Somkhele Mine’s water use questioned
At an open meeting held in St Lucia last week, members of the public were free to question water usage at Somkhele Mine after its recent water use audit
AS water supply to communities relying on the Mfolozi River becomes increasingly unreliable, affected parties were given the opportunity to question Somkhele Mine’s water usage at a public meeting held in St Lucia last week.
Chris Wright of GCS Water and Environmental Consultants outlined Somkhele’s water license and uses at the meeting where feedback was given on the results of Somkhele’s recent water use audit.
Questions focused mainly on the effect the mine’s water usage has on surrounding communities, including potential pollution of water and whether or not there is enough water to service all needs, both personal and business.
Wright confirmed that community interests are taken into account and this is done through a hydrocensus which looks at all water users surrounding the mine. It also looks at how surrounding communities will benefit from the mine’s water use.
Questioned Mr Dladla, a member of the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (Mejcon-SA), about mine run-off that is polluting the Nkolokotho stream, CEO of Tendele Coal Mining that runs Somkhele Mine, Johan Gloy, agreed to instruct staff to investigate and study water samples.
Wright, however, outlined Somkhele’s storm water management plan, confirming the mine does separate clean and dirty water.
Gloy also confirmed all ponds are soon to be lined according to the Integrated Water Use License’s new guidelines .
He refuted Dladla’s claims that possible over-abstraction at Somkhele has led to water run-off from abstraction points and said that of the Mfolozi River’s 886 000 000 cubic metre reserve, Somkhele uses only 0.08%.
In other mining news, WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) has rejected Ibutho Coal’s amended scoping report for its proposed Fuleni anthracite mine, whose boundary would lie a mere 40m from the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park’s (HiP) wilderness area.
WESSA’s main concern is the likelihood of increased poaching in HiP should the Fuleni mine go ahead. This rejection follows close on the heels of Global Environment Trust’s rejection of the same report, citing insufficient water in this environmentally sensitive area as the reason.
