CRADLE TO GRAVE •
HOW MINES CAN GIVE BACK
TO THE PLANET
By Simon Norton, International Zinc Association
Mining hasn’t always had the best reputation when it comes to
looking after the environment, its workers, or the communities
in which it operates. Justifiably so too. Around the world,
mining activities have contributed to erosion, sinkholes, loss
of biodiversity, and the contamination of soil, groundwater,
and surface water. And, at a societal level, the impact of South
Africa’s migrant labour system (initially driven largely by mining
activity) is well documented.
As the industry comes to terms with its impact on both people
and the planet, however, mining companies are adopting new,
more sustainable approaches. South Africa is no exception,
with several miners taking world-leading approaches to
environmental and community sustainability.
Were these practices to be adopted by the industry as a whole,
it wouldn’t only benefit the environment and local communities,
but also contribute to mining’s long-term viability.
While mining might not have quite the same heft in the
South African economy as it once did, it is still a vital industry,
accounting for the majority of exports and employing nearly 5%
of the country’s workforce.
But as new opportunities for mineral extraction present
themselves, mining houses are having to think beyond that
traditional role and provide innovative environmental and
community practices in the areas they operate in.
Interestingly, some of the best examples of this don’t come from
miners of South Africa’s traditional powerhouse metals (gold
and platinum), but of zinc.
Take Vedanta Zinc International (VZI)’s Gamsberg mine in the
Northern Cape, for example.
Officially inaugurated in February 2019, the mine was labelled ‘a
breath of fresh air’ by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and not just
because of the vital economic impact the mine will have on the
Northern Cape and South Africa as a whole (it’s expected that
Gamsberg will see more than USD1-billion of investment in the
local mining industry).
In a traditionally male-dominated field, for example, Vedanta
aims to have a 30% female workforce by 2021. It is also
investigating the feasibility of a smelting and refinery facility,
which could have positive impacts on manufacturing and other
industries down the line.
Vedanta’s Gamsberg project (and, indeed, its nearby Broken Hill
Deeps operation) also show what is possible environmentally.
With the mine situated in the delicate Succulent Karoo Biome,
the company took an approach that it describes as going
‘beyond compliance’ in setting up the mine.
Where possible, alternate locations were found for access roads,
waste pits, and processing facilities in order to limit damage
to the environment. Additionally, sensitive areas were fenced
off and demarcated, 77 000 plants were translocated for use in
concurrent rehabilitation. Ultimately, once mining ends and the
area’s surface is restored, these plants (together with some 360
000 seeds) can be replanted.
Finally, 40 000 hectares of land with similar topographical
features were identified to be used as an offset area.
This kind of approach marks a stark break from the kind of
rehabilitation practices previously practised by the industry,
which tended to focus on a small number of species.
Projects such as Gamsberg show what’s possible when mining
companies put the environment and communities at the top
of their priority lists. But in order to see the benefits of such an
approach, the industry as a whole needs to de-prioritise short
term wins.
That shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Mining, after all,
requires long-term investment from the get-go.
By expanding that mindset into their operations, their
interactions with the communities they operate in, and their
post-mining rehabilitation efforts, mining houses can contribute
to a more sustainable future for all.
www. africanmining.co.za
African Mining Publication
African Mining
African Mining • May 2020 • 55