Maputo — Tete (Mozambique), 12 Jul (AIM) – Vale-Mozambique, the local subsidiary of the Brazilian mining giant Vale, intends to expand its open cast coal in Moatize district, in the western province of Tete.
According to a press release from the company, the proposed expansion will be the subject of a public debate in the coming week with the interested parties, including the provincial and district governments, and the neighbouring communities.
The public consultation, Vale says, “is one of the stages in the licensing procedures for projects of this size”.
The consultation will hear the concerns and recommendations of the local communities and other stakeholders in line with the legislation on environmental impact assessment.
The expansion will affect two communities within the southern part of the Vale concession areas, namely Ntchenga and Mphandue, where about 160 essentially rural households live, cultivating fields near the mine.
Vale says that the public consultation is the moment for the company to listen to the communities and to promote “transparent and clear communication”.
“With this action, Vale intends to deepen still further its relations with the public, based on transparency in its activities, said the release, stressing that one of its strategic pillars is “to be a reference point in sustainability”.
Vale also claims that, in order to improve access and mobility for the surrounding communities, it has concluded ten kilometres of access roads to various Moatize neighbourhoods. This includes putting safety humps on the roads near schools and railways to avoid accidents.
Read the original article on allAfrica.com
