"Glencore hit by rioters at Zambian copper plant over sulphur dioxide pollution", August 27 2014

Rioters tried to set fire to a copper plant owned by Glencore’s Zambian subsidiary amid violent clashes that have stunned the FTSE 100 commodities giant. Mopani Copper Mines came under attack from up to 70 rioters throwing rocks, amid rumours that sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the plant had put seven people in hospital.

Twenty rioters then broke through Mopani’s security fence and tried to set fire to an electricity circuit board using matches and newspapers. Witnesses said Mopani’s private security managed to push the rioters outside the plant and put the fire out, before police arrived and put an end to the disturbance using tear gas.

Mopani’s relationship with local communities has sometimes proved fractious due to anger over sulphur dioxide pollution, blamed for killing plant life, damaging houses and causing ill health... 

‘There was a leak in the damper valve and immediately it was identified, the plant was shut down,’ said Mopani Copper Mines chief executive Danny Callow. ‘For 70 years, the plant has spewed out SO2 and over the course of the last 14 years [under Glencore ownership] sulphur capture has gone from 50 per cent to 97 per cent. ‘What escaped in that short period was minimal compared to four or five months previously.’.. Callow said an official from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency had investigated the incident and deemed Mopani’s handling of it satisfactory.