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

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Environmentek, South Africa, and the Mineral Resources Centre of the University of Zimbabwe, and forms part of the MMSD SOU<strong>THE</strong>RN AFRICA project. The report has been structured into eight sections to provide a logical framework for synthesis of the information and to facilitate transfer of insights, conclusions and recommendations to stakeholders. The different types of typical chemical and physical impacts associated with diverse mining and mineral processing operations are described to provide an overview of the specific types of impacts that are normally associated with the mining or processing of specific minerals. In several cases, it was difficult to determine the specific impact exerted by a mining operation, because the impact(s) also depended on the degree of management control exerted during mining. Based on defined criteria, the impacts of mining and mineral processing operations were classified into high, medium and low impacts. These descriptors were then used to describe the scale and variety of impacts linked to mining activities in each of the sub-catchments. Within the time and budget constraints of this Research Topic, it was not possible to collect high quality quantitative data for each of the three river basins. Indeed, it was difficult to obtain water quality data for Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia and there was some sensitivity regarding possible misinterpretation of the few data available for South Africa and Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, despite these constraints, it was possible to estimate the extent and variety of historical and current mining and mineral processing operations within each sub-catchment for each river basin. This information allowed the Project Team to derive qualitative or semi-quantitative estimates of the probable extent of any impacts on water resources and water quality, based on existing information and professional judgement. These were described briefly in terms of both their potential severity and the spatial scale of the area they would be likely to affect. In addition to this system of qualitative descriptions, attention was also paid to evaluating whether or not a series of impacts within a single sub-catchment could interact or combine to exert a greater, cumulative effect on water resources and water quality. In some cases, the cumulative effect of a group of otherwise relatively “low-” or “medium-scale” impacts from individual mines in a single catchment can be seen as a dramatic increase in both the severity and extent of adverse impacts exerted on catchment water resources and other water users. In such cases, remediation often requires concerted management attention from the mines concerned, as well as the relevant water authorities. Wherever possible, available water quality data were used to substantiate descriptions of impacts. Data for mining operations located in Zimbabwe and South Africa were restricted to those mining operations that had achieved a minimum production specific to each commodity. This process of selection was not possible for other basin states due to the scarcity of data; all mining operations identified for the Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania sectors of the Zambezi and Limpopo basins were located on appropriate maps. For all three of the river basins, numerous mining operations have been closed, abandoned or not proceeded beyond initial prospecting and feasibility assessments. Unless these operations were likely to have a significant impact on water resources and water quality in their immediate vicinity, these operations were not dealt with. The study has confirmed the diverse array of mining and mineral processing activities that take place in the Zambezi, Limpopo and Olifants basins. The extent and severity of the impacts is dependent on the commodity iv
exploited, the size of the facility, the climatic region in which the facility is situated and the efficiency and effectiveness of management control. The variety and extent of impacts in the three river basins has been segmented into the individual sub-catchments making up each basin. The overall impacts within each basin are then summarized for clarity. Several generic and specific conclusions were formed on the basis of the material examined during this study and are reported in Section 6. Based on these conclusions and the supporting information, specific recommendations have been listed in Section 7. These recommendations (Table 7.1) are listed here for convenience. v
Page 1 and 2: AN OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING
Page 3: AN OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING
Page 7 and 8: 2.3.6 Stockpiling and transport of
Page 9 and 10: 4.1.6 Mining and mineral processing
Page 11 and 12: LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Compari
Page 13 and 14: Table 1.6: Minimum annual productio
Page 15 and 16: Table 3.26: Mining operations in th
Page 17 and 18: Table 4.22: Mining operations in th
Page 19 and 20: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Several enthusiast
Page 21 and 22: 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFO
Page 23 and 24: Box 1.2). Each research team is req
Page 25 and 26: The MRC cannot be held responsible
Page 27 and 28: of amenity or deterioration in wate
Page 29 and 30: Typically, river flows in the count
Page 31 and 32: In simple terms, all of the propone
Page 33 and 34: shared by more than one country, es
Page 35 and 36: most appropriate technical or inves
Page 37 and 38: CAMEROUN GABON CENTRAL AFRICAN REPU
Page 39 and 40: 1.6.1 Data on the location, nature,
Page 41 and 42: 1997). In future studies, more atte
Page 43 and 44: Section 5 briefly reviews the water
Page 45 and 46: Mining methods vary widely and depe
Page 47 and 48: Removal and storage of ores and was
Page 49 and 50: These effects are usually ameliorat
Page 51 and 52: Water quality changes are widely co
Page 53 and 54: these substances are often mobilize
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The acidification of the water has
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and kinetic stability of the comple
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This process is carefully balanced
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neutralize each other - this situat
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(Chenje, 2000). Despite the recent
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Swaziland Water Environment Tanzani
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Draft Environmental Management Bill
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siting of works plan for approval t
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The draft policy encourages develop
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provides a definition but one which
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2.9.3.9 Zimbabwe Environmental Impa
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Sector Activity Industry °Chemical
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Cyanides and related compounds (CN)
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of Natural Resources and the South
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3.1.1 Geology, topography and soils
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Air temperatures across the Zambezi
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or fuelwood production. Similar pat
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Zambia. Clearly, some water quality
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3.2.1.6 Human impacts on water reso
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The Botswana segment of this area f
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3.4.1.4 Surface water users The onl
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3.5.1.2 Geology The Upper Karoo Bat
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3.5.6 Implications for water qualit
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3.6.4 Monitoring systems None. 3.6.
