Declaration of KGHM Polska Miedź SA

In response to the occurance of false information which has been appearing in the public forum, we hereby wish to announce that the current situation involving the condition of the water in the Odra river is not connected and has not been caused by the mining and processing activities engaged in by KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. in the Copper Belt.

KGHM conducts its activities in compliance with its issued permits (these include those involving water usage rights), and the situation is continuously monitored by specialist teams, including the Regional Environmental Protection Inspectorate (Wojewódzki Inspektorat Ochrony Środowiska). The testing conducted by the governmental offices, as well as by the environmental specialists in KGHM, is performed on an on-going basis. The water usage rights permits specify, in great detail, the specific amounts, timeframes and contents of the water which may be discharged.

The discharge of water to the Odra, as the final stage in the production process of KGHM, occurs in the vicinity of the city of Głogów. In this case, it should be stressed that the contamination was discovered in the Odra in the vicinity of the town of Oława (which is located more than 100 km upstream from Głogów). It is therefore not physically possible that the discharge of water by KGHM flowed 100 km upstream, against the river’s current.

KGHM tests the water in the Odra both prior to discharge as well as following discharge. Data on the discharges in July and August 2022 indicate clearly that there was already a substantially raised, though permissable level of water salinity in the Odra upstream from the site of discharge by KGHM, and that furthermore the water which is discharged by KGHM never has such an impact on the level of water salinity such that permissable levels would ever be exceeded. In practice this means that water discharges take into account the level of salinity as well as the strength of the current in the Odra. Thanks to its retention reservoirs, KGHM is able to regulate its discharges, with full respect for the natural environment.

KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. does not exceed any of the permissable levels of discharge specified in the permits held, as attested to by the reports and analyses of the relevant environmental services. In July 2022 the levels of water discharge were minimal – amounting to barely 12 percent of the levels of water discharged in July 2021. In August the levels discharged were likewise lower by nearly a half. Since 10th August 2022, KGHM has not conducted any discharges.

Protection of the natural environment and minimalisation of the Company’s impact in this regard has been and remains a priority. Thanks to its applied environmental policy, KGHM has set itself the highest ecological standards in the country. KGHM conducts most of its operations in Lower Silesia. We feel deeply responsible for the condition of the natural environment and the well-being of people and their surroundings. For years we have been carrying out substantial investments and initiatives aimed at the implementation of ecologically-effective and low-emissions technology. Towards this end we maintain the operational quality and capacity of the equipment responsible for ensuring protection of the environment at the highest possible level of efficiency, we are continually developing techniques for the safe storage of tailings and mining waste, and we cooperate with the local communities to ensure protection of the natural environment.

We hereby declare our readiness to provide the maximum amount of assistance and cooperation with the institutions which are seeking the source or sources of this ecological disaster.