Sino-Metal Leach
Sino Metal
ND.
Zambia
Copperbelt Province
ND
Annual Production
| Year | Status | Bauxite | Copper | Cobalt | Lithium | Tantalum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | operational | - | - | - | - | - |
Mining Details
Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Limited is a copper mining and processing company which is based in the Kalulushi District in the Copperbelt Province . The company is a subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Co. (CNMC).
Ownership
Deposit Size
-
ND.
Project Impacts
Social Impacts
Crop destruction
ongoingMeaning: Farmers reported crop destruction owing to mining operations.
Before CNMC took over, 67 farmers near Lukoshi reported crop destruction attributable to CLM’s operations.
Environmental Impacts
Tailing's dam failure
ongoingMeaning: A tailings dam failure released 50 million liters of acidic wastewater into a Kafue River tributary.
There was a tailings dam failure that released 50 million liters of acidic wastewater into a tributary of the Kafue River. The event resulted in the widespread death of fish and bird life, damaged crops and groundwater pollution affecting several communities.
Labour Worker Rights
Excessive shift-work requirements
ongoingMeaning: Some workers reported excessive shift schedules.
Some workers reportedly work 12-hour shifts, compared to the eight-hour shifts outlined in Zambian law and standard in every other copper mining and processing operation in the country. Miners in certain departments at Sino Metals work 78-hour weeks without sufficient overtime.
Project Impacts
Social Impacts
| Name | Meaning | Year | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crop destruction | Farmers reported crop destruction owing to mining operations. | 2025 | ongoing | Before CNMC took over, 67 farmers near Lukoshi reported crop destruction attributable to CLM’s operations. |
Environmental Impacts
| Name | Meaning | Year | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tailing's dam failure | A tailings dam failure released 50 million liters of acidic wastewater into a Kafue River tributary. | 2025 | ongoing | There was a tailings dam failure that released 50 million liters of acidic wastewater into a tributary of the Kafue River. The event resulted in the widespread death of fish and bird life, damaged crops and groundwater pollution affecting several communities. |
Labour Worker Rights
| Name | Meaning | Year | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excessive shift-work requirements | Some workers reported excessive shift schedules. | 2011 | ongoing | Some workers reportedly work 12-hour shifts, compared to the eight-hour shifts outlined in Zambian law and standard in every other copper mining and processing operation in the country. Miners in certain departments at Sino Metals work 78-hour weeks without sufficient overtime. |
Related News2
Zambia’s Lawsuit Against Sino-Metal Sparks Chinese Social Media Storm
International media particularly in the Western countries but also in South Africa and India extensively covered the Sino-Metals Leach tailings disaster that happened back in February, amplifying its impact on lives of Zambian communities and the environment. However, Chinese media maintained a conspicuous silence for months.
A river ‘died’ overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine
KITWE, Zambia (AP) — Authorities and environmentalists in Zambia fear the long-term impact of an acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine that contaminated a major river and could potentially affect millions of people after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) downstream.