

Chapter 9



MINING

The present situation

Mining is the most important part of the South African economy. Almost half of the money that we make from selling things overseas comes from selling minerals.

Gold is the most important mineral in South Africa. We produce more gold than any other country in the world. But in the last few years, gold mines have not been doing so well. About 150,000 workers have lost their jobs. But there are still about 700,000 people working on the gold mines.

Coal is the second most important mineral that we mine. It is used to make electricity, in industry, and in our homes. About 90, 000 people work on the coal mines. South Africa also produces other minerals.

Mining can have bad effects on land and water quality. But minerals processing can cause air pollution which can travel over long distances.

Gold mining leaves a lot of crushed rock and liquid waste with acid in it. This is put into slimes dams (often called mine dumps). Slimes dams can cause water and dust pollution.

In February 1994 a slimes dam broke in  Merriespruit . A huge mud slide flooded the town. Many people died or were injured.

In the  Witwatersrand  the water underneath the gold mines is very salty. During mining this water is brought up to the surface. It is put into shallow ponds where the water evaporates. The salt is left behind in the ponds.

In the eastern  Witwatersrand  area, the waste water from the gold mines has salt, acid, iron and manganese in it. It is pumped into the Klip and Elsberg rivers. This puts a lot of salt into the Vaal river every day.

Asbestos is found in the Northern Cape. South Africa sells a lot of asbestos to other countries. Asbestos can cause very bad lung cancer and other lung diseases. Sometimes these diseases take twenty years to show. The asbestos dust from the mines is blown into the air by the wind. The water that runs off the mine dumps has asbestos in it.

From the early 1980's the asbestos industry started to put in very strict safety standards. The workers on these mines do not breathe in dangerous amounts of asbestos any longer. There is a joint Safety and Health Programme run by management and workers. They are trying to cover the dumps so that the dust does not blow around. They are also trying to stop water from running off the dumps into the streams. But the health effects from the past will stay with the workers and their families for a long time.

Coal mining can have bad effects on the environment. This can also affect workers and nearby communities. Many coal mines are very close to rivers. Acid from the mines pollutes the water in the ground. Cleaning the coal to sell it overseas leaves a lot of waste. This is put into big dumps. Sometimes these dumps start burning. This causes air pollution.

Mining companies and government departments

In South Africa mining is done by private companies. Most of our minerals are owned by private companies. Cheap labour has helped to make the mining industry very rich.

The mining companies have had a close relationship with the government departments that are meant to control them. Trade unions and environmental groups have criticised this. They feel that this has caused risks to workers and to the environment. In the past few years the mining companies have started new ways of controlling the damage done to the environment by mines. They are also trying to work on old mines and mine dumps to stop them polluting the water and air.

Each mine must put together a plan on how they will control the damage to the environment. This plan (called an Environmental Management Programme Report) must start with the opening of the mine and go right through until it is closed. The government must approve this plan.

The Environmental Management Programme Report is better than not having any plan. But the mines write their own report. It is not written by an independent person or organisation. The Regional Director of Mineral and Energy Affairs can say that a particular mine doesn't have to write this report. Another problem with the EMPR is that the mine does not have to consult the public. Also, the EMPR does not have to look at whether the mine should be allowed there in the first place. The EMPR only looks at what effect the mine will have on the environment. A proper environmental impact assessment should be done. This would have to look at whether the mine should be allowed at all.

The mining companies and the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs say that they do a full environmental impact assessment. They also say that the public are consulted.

There are not enough inspectors to make sure that the mines do what the EMPR says they should do.

Policy issues for the new government

1.  The new environmental laws in the Minerals Act are better than they  used to be. But it is difficult to make sure that mining companies do what they say they will do in their EMPRs. The government must find out how to make the EMPRs better and how to use IEM processes on the mines. They must also look at which government department should approve the EMPR.
2.  There are old mines and mine dumps that are no longer owned by any company. There is no law about who must look after these so that they don't damage the environment.
3.  The right to mine certain minerals is owned by private companies or individuals. The government cannot stop these companies or people mining. The government can only say that the mining must take place under certain conditions.
4.  Mining is mainly done by large companies. The government must look for ways for small businesses to start mining as well. But the government must also find ways to make sure that small mines do not damage the environment.
5.  The gold mines are not doing well at the moment. Workers are losing their jobs. We need strict laws about protecting the environment. But we must make sure that these strict laws do not mean more workers will lose their jobs.
6.   One day there will be no minerals left to mine and the mines will have to close. The government must look at how to help miners find other work. New factories must be set up in areas where mines will have to close.

Recommendations

1.  Mining has caused a lot of damage to the environment. The government should not give the right to mine to any more companies until we have better ways to protect our environment. The RDP says that the government should own all mineral rights. If this happens, then the government can have more control over protecting the environment. They would also have more control over workers health on mines. The government could also make sure that the benefits from mining were shared better.
2.  The mines will have to close when there is no more gold or coal to mine. The mining companies must pay money into a special fund. This money should be used to fix up any damage done to the environment. It could also be used to train or re-train workers who lose their jobs when mines close. It could also be used to set up new factories or industries to make jobs for workers from the mines.
3.  An independent EIA should be done on all mines. The EIA must also look at how the mine will affect the lives of workers and the community. Only after this study has been done should a permit be given to the mine.
4.  The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism must check whether mines are protecting the environment properly. They must also approve the certificate that is given when a mine closes down. They should also have the power to close a mine if it is not protecting the environment properly.
5.  The government must look at old mines and mine dumps to see which ones must be looked after to stop pollution.
6.  The mining companies and the government must find out the best way to protect the environment around mines and mine dumps.
7.  The government should set up a Responsible Care Programme on the mines. They should work with the mining companies to use resources better, to cut down on how much waste is produced, and to protect the environment.





