July 2014 Report

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July 2014 Report

Written by Mariette Liefferink Friday, 18 July 2014 03:34

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Report on the activities and engagements of the FSE for the month of July 2014.

3 July 2014	Preparation of and delivery of documents pertaining to the West Rand and North West goldfields to the Office of the Public Protector (Reference: 7/2 - 5844/14). NGO/Eskom Forum Workshop Tour of the West Rand goldfields with Prof. Urs Reugg Urs T. Ruegg, Ph. D. Professor of Pharmacology University of Geneva 30 Quai E. Ansermet CH 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland Phone: +41 61 461 49 81 FAX : +41 22 379 34 30 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. http://www.unige.ch/sciences/pharm/fagie/ DWA Study Steering Committee Meeting: Bulk Water Supply System: Orange River.
4 July 2014	Meeting with Prof. Dr. Frank Winde, North West University and Prof. Urs Reugg pertaining to their research on the health impacts of Uranium.
5 July 2014	Community Workshop with residents and the Kgosi of Mokgalwaneng and the appointment of the FSE as representative of the Mokgalwaneng Village (Contact Person: Tshepo Ramafoko)
7 July 2014	Meeting with the South African Council of Churches (Mr. Gosiame Choabi), Benchmarks Foundation (Mr. Brown Motsau), Pastor Timothy Chao and representatives of mining communities pertaining to the establishment the South Western Gauteng Association For Sustainable Development (SWGASD)
8 July 2014	Meeting with the Investigating Officer of the DEA: Enforcement pertaining to the criminal investigation into the Blyvooruitzicht Mine.
10 July 2014	Community meeting with the community leaders of Boltonia, West Rand.
13 July 2014	Submission of Comments on Environmental Impact Assessment for the construction of the proposed sludge disposal facility and pipeline associated with the treatment of Acid Mine Drainage in the Eastern Basin of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng.
14 July 2014	In loco visitation of the Blyvooruitzicht Mine, Carletonville pursuant to the criminal investigation by the DEA: Enforcement.
15 July 2014	Community meeting with community leaders of Simonye, Westonaria.
16 July 2014	Rand Water Workshop and Acid Mine Drainage and Water Resources
18 July 2014	Workshop with community and Buhlebuzile Secondary School - Thokoza, Springs.
21 July 2014	Tour of the West Rand goldfields with Delta Environmental Centre and Students. (Contact Shanu Visser: 082 780019)
22 July 2014	Meeting with Adv. Mashaba Matimolane of the Office of the Public Protector pertaining to the alleged systemic failures by organs of state to enforce environmental non-compliances
23 July 2014	Public Participation Meeting: Environmental Impact Assessment for the construction of the proposed sludge disposal facility and pipeline associated with the treatment of Acid Mine Drainage in the Eastern Basin of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng. Stable Inn Conference Centre.
25 July 2014	Tour of the Wes Rand goldfields with the University of Johannesburg, the United Nationsâ€™ African Delegation for Economic Development and Planning, Rand Water senior officials, Douglas Taylor (PhD Student) and Adv. Mashaba Matimolane of the Office of the Public Protector.
29 July 2014	Community workshop with Simonye, Westonaria.

Mariette Liefferink

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Research News

REHABILITATION OF MINE CONTAMINATED ECO-SYSTEMS

This booklet makes the case for a project to address the waste and pollution legacy of mining in the Witwatersrand basin, with a clear linkage between the potential for revenue generation through materials reclamation and comprehensively addressing the entire rehabilitation challenge, with the participation of all stakeholders. It sketches the background and the extent of the challenge, the legislative and regulatory context and the imperatives for urgent action, then focuses in on the Tweelopiespruit wetlands area for a potential pilot project.

Business Leadership SA and SAIMechE tour mining areas

The Federation for a Sustainable Environment conduct regular tours to the West Rand Gold Fields. This group included representatives from Business Leadership SA and SAIMechE.

Annual Report: 2016

Over the past years we have had the pleasure of watching a greater measure transparency, honesty and openness in the mining industry and the publishing of Regulations calling for easier access by the public to Environmental Management Programme Reports, Audit Reports, Water Use Licenses, closure plans and financial provisions.

Hazards of Uranium

Uranium mining and processing poses a tremendous threat to workers and the population in the surrounding areas through the release of radiation and exposure to heavy metals and chemicals.

THE TIPPING POINT: Inevitable or Avoidable?

"The 2006 Energy Review merely exacerbated the problem. It acknowledged that the UK would not meet its emissions targets without nuclear, but did almost nothing to address the problem of the reluctance of the market to fund a new generation of plants.

Advanced Biochemical and Biophysical aspects of Uranium Contamination

Uranium has been considered both a radiological and also a heavy metal poison, following calcium in its distribution within the body, i.e. building up in bone, and with the principle target for toxicity being the lung and the kidney. Recently, it has been shown that uranium also targets the brain.

