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

The report details extensive environmental degradation and human rights violations linked to the operations of Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS). Key findings include severe air pollution from toxic gas leaks (SO2, SO3, and fluorides) causing crop necrosis and respiratory illnesses, soil contamination with phosphorus and cadmium, and the discharge of untreated fluosilicic acid into the sea at Weuta beach. The audit also highlights the loss of agricultural livelihoods due to the expanding mining front, inadequate compensation for land expropriation, and a systemic lack of transparency regarding environmental impact assessments. It recommends that ICS improve its waste management and that the Senegalese state revise expropriation rules and sanction harmful mining practices.

• Atmospheric pollution from ICS is characterized by toxic gas leaks and smoke that cause vegetation necrosis and accelerate the 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), and fluoride levels were over 100 times higher downwind (15,050 µg/L) than upwind (149 µg/L).
• Soil samples in Gade, Tobène, and Darou Khoudoss reveal dangerous levels of phosphorus and cadmium. In Gade, phosphorus levels reached 2,211 mg/kg, which is more than four times the WHO limit of 500 to 800 mg/kg.
• Water pollution is caused by the discharge of untreated fluosilicic acid at Weuta beach and the infiltration of gypsum waste into the groundwater. Phosphorus levels in the sea at Weuta were found to exceed WHO standards by more than 10 times.
• The local population suffers from chronic health issues, including acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and skin and eye irritations. A 2014 report from the Taiba Ndiaye health post described the sanitary situation as 'very alarming' due to pollution.
• Mining operations have severely compromised agricultural livelihoods in the Niayes region. Gas leaks cause massive crop losses and plant necrosis, while the expansion of the mining front has led to the loss of over 1,500 hectares of agricultural land between 2000 and 2020.
• There is a systemic failure in providing environmental information to the public. Requests for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the coal power plant and studies on the toxicity of chemical waste discharged at sea have remained unanswered or were denied by the administration.
• Urban traffic in Mboro is heavily impacted by ICS, with approximately 500 trucks transporting dangerous products daily on the D702 road. This has resulted in noise pollution and fatal accidents, with at least six deaths recorded between 2018 and 2022.
• Land expropriation for mining has caused significant social unrest due to 'derisory' compensation rates. A study indicated that 43.3% of surveyed farmers no longer practice agriculture due to a lack of land, and the average farm size 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} }