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

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D7-7 Nyala Dimension stone Operating Small Very low<br />

D7-9 Belfast Granite Dimension stone Operating Medium Low<br />

D7-12 Belfast #2 Dimension stone Operating Small Very low<br />

D7-16 Marlin Dimension stone Operating Small Very low<br />

D7-44 Baviaanskloof Vermiculite Prospecting Small Very low<br />

D7-45 Mapochs Vanadium, Copper Operating Large Medium – High<br />

D7-46 Vanadiumkop Vanadium Prospecting Small Very low<br />

D7-47 Driefontein Vanadium Closed Small Very low<br />

5.5.3 Alluvial mining<br />

None known or anticipated.<br />

5.5.4 Monitoring systems<br />

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) routinely collects water samples and gauges flows in the<br />

Steelpoort sub-catchment, as part of its national monitoring programme. In addition, DWAF also regulate all<br />

large (> 150 m 3 /day) water abstractions, and monitor the quantity and quality of all effluent discharges through a<br />

system of effluent discharge permits or licences. Each licensed effluent discharger is required to carry out a<br />

routine monitoring programme of the flow and quality of their effluent and supply this to DWAF. The Department<br />

then conducts a randomised series of audit samples to check the veracity of the effluent returns submitted by<br />

each discharger.<br />

5.5.5 Water quality data<br />

A set of water quality data are available for the Steelpoort River and the Dwars River, collected from sites<br />

upstream and downstream of a group of chrome and vanadium mining operations. These data are presented in<br />

Table 5.10. The data reveal clear effects of mining on general water quality (most probably due to forms of<br />

acidic seepage) but the data for chrome and vanadium concentrations are anomalous in that they show no clear<br />

indications of the chrome and vanadium mines having any effect on these substances in the rivers.<br />

Table 5.10: Water quality data from five sites on the Steelpoort and Dwars rivers, close to chrome and<br />

vanadium mining operations. The sampling sites are as follows: (1) = Dwars River upstream of Tweefontein<br />

Chrome Mine; (2) = Dwars River downstream of Tweefontein Chrome Mine; (3) = Steelpoort River upstream of<br />

junction with Dwars River; (4) = Steelpoort River downstream of Vantec Vanadium Mine; (5) = Steelpoort River<br />

downstream of Lannex Section Chrome Mine; (6) = Steelpoort River downstream of Tubatse Ferrochrome<br />

Smelter. [All values given in mg/litre except pH (log units)].<br />

Sampling Sites<br />

Parameter<br />

1 2 3 4 5 6<br />

cccx

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