Letter addressing non-compliance by Sweet Sensations Sand Mine attached for download.

Please find the following attached for download:

1. Basel Gold Day: How to obtain clean gold - the consumer perspective

2. Basel Gold Day: Presentation by the FSE

Attached for download:

1. ASM Policy 2020
2. FSE's Submission

The FSE is of the firm opinion that many persons and companies want to financially profit from the current situation. This is resulting in failure to holistically identify and manage the AMD impacts and challenges. The reason might partly be that the situation is a political problem as well.

For most of its history, the mining industry in South Africa has not been subjected to comprehensive environmental regulation.

In recent years, however, this has changed significantly and the industry is now required to comply with a complex web of mining and environmental policy and legislation. This chapter outlines the most relevant legislation and policy documents that govern sustainable mining in South Africa.

Download the document here (82kb)

The persistent activism of Mariette Liefferink, the C.E.O. of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment has kept the media attention on the impact of uranium and gold mining on the Wonderfonteinspruit catchment area for a number of years.

Mariette Liefferink’s red high-heeled sandals sink into the watery earth. She totters to a mining pit overflowing with copper water that is stained like blood. That this is filled with partially treated acid mine drainage (AMD) is a small victory for the environmental activist.

It has been noted, not without serious concern that the Project will result in:

• The loss of a wetlands system and that no mitigation methods can be realistically prescribed for this activity;
• The placement of the TSF within or next to wetland areas will impact on the underlying geohydrology of the system;
• The surface hydrological dynamics would be altered which will have both water quality and quantity implications for the catchment; and
• The subsequent loss of ecological services (an important ecological service identified for the system is the enhancement of water quality) provided by the wetland units within this catchment area;
• The TSF area may have water quality and quantity implications for the downstream water users;
• The selected TSF site may not be ideal for tailings construction from a wetlands perspective since it is surrounded by wetlands on three sites and very close to the riparian zones of uncommon unchannelled valley bottom wetlands as well as the fact
• that pans occur in the centre of the site;
• An offset strategy is recommended but the strategy has not been compiled in consultation with the relevant authorities and interested and affected parties.

A full comment is available to download.

Die Blou Skerpioene het verlede week toegeslaan op Platmin, wat ‘n reuse-oopgroefmyn in ‘n beoogde erfenis-gebied op die voorstoep van die Pilanesberg-natuurreservaat bedryf.