Environmental Crisis at Shashe River: A Call to Action🌊 What Happened:

The Environmental Management Agency @EMAeep has taken decisive action against Cambria 4 Mine in Masvingo, ordering a halt to operations following a severe tailings dam spill that contaminated the Shashe River. This incident has led to the tragic deaths of fish and livestock due to the release of toxic slurry into the river system. 🐟💔

What are Tailings?

Tailings are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore. Typically, they consist of a slurry or mixture of fine mineral particles suspended in water. Tailings storage facilities, often constructed using earth dams, are where these byproducts are stored. However, when not managed properly, tailings can have catastrophic environmental impacts. 

Harmful Substances in Tailings: Tailings often contain a cocktail of potentially harmful substances:

Heavy Metals: Including arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can leach into water bodies, contaminating them and entering the food chain.

Acidic Substances: The oxidation of sulphide minerals in tailings can lead to the formation of sulfuric acid, contributing to acid mine drainage, which severely affects aquatic life by lowering the pH of water bodies.

Other Contaminants: Tailings can also carry chemicals used in the mining process like cyanide in gold mining, which are highly toxic to wildlife and humans.

Environmental Impact of Tailings:

The spill of tailings into the Shashe River has immediate and long-term effects:

Water Pollution: The toxic substances in tailings contaminate water, leading to the death of aquatic life and making the water unsafe for human consumption and agricultural use.

Soil Contamination: When tailings seep into the ground, they can poison the soil, affecting plant growth and agricultural productivity.

Air Pollution: If dried, tailings can become dust, spreading pollutants through the air, impacting air quality and health in surrounding areas.

Ecosystem Disruption: The contamination disrupts the balance of ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and the health of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

EMA's Pollution Control Measures:

In response to such environmental crises, the EMA has outlined several measures to control pollution from tailings:

Immediate Cessation of Operations: To prevent further contamination, operations are halted until remediation is complete.

Implementation of Pollution Control: This includes installing liners in tailings storage facilities to prevent seepage, using aeration devices to reduce the toxicity of effluents, and improving water monitoring programs to detect early signs of contamination.

Water Treatment: Before any discharge, water must be treated to remove harmful substances, ensuring it meets environmental safety standards.

Rehabilitation and Reclamation: Long-term measures involve reshaping, covering, and vegetating tailings storage sites to stabilize them and prevent future pollution.

Regular Monitoring and Compliance: Continuous monitoring of water quality and adherence to environmental regulations are enforced to ensure ongoing safety and compliance.

The mine has been issued a compliance ticket, mandating these actions until all EMA recommendations are met. Water samples are currently being analyzed to monitor the extent and progression of the contamination. 🧪

Join us in our fight to protect our vital water bodies. Let's raise awareness and advocate for sustainable mining practices to safeguard our environment. 🌍

#EnvironmentalCrisis #ProtectOurRivers #CambriaMineSpill #ToxicSlurry #PollutionControl #WaterQuality #SaveOurWetlands #SaveOurWaterBodies #SaveGweruRiver #SaveLakeChivero #SaveShasheRiver #Ramsar2025 #TogetherWeCan