AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS SOCIO-ENVIRONNEMENTAUX DE L’EXPLOITATION MINIERE ET DE LA PRODUCTION CHIMIQUE DES ICS A DAROU KHOUDOSS, MBORO ET ENVIRONS

This community audit, conducted by the communities of Darou Khoudoss, Mboro, and surrounding areas in collaboration with Natural Justice, documents the socio-environmental impacts of the mining and chemical operations of Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS). The report details widespread pollution of air, soil, and water, health crises among local populations, loss of agricultural livelihoods, and conflicts over land expropriation and inadequate compensation.

• The operations of Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) cause significant atmospheric pollution through gas leaks, dust, and smoke, which have led to the necrosis of vegetation and the rapid corrosion of residential roofing. Scientific analysis in Mboro showed that metallic residues downwind of acid plants were 12 times higher (28,400 Ug/l) than upwind (2,235 Ug/l), attributed to sulfates transforming into sulfuric acid.
• Soil pollution is evident through the daily spilling of yellow sulfur from transport trucks and high concentrations of phosphorus and cadmium. In Gade, phosphorus levels were recorded at 2,211 mg/kg, which is more than four times the World Health Organization (WHO) admissible limit of 500 to 800 mg/kg.
• Water resources are contaminated by the discharge of fluosilicic acid into the sea at Weuta beach and the storage of gypsum on the ground near homes in Darou Khoudoss. Phosphorus levels in the sea at Weuta were found to exceed WHO standards by more than 10 times.
• Local communities suffer from severe health issues linked to pollution, including acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and skin and eye irritations. A specific case from 2014 in Gade involved a child suffering permanent damage from a gas leak, with medical costs reaching 3 million FCFA.
• Mining activities have severely compromised agricultural livelihoods in the Niayes zone. Gas leaks cause massive crop failure and plant necrosis, while the installation of conveyor belts has blocked community access to fields in Ngomène.
• There is a systemic lack of access to environmental information. Requests for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the ICS coal power plant and studies on the toxicity of effluents discharged into the sea have remained unanswered or were denied by the administration.
• Urban traffic in Mboro is heavily congested by ICS trucks, with an estimated 3,500 passages per week (approximately 20 trucks per hour). This has led to noise pollution and fatal accidents, with approximately six deaths recorded between 2018 and 2022.
• The expansion of the mining front has led to the displacement of several villages and the loss of agricultural land. Between 2000 and 2020, over 1,500 hectares of farmland were absorbed by the Tobène mine, and villages such as Ndoyène, Mbaar DIOP, and Mbaar Ndiaye were displaced.
• Land expropriation is a source of intense social conflict due to inadequate compensation rates. A study indicated that 43.3% of surveyed farmers no longer practice agriculture due to a lack of land, and the average exploited area decreased from 8.41ha to 3.68ha.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS SOCIO-ENVIRONNEMENTAUX DE L’EXPLOITATION MINIERE ET DE LA PRODUCTION CHIMIQUE DES ICS A DAROU KHOUDOSS, MBORO ET ENVIRONS. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Audit-communautaire-des-impacts-socio-environnementaux.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS SOCIO-ENVIRONNEMENTAUX DE L’EXPLOITATION MINIERE ET DE LA PRODUCTION CHIMIQUE DES ICS A DAROU KHOUDOSS, MBORO ET ENVIRONS. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Audit-communautaire-des-impacts-socio-environnementaux.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS SOCIO-ENVIRONNEMENTAUX DE L’EXPLOITATION MINIERE ET DE LA PRODUCTION CHIMIQUE DES ICS A DAROU KHOUDOSS, MBORO ET ENVIRONS |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Audit-communautaire-des-impacts-socio-environnementaux.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendaudit, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS SOCIO-ENVIRONNEMENTAUX DE L’EXPLOITATION MINIERE ET DE LA PRODUCTION CHIMIQUE DES ICS A DAROU KHOUDOSS, MBORO ET ENVIRONS}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Audit-communautaire-des-impacts-socio-environnementaux.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }