"China Nonferrous Mining told investors its waste pit collapse did not have a “significant impact” on Zambia’s environment or residents. A new lawsuit, however, chronicles illnesses, lost livelihoods and fear among locals."

"A Chinese mining company is denying that its toxic waste spill, one of this year’s worst environmental disasters, had a “significant impact” on the environment or local communities. 

In a statement filed Thursday with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, China Nonferrous Mining Corp. said the February collapse of its waste pit, known as a tailings dam, at a copper mine in Zambia resulted in only “partial tailings leakage.”  

Video of the spill, lasting a half day and releasing millions of gallons of waste, shows gushing brown sludge rushing into the countryside. The highly acidic waste full of heavy metals surged into rivers and streams, killing aquatic life and leaving behind a layer of bloated, dead fish."

Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News September 22, 2025. [2] Eighth in a series about how Beijing’s trillion-dollar development plan is reshaping the globe—and the natural world.

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"Planet China" series landing page (Grist) [3]