Phosphate miner welcomes Namibian decisionAlthough the environmental clearance issued to Namibia Marine Phosphate (NMP) might be in the balance, a New Zealand company also has its eyes on a Namibian mining licence. Opens the door for other countries New Zealand-based Chatham Rock Phosphate says the Namibian government''s green light to marine phosphate mining is “hugely significant” as it might open the door for the company to advance its own Namibian permit applications. “It is a major step forward as Namibia has effectively removed the ''first mover'' risk hindering other similar marine phosphate mining applications in New Zealand and Mexico. The catch cry ''it''s never been done before'' goes out of the window with this decision,” the company''s chief executive officer, Chris Castle, is quoted as saying on the company''s website. Castle said Namibia''s decision to issue NMP a clearance certificate signalled the recognition that, with appropriate environmental requirements, marine sources of phosphate “will be an important contributor to supplying the world''s need for this mineral that is critical to meeting the increasing demand to grow food”.
Castle said the Namibian government''s requirements “appear to be set at an appropriate level of rigour”.
Among others conditions, NMP is required to provide regular environmental monitoring and evaluation and must get a further environmental clearance for onshore processing plants. NMP''s proposed mining and processing techniques must be reviewed jointly by the company and regulator against the results of annual environmental monitoring.
The three-year clearance certificate will be withdrawn if negative environmental impacts associated with phosphate mining are observed.
Independent observers locally, however, feel this sentiment shows that several companies and countries were just waiting to use Namibia as a guinea pig. Chatham applied in 2012 for prospecting permits in five areas off the Namibian coast, some not far from the area held by Namibia Marine Phosphate (NMP).
It said these applications were lodged “with the confidence that, based on research undertaken to date, this area of the seabed likely contains substantial quantities of rock phosphate”.
CATHERINE SASMAN