WRITE A MESSAGE

Ms.

Arlette

Soudan-Nonaul

Republic of Gongo

Dear Minister,

The launch on 7 August 2024 of an investigation mission ordered by your Ministry into potential negative impacts of Metssa Congo’s activities in Vindoulou is a milestone for the protection of the environment and the economic and social rights of neighbouring communities.

Vindoulou residents have been fighting for a long time to obtain the relocation of the Metssa Congo plant, which recycles industrial products containing lead and produces lead bars that it then exports worldwide, including to the United States. The plant, located just 50 metres from a school, emitted noise and thick black smoke all the time.

Vindoulou residents have been complaining for several years about the fumes, which they said caused headaches, stomach pains and vomiting. The company began operations in 2013, even though it would not have carried out an environmental impact assessment, as required by Congolese law. The authorities temporarily closed the plant in 2020, but it resumed operations the same year, without any concrete response to the concerns of residents.

Recent analyses have revealed alarming levels of lead in the blood of the residents tested, including nine children. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, medical intervention is required above a concentration of 50 microgrammes of lead per litre of blood, and there is no safe concentration of lead in blood. Prolonged exposure to lead leads to various gastrointestinal, haematological and neurological disorders, particularly in young children. The concentration of lead found in the blood of the residents of Vindoulou, including a 14-month-old child, ranged from 263 to 704 micrograms per litre, more than 14 times the threshold set by the WHO.

We therefore welcome your decision to carry out an investigation mission, which includes the departments of the environment, health, industry, and the Kouilou prefecture, representatives of civil society and local population.

We now call on you to ensure the investigation is conclusive and its report is made public and, depending on its findings, effective remedies are provided to those harmed by Metssa Congo’s operations in Vindoulou. These remedies might include monetary compensation, access to medical treatment, or other appropriate initiatives. Shall the factory be relocated, measures should be specified to ensure it is relocated in an industrial zone that meets regulatory standards and adheres to human rights responsibilities

Sincerely

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