UPDATE: Fuleni mine will further strain water supply
Should Ibutho Coal's proposed Fuleni Anthracite Project go ahead, the already stressed Mfolozi River system will be put under more pressure.
HAVING reached Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) stage, Ibutho Coal’s proposed Fuleni Anthracite Project could chronically affect the area’s water availability and quality.
This, despite existing shortages leaving thousands without running water for weeks at a time.
Referring to the Mfolozi River as the most significant aquatic system linked to the mining rights area, Fuleni’s draft EIA states it requires the most attention when considering the mine’s impact on water quality.
Negative impacts on the Mfolozi River are deemed medium-high, while a tributary, the Mvamanzi River, will be highly impacted by mining activities.
This river already experiences seasonal no-flow conditions, negatively impacting water quality.
All mining phases, namely construction, operation and decommissioning, will see a loss of in-stream surface and base flow, loss of stream flow regulation, loss of aquatic habitats and fish, and increased moisture stress on riparian vegetation.
Furthermore, increased sediment due to increased erosion will contaminate both rivers.
Acid drainage
The report also says pollutants released from the processing plant would negatively affect water quality, as would acid mine drainage and fuel spills.
Acid mine drainage combined with the increase of heavy metals from blasting could contaminate surface and groundwater downstream of Fuleni mine.
Moreover, the build-up of contaminated sediments could chronically affect in-stream water quality on an ongoing basis.
While the report states wetlands immediately surrounding the mine will be disturbed, affecting the entire system, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park will reportedly not suffer.
It states the impact of severe pollution dissipates over 18km and, when connected to the Mfolozi River, St Lucia Estuary lies 64km from the affected area, making the impact on iSimangaliso negligible.
Furthermore, the report states the impact on Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park will also be low, despite the close proximity, as the mining area’s drainage system does not meet that of HiP.
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