FEATURE
Figure 3 . Tsessebe framed on the threatened grasslands of Rietvlei Nature Reserve . The reserve , which NPOs and NGOs say will be impacted negatively by Corobrik ’ s application to mine coal at its brick facility on the reserve ’ s boundary , is a level one protected area , home to around 2000 different animals , cheetah and buffalo among them . ( Photo : Angus Begg )
Figure 4 . The private sector has been taking the lead in trying to find a solution to the water crisis — involving the Johannesburg , Ekurhuleni and Tshwane metros — affecting downstream recreational spaces like , for example , the Rietvlei Dam and Hennops River . The Hennops Revival NPO in this case organised a public meeting between concerned stakeholders and various tiers of government in October 2023 , at which the municipalities ‘ ’ action plans ‘ were meant to be presented . Hennops Revival ’ s auditors sponsored the event with food and beverages , yet no-one delivered an action plan . It was agreed that the parties would meet again in January .
mining environment , is real ,” X said , adding that concerns extend beyond the mine ’ s immediate vicinity , with projections of increased heavy traffic along Delmas Road and “ the R51 , one of the main ‘ coal avenues ’ to nearby power stations and Witbank , possibly for export from Richards Bay ”.
It is a picture that calls to mind the now-ubiquitous image of endless trains of trucks carting huge volumes of coal along the roads of every province north of the Cape , blocking road flow and chewing up unmaintained provincial roads in the process , from North West and Limpopo to Free State , Mpumalanga and KwaZulu- Natal .
While the mine is legally bound to monitor dust and develop dust monitoring plans , Daily Maverick has been informed by a reliable source that the application lacks air-quality modelling and health impact studies , raising questions about the true extent of the envisaged impact of air pollution .
Threat of acid mine drainage
Mariette Liefferink , of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment – a civic watchdog organisation that uses South Africa ’ s Constitution to both protect communities from the negative impacts of mining and secure access to clean water – reinforced the gravity of the situation , saying the proposed mining of coal posed a real threat .
“ Coal mining … is considered a category A mine , with significant impacts on water , since pyrite occurs in the coal deposits .”
When pyrite reacts with oxygen , it releases sulphuric acid , which can cause acid mine drainage ( AMD ), which Liefferink describes as a serious environmental problem in South Africa and globally .
“ AMD is not only associated with surface and groundwater pollution , but is also responsible for the degradation of soil quality , aquatic habitats and for allowing heavy metals to seep into the environment .”
Any such addition of AMD to the water management area without mitigation would further damage the already compromised environment , Liefferink said .
Worth protecting At about eight kilometres long and
Figure 5 . A DWS graph showing effluent water quality compliance discharging into the relevant Ekurhuleni rivers , which flow into the Rietvlei Nature Reserve and dam — which then flows into the Hennops River . Of interest to consumers should be the ecoli count . With the acceptable industry standard for drinking water at 0 counts per 100ml and recreational use at 300-500 counts , the Hartbeesfontein wastewater treatment works is discharging water into the Rietvlei River with an coli count of over two million counts per 100ml . Consultant X says the Hennops may have eight million counts per 100ml . ( Image : DWS ( Dept Water and Sanitation )
15 Grassroots Vol 24 No 1 March 2024