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Acid Mine Drainage

Acid Mine Drainage. Nikisi Lesufi Senior Executive Chamber of Mines of SA. Chamber of Mines. Voluntary private sector organization Membership based 250 mines (out of over 1000 mines in the RSA) 90% of production 85% of employment Mining still critical to RSA’s economy

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Acid Mine Drainage

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  1. Acid Mine Drainage Nikisi Lesufi Senior Executive Chamber of Mines of SA

  2. Chamber of Mines • Voluntary private sector organization • Membership based • 250 mines (out of over 1000 mines in the RSA) • 90% of production • 85% of employment • Mining still critical to RSA’s economy • Key player in employment creation

  3. Background to legacy of acid mine drainage • Over a century of mining – different stages of development and maturity • Dynamic environment: - role players/policies/legislation keep changing • Environmental impacts of abandoned, ownerless and legacy sites (including acid mine drainage)

  4. Legislative framework: water management in the mining sector • MPRDA – primary instrument regulating mining in the RSA • Approved EMP and Mine Closure Plan • National Water Act • Authorisation of water use • NEMA and specific acts • Biodiversity and environment conservation • Site specific obligations of authorisation holders

  5. Responsibilities for Water Management • Mine Water Management • Ownerless and derelict mine sites • - responsible party is the State • Authorisation holders impacted by extraneous water • - authorisation holder with State assistance • Authorisation holders • - sole responsibility • Explore opportunities for cooperation, i.e PPP

  6. CoM Initiatives in water resources management in the mining sector • Prevention of future negative legacies • CoM/DWA formal liaison engagements • Best Practice Guidelines • Water Conservation and Demand Management • Individual companies implementing the regulatory requirements i.e NWA, MPRDA etc • Initiatives in response to IMC report • Technical input into DWA implementation processes

  7. Innovative Approaches to Water Management • Forward looking approaches • Current active operations • Funded from working capital • Reduce future footprint • (e.g. Emalahleni, WUC and individual company initiatives) • Management of Legacies • State assistance to mines impacted by extraneous water • State responsibility for derelict and ownerless sites

  8. Conclusions • Innovative approaches to legacy sites; • Search for win-win solutions • e.g Emalahleni Water Treatment Plant, WUC proposal • Regulatory flexibility • Improved environmental performance • Social license to operate – mining companies • Monitoring and enforcement - State • Obligations of gov depts to cooperate and align regulatory process • end

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