OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

• Disposal of large volumes of liquid (domestic, light industrial and heavy industrial) effluent at all cities and
towns;
• Large volumes of runoff from cities and the larger towns, as well as all other urban areas;
• Seepage from two hazardous waste dumps located in the sub-catchment;
• Discharge of radionuclides in effluent from the Pelindaba experimental reactors;
• Non-point domestic effluent from numerous small settlements and farms;
• Minor non-point impact from non-intensive commercial or subsistence agriculture;
• Major non-point impact of agricultural return flows from intensive irrigation areas; and
• Large volumes of litter and domestic garbage alongside the many roads and highways that traverse the
sub-catchment.
4.14.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
The positions of the mining operations in the Marico sub-catchment are shown in Figures 4.2 and 4.3. Details
of each operation are given in Table 4.14.
Table 4.14: Mining operations in the Crocodile-Elands-Pienaars sub-catchment.
Code
Number
Name of Mine
Commodity (ies)
Mined
Status
Relative
Size
Probable
Impact
C6-1 Rhino Lead Lead Prospecting Small Very low
C6-2 Thabazimbi Iron Operating Large Low – Medium
C6-3 Rhino Andalusite Andalusite Operating Large Low
C6-8 Zwartkop Chrome Operating Medium Low
C6-9 Amandebult Platinum Operating Very large Medium
C6-10 Vlaknek Vanadium Prospecting Very small Very low
C6-11 Koppie Aleen Vanadium Prospecting Very small Very low
C6-12 Northam Platinum Operating Medium Low
C6-13 Union Platinum Operating Medium Low
C6-14 Latilla Dolomite / Limestone Operating Medium Low
C6-15 Brakspruit Vanadium Prospecting Small Very low
C6-16 Kransberg Vanadium Prospecting Small Very low
C6-17 Witfontein Fluorspar Prospecting Small Very low
C6-18 Rooiberg Copper Closed Small Very low
C6-19 Witfontein B Fluorspar Closed Small Very low
C6-20 Rooiberg B Gold Closed Small Very low
C6-21 Kwarriehoek Gold Closed Very small Very low
C6-22 Sterkfontein Fluorspar Closed Very small Very low
C6-23 Knoppieskraal Fluorspar Closed Very small Very low
C6-24 Doornfontein Fluorspar Closed Small Very low
D6-4 Rooderand Chrome Operating Medium Medium
D6-5 Rustenburg Minerals Chrome Operating Large Medium
D6-6 Ruighoek Chrome Operating Very large Medium – High
D6-7 Ntuane Chrome Operating Medium Medium
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