ZEMA Board Inspects planetGOLD Zambia Project Mercury-Free Processing System (MFPS) Pilot Site in Mpika District.

The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), which hosts the planetGOLD Zambia Project through the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment conducted an inspection of the project’s Mercury-Free Processing System (MFPS) pilot site in Mpika District.
The inspection, conducted on 9 September, formed part of a ZEMA Board visit to assess the site and provide guidance ahead of the commissioning of the pilot, Mercury Free Processing System.
Speaking during a courtesy call on Mpika District Commissioner Mr. David Siame, planetGOLD Zambia National Project Manager Ms. Abigail Mwailenge said the project is establishing the MFPS as an alternative to the use of mercury in gold processing.

“The project will be setting up a mercury-free processing system so that we can provide an alternative to mercury use. This will be a centralised unit that different miners can access,” Ms. Mwailenge said.
She explained that the intervention supports Zambia’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, to which Zambia is a Party. She added that the planetGOLD Zambia Project was established to support Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners (ASGM) to formalise their operations, access finance and formal markets, and increase the uptake of mercury-free technologies.
Ms. Mwailenge further noted that the project has established a multi-level governance structure for ASGM at national, district and community levels. In Mpika, the district and community committees are also spearheading a community-led river restoration initiative, which form part of the activities presented to the Board during the visit.
Leading the delegation, ZEMA Board Chairperson Mr. Auditor Mazuba said the Agency was concerned about pollution resulting from mining and gold processing activities, noting that the challenge was increasing across the country.

“The planetGOLD Zambia Project has come to bring interventions that address the challenges associated with ASGM. The Board is here to see what is happening on the ground, understand what planetGOLD is introducing, and explore how these technologies can be replicated in other gold mining areas,” Mr. Mazuba said.
Mpika District Commissioner Mr. David Siame commended the planetGOLD Zambia Project for its work in the district and for complementing Government’s efforts to address mercury pollution.
He noted that mercury remains widely used by miners in many gold-producing areas, posing risks to human health and the environment.

“If we do not control mercury pollution, human beings and the environment will suffer health related challenges. We welcome partnerships with planetGOLD to address the situation of mercury pollution,” Mr. Siame said.

Following the courtesy call, the ZEMA Board visited the selected MFPS pilot site, where it conducted an inspection of the proposed site. The Board assured the project of ZEMA’s support towards the environmental approval of the Environmental Project Briefs (EPBs) for the pilot sites, paving the way for the commissioning of the mercury-free processing systems.