Zambian mining practices under scrutiny

World Trade Organisation
(WTO) researcher Baris
Karapinar has raised the
prospect of sanctions being
imposed against Zambian
copper exports in an effort to
force certain mining companies
to clean up their act.
“Some mining sites in
China, India, Peru, Russia
and Zambia have been
identified as the world’s most
environmentally polluted
areas — as contamination
of the air, water and soil
caused by discharged
material from mines
substantially exceeded the
safety limits.
“There are also
other environmental
concerns arising
from the high
energy intensity of
the production and
processing of some
minerals.
“Placing restrictions
on exports
of minerals
produced
through
environmentally damaging
operations, or through high
levels of energy consumption
and carbon emissions, may help
alleviate some of the adverse
impacts on the environment,”
he says in a discussion paper
published on
the WTO
website.