Controversial methods still used to tackle mining legacy

After battling angry residents in Kagiso, who accuse Mintails of blasting too close to their houses and causing structural damage, Mintails invited the media to see what their operations actually consist of.

During a recent tour of Mintails mines reporters were told that although it would cost a lot of money and controversial decision-making, the Krugersdorp tailings extractor felt that they had a vital part to play to address the complex social and environmental problems on the West Rand that were reflected in illegal mining, communities encroaching on toxic mine tailings and poisoned water.

The company does this by rehabilitating mining areas using the closure-mining model, which involves an extensive group of stakeholders in an attempt to extend the life of the gold mining industry.

That is said to facilitate a smooth transition from the mining to the post-mining economy to ensure a rehabilitated environment with higher-value economic use of land than the current environment the company operates in.

Mintails therefore developed a single solution on the West Rand for multiple tailings facilities by mining historical tailings and positioning these into a single deposition facility – the West Wits pit – which was identified for permanent closure, to leave a lasting legacy on the West Rand.

Mintails envisions the transformation of these tailings dumps into alternative-energy platforms, either solar or wind farms, capable of generating revenues to pay for the sustainable rehabilitation of other “unique” mining landscape features.

Establishing a wind farm on top of the rehabilitated West Wits pit is being considered and the technical viability of such an approach is at pre-feasibility level – preliminary technical work was initiated to investigate the viability of such a green solution.

Mintails Operations General Manager Jan Jacobs emphasises that the mining of gold tailings provides an opportunity to rehabilitate the environmental impact of the mines on Gauteng.

He says that removing the dumps and rehabilitating what is left will help to combat radiation pollution on the West Rand.

“Removing these dumps will decrease dust pollution and the pollution of water resources on the surface and below the ground.”

Challenges being faced in areas with unrehabilitated and decommissioned mines included unsafe sinkholes that become access points for illegal miners. Mine dumps require constant and costly maintenance and management until a permanent solution is found, as the dumps tend to break down and spill over into the environment.

Old and abandoned infrastructure also need to be dealt with, Jacobs says, highlighting the importance of finding a permanent solution to legacy issues, because “if they go unaddressed, we once again will be handing this issue down from one generation to the next”.

Despite the challenges the group seems positively geared up to continue to tackle the legacy of abandoned gold mines around Krugersdorp.