Bankwatch statement on hazardous arsenic waste in Dundee operations in Namibia

Last week Namibian news outlets reported on Bankwatch’s findings on the potential impacts of Dundee Precious Metals’ (DPM) operations in the country. Yet, in light of the company’s response we believe a number of points need to be stressed.

For more background on the Tsumeb smelter in Namibia, see Exporting toxic pollution from Europe to Namibia (Blog post | November 19, 2015)

First, inorganic arsenic is a highly toxic compound. Despite DPM’s statements to the media in recent days, arsenic trioxide, a by-product of the copper smelting process in Tsumeb, is “one of the most toxic and prevalent forms [of arsenic]”, according to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “Small amounts of arsenic trioxide can lead to multiple organ damage and death.”

And this is not just our interpretation. DPM’s own 2014 Sustainability Report (page 63) states that “After the copper concentrate has been smelted, the extracted arsenic is classified as hazardous waste”.

We believe that information about the handling of this hazardous waste is not available to the public, even upon request. If DPM are happy about the situation in Tsumeb, why not make the relevant information public? Despite claims made by the company’s spokesperson, the information on monitoring of the waste disposal site, on exposure of workers and community members to toxic substances, and arsenic levels in the environment is not available on DPM’s website.

Moreover, since February 2015 Bankwatch has repeatedly approached DPM with requests for detailed information about the improvements in the Tsumeb smelter facilities, the environmental assessment of those improvements and the environmental permits. But so far the company has refused to supply any information with various arguments.

No less worrying is the fact Bankwatch’s request for information from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has been ignored. Sent in early October, our letter to the Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Dr Malan Lindeque, and the Environment Commissioner Teofilus Nghitila, remains unanswered.

We believe this information is of profound public interest, and both the government and DPM are ought to be as transparent and as publicly accountable as possible when dealing with such amounts of hazardous compounds.

For more information please contact:

Genady Kondarev
Campaigner “Public Funds For Sustainable Development”
Za Zemiata – Friends Of the Earth, Bulgaria (member group of CEE Bankwatch Network)
genady.kondarev@bankwatch.org

Daniel Popov
Centre for Environmental Information and Education
National Co-ordinator for Bulgaria, CEE Bankwatch Network
dpopov@bankwatch.org