Comment: Sibanye Gold Tailing Re-treatment Project

The Federation for a Sustainable Environment's (FSE) position on the re-mining and consolidation of poorly managed, poorly constructed and poorly monitored historical tailings storage facilities, which are significant sources of water and windblown dust pollution, has been published in a number of academic papers, government reports and comments and response reports.

January 2015 Report

The Federation for a Sustainable Environment continues to engage on Pilansberg issues, including sense of place, water, compliance, mining, eco-tourism, tourism, enviornmental management framework, biodiversity and regional impacts.

Current reclamation of historical uraniferous tailings dams and sand dumps

Gold mines produced more than 270 tailings storage facilities and the rehabilitation of these facilities can be complex and the results misleading if measures only in the short term.

July 2014 Report

Report on the activities and engagements of the FSE for the month of July 2014.

June 2014 Report

A list of activities and engagements for the Federation for a Sustainable Environment in the month of June 2014.

May 2014 Report

A list of activities and engagements of the FSE for the month of May 2014.

Uranium Mining: Impact on Health & Environment

"It is not uncommon for African governments to exploit the poor and marginalized for perceived gains in the interest of the strong multinational companies and a few local beneficiaries."Endowed with vast natural resources such as wild animals, unique flora and fauna, rivers, lakes and minerals such as copper, uranium, zinc, diamonds and silver to mention but a few, many governments in Africa, rather than improving the lives of their citizens end up piling misery on the vulnerable in society."Take the mining of uranium for instance. It holds so much promise on the face of it but deep down the layers of reality, one sees that only multinational companies, corrupt government officials among them, only a token few locals benefit from its exploitation." Download the report.

Dust Management in Gold Mining Regions

A critical evaluation of the challenges facing dust management within gold mining regions of South Africa by JJ Martins Extract: "...the biggest challenge within this area is that neither districts nor gold mines receive any assistance nor do they report to government with regards to their dust management programme. This poses a challenge as it limits both the districtâ€Ÿs and gold mines â€Ÿability to enforce and improve their dust management programmes. The lack of use of information provided by interested and affected parties (Paragraph 4.3.8) within the dust management plan of both the district and gold mines is a major challenge as deposition-dust regulations were initiated to protect the public and their property ... in the first place. The biggest challenge, however, as identified in the study for this focus area is the lack of specialist involvement in dust management plans and programmes of both districts and gold mines ... There are, however, implications regarding the capacity of consultants rendering services as air-quality specialists ....). It is the view of the author that when it comes to using consultants a clear distinction should be made between dust management and monitoring as the necessary qualifications relevant to each of the areas are totally different. It was confirmed by questionnaires to specialists ... that there is a general lack of scientific knowledge within dust management. It is furthermore the author's view that to render air-quality services specifically pertaining to monitoring one should at least have a tertiary qualification in science."

January 2014 Report

An abridged report (not inclusive of all the activities) of some of the FSE’s activities during January, 2014 which may be of interest or relevance:

MINING

It’s all about the money

The hazardous mining by-product raises two questions – who’s to blame and who should pay. The acid mine drainage crisis is going to cost someone a lot of money, but probably not the people who caused it. The “polluter pays” principle was next to impossible to apply to the acid mine drainage problem in a retrospective way, said Marius Keet, chief director for mine water management at the department of water and sanitation.

Down in the dumps, there's hope

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Fokus reports on Coal Mine east of Springs

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SA NEWS

Addressing waste and pollution of the past

The Federation for a Sustainable Environment is proud to announce the launch of the booklet titled “Rehabilitation of Mine Contaminated Eco-Systems. A Contribution to a Just Transition to a Low Carbon Economy to Combat Unemployment and Climate Change” by Mariette Liefferink of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment (FSE). The booklet was commissioned by the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) in collaboration with the Friedrick Ebert Stiftung.

July 2014 Report

Mariette Liefferink

Latest from Mariette Liefferink

Research News

REHABILITATION OF MINE CONTAMINATED ECO-SYSTEMS

Business Leadership SA and SAIMechE tour mining areas

Annual Report: 2016

Hazards of Uranium

THE TIPPING POINT: Inevitable or Avoidable?

Advanced Biochemical and Biophysical aspects of Uranium Contamination

Comment: Sibanye Gold Tailing Re-treatment Project

January 2015 Report

Current reclamation of historical uraniferous tailings dams and sand dumps

July 2014 Report

June 2014 Report

May 2014 Report

Uranium Mining: Impact on Health & Environment

Dust Management in Gold Mining Regions

January 2014 Report

It’s all about the money

Down in the dumps, there's hope

Fokus reports on Coal Mine east of Springs

Addressing waste and pollution of the past

Nuwe myn ‘sal duisende hul huise kos’

SA coal mines leave legacy of ruin

Besoedelingklagte: Mynbase daag nie by hof op

Coalition defending Mpumalanga water source area

Project to heal polluted river . System will·create stream·of jobs

'Mine Water can be treated, safe'