Mine water approach using tracers in south african. In south africa, the term abandoned mines refers to those mines for which a closure certificate has not been issued and no party can be traced to assume responsibility for their liabilities. Heres a collection of some amazing inactive and abandoned mines. The environmental and health impacts of carbon emission from active and abandoned coal mines, in south africa. About 70% of all arrested illegal miners are illegal immigrants, mostly from lesotho, mozambique and zimbabwe. Abandoned and closed mines are the biggest source of amd in south africa. The relationship between south africa, south african communities, and mining is. Located in new mexico usa, this huge mine was established as a mining camp before the.
The majority of the 5 906 abandoned mines mines closed down prior to 2002 when the mprd act came into effect. What happens to the big or even smalls mines we now see providing tonnes and tonnes of ore when their precious metals end. As a result of south africa s long history of mining, the country has many abandoned mines that are currently the major source of various environmental and social problems. The 2015 financial year was impacted by significant commodity price decreases and cost pressures, leaving the mining industry struggling for survival. Abstract abandoned mines and mine tailings pose a hazard to communities that live around these sites. According to van druten and bekker, the rehabilitation of these mines is estimated to last for 800 years. These five abandoned mines have been transformed into subterranean wonderlands zip line through darkness or relax in a serene saline pool deep underground. The distribution of these mines throughout south africa is shown in figure 2. Abandoned mines in south africa are controlled under the water amendment. With recently shuttered mines adding to the massive impact of those left derelict years ago, the country faces a growing environmental. Reflections on a quarter of a century spent looking at. The impact of artisanal mining on rehabilitation efforts.
For example, in 2012, a storm event caused runoff ponds at coalhandling. Debris trapped men who were working illegally in an abandoned mine in south africa, but rescue workers cleared the shaft entrance and at least 11 miners were escorted to safety sunday, officials said. Environmental impacts associated with an abandoned mine in. As a result of south africas long history of mining, the country has many abandoned mines that are currently the major source of various. Thousands of abandoned gold mines are scattered across south africa, polluting the water with toxics and filling the air with noxious dust. Illegal mining activities and organised crime are interrelated. Environmental and health impacts of mining in africa edited by benjamin mapani and bohdan kribek. Similar problems are found in other abandoned coal mines in this area and elsewhere in south africa. Pillar weakening may cause collapses which allow air to enter the mine and again cause spontaneous combustion.
Here we report on the environmental risk assessment and risk management strategies of an abandoned new union gold mine that is located in kamadonsi village, malamulele district, south africa. The estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from south. Abandoned mines are an issue faced in many mining jurisdictions, with a number having developed plans to manage the impact of these through rehabilitation. Abandoned mines contain considerable quantities of coal in pillars and the floor and roof. Abandoned mines are seriously impacting communities and is. Mapping and assessing environmental hazards of abandoned. From across the world, prospectors descended on south africa in search of gold, as we see throngs of prospectors and opportunists starting at mark 02. Abandoned mines in south africa auditor general report. In many countries or regions, the rehabilitation of abandoned mine sites have taken different forms. The concern around abandoned mines in south africa was evident as early as 1975 when the chamber of mines and the department of water affairs concluded the fanie botha accord which allocated responsibility for pollution control measures for abandoned mines. Mining has been the backbone of the south african economy for many years. Every site will need to be considered individually, with management andor rehabilitation undertaken in a landscape context.
Abandoned mines hazard rating system was used in ranking abandoned mines in ontario canada it was the first computerbased expert system for ranking abandoned mines it considered factors such as public safety, public heath, environmental problems, social concerns and economic issues in the ranking bolger et al. The complete and successful closure of a mine in the south african environment. South africa is dealing with the legacy of just under 6000 abandoned mines. The workers leave and the sites stay abandoned for decades. Abandoned mines in south africa auditor general report on rehabilitation. As of 2014, south africa had approximately 6000 abandoned mines from which acid water and heavy metals leak into the environment. South africa has 64 collieries, ranging from among the largest in the world to small.
About abandoned mines abandoned mines are all over nevada and present a danger to the community. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining in south africa a case study prepared by. Mines in africa convey some of the richest mineral deposits of core commodities in the entire world, and form the basis of future economic growth in much of the continent, with investment continuing to pour into african mining. The threats to human rights from mining and coalfired. The south african mines list is dominated by gold mines, and here are some of these mines as well as the respective south african mines contact details. A survey of current professional thinking and practice m. There are 5 906 officially listed abandoned mines in south africa as of the end of may 2008. This paper presents an overview of the issues surrounding abandoned mines in canada, and national and. This list of mines in south africa is subsidiary to the list of mines article and lists working. Mckay 6 mine closure 2014, sandton, south africa robust mine closure. The environmental and health impacts of carbon emission.
