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Article

11 Mar 2019

Author:
Reuters

Tanzania: Govt. official orders Acacia Mining's subsidiary to stop alleged water pollution or face closure

"Tanzania orders water cleanup by March 30 at Acacia gold mine or face closure"

Acacia Mining Plc has until March 30 to stop waste water pollution at its North Mara gold mine in Tanzania or the mine will be shut down, the country’s mining minister said. Doto Biteko, appointed minister in January with orders to be “strict” on managing Tanzania’s mineral wealth, said Acacia must stop contaminated water seeping from a waste storage dam at the mine to nearby communities in the country’s north. “We have given them until March 30 to fix this problem or face closure without notice. The life of even one Tanzanian is worth more than their gold mining activities,” Biteko told Reuters. Acacia Mining Tanzania said it did not have an immediate comment...

Biteko said after inspecting the mine that toxic water from waste rock at North Mara’s tailings storage facility was being discharged into the environment. The mine has faced long-standing accusations of pollution, which Acacia Mining has previously denied. “It’s good for them that they have already started to take measures to address this issue. But we will visit the mine again on March 30 to make sure that all the environment concerns have been fully resolved, otherwise we will take stern measures against them,” Biteko said.