AUDIT COMMUNAUTAIRE DES IMPACTS SOCIO-ENVIRONNEMENTAUX DE L’EXPLOITATION MINIERE ET DE LA PRODUCTION CHIMIQUE DES ICS A DAROU KHOUDOSS, MBORO ET ENVIRONS
Summary
The report documents extensive environmental pollution, health crises, and social disruptions caused by Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) in the Tivaouane department. Key findings include severe air, soil, and water contamination, resulting in crop failure, respiratory and digestive illnesses, and the displacement of entire villages. The audit highlights a lack of transparency regarding environmental impact studies and inadequate compensation for land expropriation, calling for urgent technical reforms and state intervention to protect local communities.
Key insights
- Atmospheric pollution from ICS operations, specifically gas leaks and emissions, has caused severe damage to local vegetation and infrastructure. Scientific analysis in Mboro revealed that metallic residues downwind of acid plants were 12 times higher than upwind, and fluoride levels were over 100 times greater, leading to the rapid corrosion of residential rooftops.
- Soil contamination is prevalent, with phosphorus levels in Gade reaching 2,211 mg/kg, which is more than four times the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of 500 to 800 mg/kg. This excess phosphorus contributes to soil eutrophication and the introduction of heavy metals like cadmium.
- Water pollution is driven by the direct discharge of fluosilicic acid onto the beach at Weuta and the storage of gypsum waste near homes in Darou Khoudoss. Phosphorus levels in the sea at Weuta were found to exceed WHO standards by more than ten times.
- Local communities report chronic health issues linked to pollution, including acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and skin and eye irritation. A specific incident in 2014 involving a gas leak in Gade reportedly resulted in six deaths and severe long-term health impacts for children.
- Mining operations have severely compromised local livelihoods by destroying crops through gas leaks and dust. In the Tobène area, over 1,500 hectares of agricultural land were absorbed by the mine between 2000 and 2020, forcing many farmers to abandon agriculture due to land scarcity.
- There is a systemic failure in providing environmental information to the public. 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 administration.
- Urban traffic in Mboro is heavily disrupted by ICS logistics, with an estimated 3,500 truck passages per week on the D702 road. This high density of heavy vehicles transporting dangerous products has led to noise pollution and at least six deaths from road accidents between 2018 and 2022.
- Land expropriation for mining has caused significant social unrest due to inadequate compensation. The audit notes that the compensation scales used by ICS are considered 'derisory' by the communities, failing to allow displaced populations to maintain a decent standard of living.
Cite the original document
- 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-Mboro-VF.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-Mboro-VF.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-Mboro-VF.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-Mboro-VF.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }
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