Vale exec says no plans to close New Caledonia nickel plant

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

SYDNEY May 27 (Reuters) – Global miner Vale does not have plans to shut its nickel operations in New Caledonia amid social unrest caused by an effluent spill, the company said to a local newspaper.

Peter Poppinga, an executive director at Vale, said he estimated damages to the mining site to be at least $20 million to $30 million, including the destruction of trucks and mining equipment.

New Caledonia’s southern provincial government ordered an immediate halt to operations early May and has yet to communicate as to when Brazil-based Vale can resume its activities.

Source: http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFS9N0NL01A20140526