WATCH: Strong opposition to mine as community demands answers
It became clear from the onset of the fifth public meeting held about the Palmietkuilen mining project, the community is vehemently opposed to the granting of mining rights on the farm.
The meeting, held at Stable Inn, Strubenvale, started at 10am and continued until 2pm, on Saturday.
The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report indicates there are significant negative environmental impacts that need to be considered.
However, the economic benefits have been shown to be positive and far-reaching.
The Department of Mineral Resources, as the authorising authority, will make the decision on the project based on the facts presented in the report.
Lukas Joubert, chairman of the Strubenvale CPF, made it clear the community is not interested in a presentation prepared by Digby Wells on the progress of the EIA, but rather in answers.
Digby Wells contracted to undertake the EIA to inform the stakeholders and community of their findings regarding the proposed mining project.
• Read: Fracking not part of Palmietkuilen project
The proposed Palmietkuilen mining project consists of an open pit coal mine and processing plant with a life of mine of 53 years and covering all project phases, from construction through to decommissioning and closure.
It is considered to be a green-fields project as the land is used for agriculture and there is no mining currently taking place.
Resident and local businessman Philip de Jager says very few of the stakeholders present, which included farmers from the surrounding areas, were ever contacted or even made aware of this major project.
“They feel the lack of public participation is in breach of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), environmental assessment regulations and, in particular, the guideline on public participation,” says de Jager.
He states it has become apparent, from questions asked, that both Schoeman Boerdery, the owners of portions two and 19 of the Farm Palmietkuilen, and its, neighbour, Rossgro, which produces five per cent of South Africa’s eggs, are also opposed to the granting of the mining rights.
“If the project is approved, it will have a majorly negative impact on the Ramsar Site and will be in violation of an international treaty to which South Africa is signatory to,” says de Jager.
The treaty requires signatories to protect wetlands of international importance and, according de Jager, notes: “The Blesbokspruit is the only wetland in Gauteng and needs to be protected in terms of the treaty”.
• Also read: Palmietkuilen public meeting
Derick Coleman, whose farm is adjacent to the proposed project, says the nine boreholes were not inspected or even recorded by Digby Wells.
Councillor Ramesh Sheodin’s is concerned whether a study was made on the impact of the road infrastructure and the effect of the daily movement of the 393 x 34 ton trucks that will be transporting the coal to Welgedacht Station.
The environmental processes for this project started in August 2016 and, according to the legislated time frames, the DMR should deliver a decision in September.
If the authorisation is positive, it is anticipated that an appeal process will follow as well as further discussions with the landowner.
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