Mozambique Mining: After after talks with residents, Vale resumes Moatize coal mine operations

Mining company Vale-Mozambique announced on Thursday that it had resumed operations in a section of the company’s facility following a nearly two-week standstill demanded by residents complaining of pollution there, Noticias reports.

“After negotiations with the population and the government and us finding a solution, we are back in operation. But there will be consequences from the interruption, which will be registered in October, even though reduced,” chairman of the board Márcio Godoy said.

Godoy was speaking at a press conference accompanying the presentation of the Brazilian coal miner’s third quarter financial results. He said that the costs of the shutdown were still being calculated, and that the company had had to redirect plant to other places to avoid further damage from the interruption.

Godoy said people residing in the vicinity of the Vale mine in Moatize had demanded social infrastructure in the vicinity as a way of avoiding crossing the exploitation area in search of means of subsistence.

“One of the community requests was for more water sources nearby, both for human consumption and for animals, and we have granted this,” Godoy said.

The mine shutdown in Moatize came about on October 4 when residents invaded the facility to demand that activities stop because of noise and air pollution.

During the press conference, Vale undertook to invest more than eight million dollars in social projects, which will benefit about 16,000 families.

Vale employs 11,400 workers, 93% of whom are Mozambicans and 7% from abroad, according to company data.

Source: Notícias