Protracted Environmental Issues on a Proposed Titanium Minerals Development in Kenya’s South Coast

Abstract

This study takes cognizance of the fact that the TIOMIN (TIOMIN Resources Inc.of Canada) project has resulted in controversy over its handling of environmentalissues and especially the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The authorsaddress many of the protracted issues that have slowed the development of themining project in Kwale. The main emphasis is on the impacts of the mining andmineral separation processes on the environment, including the governing legislation,the role of consultation and public participation, and socioeconomic issues. In theirpublic documents TIOMIN has specified neither the type of minerals it wants toextract from the area nor their chemical composition. It is well known, however thatthe titanium minerals and zircon targeted have impurities of iron, thorium anduranium. In the absence of an Environmental Management Plan, the effects ofstockpiling radioactive wastes and other impurities that could possibly lead toenvironmental degradation in both the terrestrial and marine environments havenot been publically addressed. The measures proposed to mitigate ecological damageas a result of the establishment of a minerals processing plant in the area seem inadequate.Pollution resulting from accidental spillage or breakage could have significantimpact on marine life and residents living near the mining site. Other issuesthat have not been addressed satisfactorily pertain to the use of surface and undergroundwater. The area already faces a huge water deficit and the calculations presentedon aquifer recharge and stream flow rates do not indicate the large quantitiesof water that would be required in the mineral processing plant. The project, ifapproved in its present state, risks violation of international conventions. Furthermore,it could cause a conflict between Kenya and Tanzania in the event of an oilspill at the proposed ship loading facility at Shimoni. The proposed mining areaincludes the district’s most fertile land, is home to many fisherfolk and is a majortourist destination. An analysis of the effects of this project on other availableopportunities must be thoroughly understood to ascertain the economic and environmentalbenefits and costs of the mining venture. The proposed compensation rate of$1,000 per acre, for resettlement for example, appears to be grossly inadequate.