water quality and security: mining industry perspective
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Water Quality and Security: Mining Industry Perspective. Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry 7 August 2006 Nikisi Lesufi Environmental Adviser Chamber of Mines of South Africa Tel: +2711 498 7661 Fax: +2711 498 7429 Email: [email protected]. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry
7 August 2006
Nikisi LesufiEnvironmental Adviser
Chamber of Mines of South AfricaTel: +2711 498 7661Fax: +2711 498 7429
Email: [email protected]
Water Quality and Security:
Mining Industry Perspective
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• What is the Chamber of Mines
• Mining: Historical Context
• Mining and Water Quality
• Mining and Water Security: Some Perspectives
Overview of Presentation
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• A premier mining sector employers’ organisation
• The principal advocate of mining policy positions endorsed by mining employers
• Exists today primarily to provide strategic support and advisory input to its members
• Members account for 90% of SA’s mineral production by value
Chamber of Mines
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• Mining played a critical role in SA’s economic development, e.g. JHB from mining camp to a major African city
• Social legacies:– Labour relations, social and occupational
health issues– Environmental footprint: land, soil
sterilisation, biodiversity degradation and water impacts
– Regulatory/Corporate inadequacies
Mining: Historical Context
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Typical Mining Environmental Issues
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• Factors determining water quality impacts– Site characteristics– Amount & type of material moved– Depth of deposit, chemical composition of ore
and surrounding rocks– Extraction process, environmental management
practices and business philosophy
• Enforcement/Application of regulatory tools– Cooperative governance (DWAF,DME, DEAT)– Turn around time on authorisations– Properly capacitated DWAF regional and national
offices
Mining and Water Quality
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Waste Rock Impacts
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Evaporation Pans
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Dams
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Shaft Areas
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Processing Plant
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• Historical factors– Dewatering– Mine dumps– Inter mine flow– Regulatory lag
• Current practices– Adequate regulatory tools in place: Insufficient
enforcement– Cooperative management philosophies:
Adoption of best international practice– Commitment to research and innovation
technologies
Mining and Water Quality:
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• Industry Activities to improve water quality– Regular liaison meeting with DWAF– Coaltech 20/20 initiatives– Participation in WRC Research Projects– Water Service Provision: Emalahleni – Participation in water forums
• Current Challenges– Historical legacies– Regulatory Overlaps– Turn around time on authorisations– Small scale mining
Mining and Water Quality
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• Environmental challenges– Abandoned mine sites: Measures required to
manage acid mine drainage– Inter mine flow: What happens when the last
operating mine close? Threats to catchments?– Small scale mining
• Economic Considerations– PGM potential: water availability– Regulatory Overlaps– Turn around time on authorisations
Mining and Water Security
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Final Thought