Mining in focus
Why mines should
go batty
Research work on bats
at a mining site in the
Limpopo Province of
South Africa, emphasises
the importance of
environmental studies
in mining, writes
Leon Louw.
T
he ripple effect of mining spreads
way beyond economics. Mining,
as an anthropogenic activity, has a
significant impact on surrounding
ecosystems, including the local inhabitants in
the area, and the natural environment.
The most severe environmental
consequences are often perceived to be the
most perceptible like water and air pollution,
land degradation and noise. The loss of
biodiversity as a result of mining activities,
apart from the most noticeable (trees and big
mammal species) is, however, often overlooked.
The eradication of large populations of birds,
insects and small mammals like shrews and
bats, and the inadvertent removal of protected
grass species or succulents, does not always
attract the same attention as the possible
extinction of the more “glamorous” species.
Nevertheless, the very nature of mining
lends itself to intense scrutiny by a more
and more environmentally conscious civil
citizenry. But despite its obvious impacts,
mining can play a very important role
in conservation activities and research.
Development is necessary to fuel the global
economy and mining is a key component
of that development. However, it should
not happen at the expense of the natural
[16] MINING MIRROR AUGUST 2019
environment. Therefore, mining operations
should be conscious of their environmental
footprint. They can no longer go through the
motions of compliance and just tick boxes.
They should attract scientists to determine
mining’s real impact and communicate the
results in a transparent, understandable and
professional manner.
Without these studies a mine would never
really know, and never be able to properly
communicate its true footprint to concerned
stakeholders, even if it has a positive effect in
the area where it operates. There are examples,
in fact, where biodiversity has increased
because of mining. In remote and extremely
arid regions, for example, a tailings dam could
attract large numbers of insects and birds,
which in turn, attracts larger species higher up
in the food chain.
Bats as bio-indicators
Last year, at the annual Oppenheimer-De
Beers Group research conference held in
Johannesburg, I had an intriguing conversation
with bat expert and conservationist Dawn
Cory-Toussaint, a PhD candidate from
the University of Venda, Limpopo, under
the supervision of Professor Peter Taylor,
a renowned bat scientist. Cory-Toussaint
is studying the bat population at Venetia
diamond mine, close to Musina in the
Limpopo Province.
The conference always delivers the most
fascinating topics. It is a platform for scientists
doing research on the eight Oppenheimer
conservation properties (including their
mines) to present their results to an audience
of academia and conservationist from across
Africa. Toussaint showcased her proposed
study which will look at the potential of South
African bats as bio-indicators for areas that are
currently transformed by open cast mining.
The case study will be Venetia, De Beers’
only remaining diamond mine in South Africa.
Open pit mining at Venetia started in 1993, so
the impact
of mining
activities in
this sensitive,
arid area,
characterised by
Mopani Bushveld,
has been substantial.
Furthermore, the
mine commenced
construction activities on
its underground mining shafts
in 2013, which resulted in further
environmental impacts. However, the
mine has also done extensive environmental
studies, and it could potentially not be all bad
news, as Cory-Toussaint explained.
Cory-Toussaint worked in Steelpoort,
Mpumalanga, for a few years where she
was exposed to the impact of chrome and
platinum mines on the water quality in the
area through the water monitoring that
was conducted on the construction project
she was involved in. “The biggest impact of
these mines was on the water quality, as all
the water from the surrounding areas drains
www.miningmirror.co.za