feb. 18 caused around 50 million liters of waste “containing concentrated acid, dissolved solids and heavy metals” to flow into a stream that is connected to the Kafue River, which runs for over 930 miles through the heart of the country and is considered Zambia’s most important waterway.

While the AP noted that authorities are still investigating the full extent of the environmental damage from the incident, there is already reason to worry after dead fish washed ashore and signs of pollution were found at least 60 miles downstream from the site of the acid spill.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema told the AP that he is seeking help from experts and described the situation as “a crisis that threatens people and wildlife along the Kafue.” He wasn’t alone in assessing the magnitude of this issue.

“It is an environmental disaster really of catastrophic consequences,” Chilekwa Mumba, an environmental activist who works in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, told the AP.

Why is this important?

Zambia is home to 20 million people, and the AP stated that about 60% of the population lives in the Kafue River basin. The river provides drinking water for around five million people and is a vital source for fishing, irrigation for agriculture and water for industry.

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In the city of Kitwe, which is home to an estimated 700,000 people, the water supply has already been completely shut down due to the acid leak from the copper mine run by Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, which is majority-owned by the state-run China Nonferrous Metals Industry Group.

Zambia is among the world’s top 10 producers of copper, an essential element in the production of smartphones and other technology. This has caused China to establish a foothold in Zambia to mine for copper and other minerals despite frequent criticisms and increased discontent over its presence within the African nation.

“It really just brings out the negligence that some investors actually have when it comes to environmental protection,” Mweene Himwinga, an environmental engineer, told the AP. “They don’t seem to have any concern at all, any regard at all. And I think it’s really worrying because at the end of the day, we as Zambian people, (it’s) the only land we have.”

In addition to affecting the livelihood of residents who depend on the Kafue River, the acid spill also had a major environmental impact and caused deaths among marine wildlife as well as the destruction of crops along the river’s banks. The reach of the contamination raised concerns among authorities who now fear that the mining waste can seep into the earth or be carried to other areas.

Sean Cornelius, who lives near the Kafue, told the AP that fish died and birdlife near him disappeared almost immediately after the acid spill.

“Prior to the 18th of February this was a vibrant and alive river,” Cornelius said. “Now everything is dead, it’s like a totally dead river. Unbelievable. Overnight, this river died.”

What’s being done about this?

In hopes of counteracting the acid and mitigating the damage, the Zambian government called upon the air force to drop “hundreds of tons” of lime into the Kafue River, per the AP. A government spokesperson made it clear that Sino-Metals Leach Zambia would be on the hook to fund the cleanup operation, and chairman Zhang Peiwen met with government officials to apologize for the acid spill.

“This disaster has rung a big alarm for Sino-Metals Leach and the mining industry,” Peiwen said at the meeting, adding that the company “will go all out to restore the affected environment as quickly as possible.”

Still, the situation drew the ire of social media users who were disappointed to learn of the environmental damage caused by the acid leak.

“This is the largest [and] longest river in Zambia and a huge part of its [ecosystem]. This is a huge environmental catastrophe,” a user posted on X.

“Heartbreaking to see the devastating impact of this spill,” another user wrote. “The environment deserves better.”

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