Villagers and residents along the Sabeto River in Nadi are upset after wastewater from Lion One Metals Limited affected the river’s marine resources.

Korobebe village headman Ropate Navilalutu says they were told about the discharge on Friday but were assured it wouldn’t harm the river.

Navilalutu says villagers have been collecting and eating fish from the river, not knowing they might be contaminated.

He claims he was not given the full details about the wastewater discharge incident.

“I got a call from the manager on Friday saying there had been an incident, and he said nothing more. I informed the village right away so that villagers do not swim, wash, or catch fish from the river.”

Navilalutu says villagers were kept in the dark and unknowingly put their lives at risk.

“On Saturday, villagers were collecting fish from the river, and some of them even consumed the fish because they didn’t know that it was the wastewater that killed these fish. The company didn’t even tell us this was going to happen until today; you can still see dead fish in the river. These are the things they should tell us so we know.”

Lion One Metals Limited Chief Operating Officer Patrick Hicky has since admitted responsibility but maintains the impact was contained within its boundary.

“On Thursday evening from 7pm to 1pm, we discharged some water from our plant that contains slightly higher than usual copper levels. Some species of fish in the area of the mine are particularly susceptible to copper. The tilapia fish were generally unaffected. The impact was particularly limited to the SML boundary, and we have not seen any impact further downstream than our boundary.”

However, the company has now taken the extra step, saying they are working out compensation for the damages.

Lion One denies the wastewater reached Korobebe, but villagers insist there’s evidence.

Water samples were collected yesterday, though locals fear it may be too late.

[Source: Ministry of Environment and Climate Change]

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change received communications from Lion One Ltd, confirming that water had been discharged from their containment ponds.

It says that preliminary information from the company indicates the presence of slightly elevated copper levels in the released water.

They further stated that the potential environmental impact is confined within the Special Mining Lease (SML) boundary and has not extended further downstream.

[Source: Ministry of Environment and Climate Change]

The Ministry is currently conducting a comprehensive testing to identify the precise point source of contamination.

Simultaneously, consultations with the respective village elders.

MECC assures the public that all efforts are being made to ensure environmental safety and community well-being.

The Ministry says that further information will be shared as soon as test results are finalized and verified.

Residents within proximity to the Sabeto River are discouraged to use the river until further notice from the Ministry.

Members of the public are advised that Lion One Ltd holds a valid EIA with specific site conditions, including the need for wastewater from mining operations to be diverted to settling ponds for pre-treatment.

It is also worth noting that as part of the EIA specific conditions, Lion One Ltd has the responsibility to ensure that the discharge of treated effluent from the facility operation complies with the National Liquid Waste Standards stipulated under Schedule 3 of the Environmental Management (Waste Disposal and Recycling) Regulations 2007.

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