The social and environmental consequences of coal mining. Abandoned mines are seriously impacting communities and is contributing to childlabour 19 august 2014 for immediate release south africa has approximately 6,000 abandoned mines, of which about 160 are in witbank alone, that are spilling acid water and heavy metals into the environment, says the bench marks foundation in a research. Poverty, unemployment and large numbers of illegal immigrants in south africa, are contributing to higher crime levels in general, including in illegal mining. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining in. For practical purposes stone, marble and other quarries may be included in this list. The problems outlined in this paper are not unique to this particular mine.
In south africa, the focus of rehabilitation of abandoned mines has for many years been on addressing safety and health risks and then the environmental hazards at these mines dmr, 2010. The impact of artisanal mining on rehabilitation efforts of abandoned. There is however concern about the negative legacies left through the exploitation and processing of these minerals. Blyvooruitzicht is but one of thousands of abandoned mines scattered across south africa, many from the gold industry. Report of the auditorgeneral centre for environmental. Swart synopsis the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current legislative framework for mine closure within south africa as well as the new requirements in terms of the mineral and petroleum resources development act, 2002. Many people do not know much about these hidden hazards, but being uninformed may result in accidental injuries or. These five abandoned mines have been transformed into.
Honors, university of fort hare, 2012 a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the master of science degree. An assessment of abandoned mine reclamation in south africa using a survey of environmental experts by andisiwe stuurman b. Minerals free fulltext appraisal of strategies for. How the mining activities and particularly abandoned mines negatively affect the ecosystem and the health of the neighboring communities. Reflections on a quarter of a century spent looking at abandoned mines in south africa henk coetzee council for geoscience pretoria, south africa. Environmental impact of the abandoned coal mines on the. Key contact details of mine owners, project engineers and contracting agents. Some fires in abandoned mines in the emhlahleni witbank area of south africa have been burning for many years as a result of this phenomenon. What is even more alarming is their 2008 report was based on a map from statistics south africa dated 2003 entailing their report was already constructed on 5 year old. Development and application of a methodological tool for. Advances in mitigation and rehabilitation technology in major and abandoned mines in subsaharan africa. Many mines are left abandoned and unrehabilitated, resulting in. The witwatersrand basin in south africa is a major gold reserve, with naturally. For the millions of people who live around these derelict sites, the health impacts can be severe.
Many of which are gold mines and specifically in the gauteng province of south africa. Often, a responsible ownership cannot be established, and in these cases, responsibility for the mine has been taken over by the department of water affairs and forestry. This list of mines in south africa is subsidiary to the list of mines article and lists working, defunct and future mines in the country and is organised by the primary mineral output. Towards an inclusive model to address unsuccessful mine.
An alarming 5,906 abandoned mines across south africa were reported by the auditor general. Mines in africa already provide 46% of the worlds diamonds, 62% of its platinum group metals, 21% of its gold and 16% of its uranium yet vast deposits of. Union of south africa department of mines and industries, geological survey. The south african legislative framework for mine closure. The minerals council south africa is pleased to be able to note the partial resumption of mining activities since the amendment of the 16 april disaster management act regulations, which will be reinforced by the switch to the level 4 alert status announced by president ramaphosa on 23 april.
South africa has 5650 documented abandoned mines which their rehabilitation is anticipated to cost the government about r30 billion 9,10,11. Davies closing workshop of the igcpsida projects 594 and 606 addressing environmental and health. Reduce existing environmental impacts with appropriate effort to a socially accepted and reasonable level. The majority of the 5 906 mines closed down prior to 2002 when the mprd act came into effect. It furthermore states that only 5 of the 5 906 abandoned mines in south africa have been rehabilitated thus far at a cost of r42 million rand. Overview on reclamation and rehabilitation of mines. Research in subsaharan africa shows that abandoned mines offer opportunities. Thousands of abandoned gold mines are scattered across south. The aim of the work presented in this paper was to carry out an appraisal of the strategies for addressing the physical hazards of abandoned surface mine excavations in two mines in. The topic of abandoned mines is also difficult because of the associated financial and legal liability implications. Abandoned mines and mine closure issues can therefore be considered as two sides of the same coin. Report of the auditorgeneral environment news south africa. Challenges and strategies of abandoned mine rehabilitation.
Resources in its national strategy for abandoned mines set a reclamation target of 12 mines per year, this low target is what led to the interest in understanding the dynamics of abandoned mine reclamation in south africa. Results of a survey on abandoned mines in south africa. Reclamation of abandoned mines involves the process of turning the undesirable. The main objective of this research is to assess the environmental impacts of these mines on the surface water and groundwater quality as well as to determine the factors controlling these impacts.
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