News24 reported that Mozambican NGOs have reacted strongly to BHP Billiton's decision to start its planned release of pollutants at its aluminium plant outside the country's capital despite a pending court judgment on its permit.

Mr Antonio Reina head of Livaningo environmental organization said that it's arrogant. It's illegal. They have no legal right to start as far as we know.

The Mozal aluminium plant started the planned emission of dust, tars and hydrogens during four month long repairs to its fume treatment towers, although an application to suspend the special pollution permit in the country's Administrative Court was still pending. A coalition of environmental and human rights NGOs slammed the decision which showed total disregard and disrespect for the on going process in the Administrative Court which seeks above all to safeguard the public interest.

Once again, this case demonstrates that Mozal determines the rules of the game and complies with Mozal’s orientations and pretensions, even though these imply violating the law. The pollution raised controversy because of the lack of public consultation with the 800 000 people living in the area around the plant before Mozal applied for a permit as well as the lack of independent environmental studies and alleged mismanagement that led to the corrosion.

BHP Billiton later made available an incomplete environmental study which one analyst described as grossly misleading. The controversy drove the NGO coalition to lay formal complaints against BHP at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Socially Responsible Investment Index and a number of ethics bodies.

(Sourced from www.news24.com)