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3.7.2 Mining and mineral processing
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3.8.1.5 Water management systems Th
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3.9.1.2 Geology This sub-catchment
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3.9.5 Water quality data None avail
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Z-87 Mulobezi Amethyst Operating Ve
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3.11.1.6 Human impacts on water res
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3.12.1.2 Geology This sub-catchment
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• Increased quantities of suspend
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Determinant Fischer’s Farm Raglan
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3.13.1.4 Surface water users There
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The Nampundwe pyrite mine poses a r
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Z-90 Chisuki Mica, Tin, Tantalite O
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along the major roads between Chiru
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3.16.1 General description 3.16.1.1
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Z-17 Jessie Gold Starting Very Smal
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Small intrusions of Greenstone form
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Several stretches of streams and ri
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3.18.1.5 Water management systems T
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3.18.6 Implications for water quali
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3.20 The Mazowe (Mozambique) sub-ca
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3.20.4 Monitoring systems This area
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Table 3.21: Mining operations in th
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The only settlements of any size ar
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3.23.4 Monitoring systems None. 3.2
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• Non-point impact from minefield
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This is Zones G1-G6, B1-B3, S1-S6,
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The catchment falls mainly under th
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The two lone water quality data poi
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• Non-point domestic effluent, ru
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Land use comprises the Siabuwa, Oma
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3.28 The Ume sub-catchment 3.28.1 G
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3.28.4 Monitoring systems None. 3.2
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3.29.1.4 Surface water users The Ci
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Thristle Etna Gold 6.7 Medium Tiger
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Sanyati, all may well contribute or
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3.30.1.5 Water management systems T
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This is Zone Z1 of Area C (ZSG, 198
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3.31.5 Water quality data Only one
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3.32.2 Mining and mineral processin
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Land use above the Zambezi Escarpme
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Extensive alluvial mining of gold t
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The major settlements are the metro
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• Urban run off, urban areas of C
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3.36.1.4 Surface water users The to
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3.37.1.1 Hydrology This is Zones M1
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The catchment falls under the Harar
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3.37.3 Alluvial mining Alluvial min
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widely intruded by Mashonaland Dole
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3.38.4 Monitoring systems ZINWA is
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4. THE LIMPOPO BASIN In order to pr
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Mountains. Most of the basin consis
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the City of Pretoria and the northe
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continues to flow in the deeper all
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Each basin state maintains its own
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Land use in the upper parts of the
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the Limpopo River some 100 kilometr
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None obtainable in time for this re
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4.4.2 Mining and mineral processing
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In the Botswana sector of the sub-c
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Table 4.9: Mining operations in the
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4.7.4 Monitoring systems ZINWA is c
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There is exploration for diamonds (
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There is exploration, mainly for di
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Hwange National Park (ZSG, 1998). A
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4.12.1.3 Pedology, agriculture and
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4.13 The Marico sub-catchment 4.13.
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• Major non-point impact of agric
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Several thermal springs are located
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• Disposal of large volumes of li
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D7-13 Premier Diamond - kimberlite
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Most of the clayey loam soils in th
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4.17 The Theuniskloof sub-catchment
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4.17.4 Monitoring systems The Depar
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4.18.1.4 Surface water users All of
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Water quality data for three sites
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supplies in the sub-catchment, the
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4.20.1.2 Geology Like the Mogalakwe
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• Minor non-point impact from non
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4.21 The Nzhelele sub-catchment 4.2
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4.22.1.3 Pedology, agriculture and
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Code Number Name of Mine Commodity
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5. THE OLIFANTS CATCHMENT In order
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Soil formations across the Olifants
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indices of per capita agricultural
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professional capacity within the me
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• Dark grey to blackish, mottled
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5.2.5 Water quality data No specifi
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Several towns (e.g. Witbank and Mid
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The following mining operations are
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5.3.6 Implications for water qualit
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5.4.1.3 Pedology, agriculture and l
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K 5.5 5 4.5 Cl 380 350 200 F 1.0 1.
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local geological formations. High c
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The South African Department of Wat
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pH 8.5 8.3 8.8 8.7 8.8 8.9 TDS 439
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Soils in the sub-catchment can be d
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No information is available on the
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In its upper reaches, the sub-catch
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The Phalaborwa Water Board has been
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m 3 /day) water abstractions, and m
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In the south-west of the sub-catchm
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• Minor non-point impact of agric
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(Figure 4.2). The tributaries of th
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5.9.1.6 Human impacts on water reso
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y the upper Klaserie River. Recent
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In Mozambique, the Mozambican Depar
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Acid mine drainage (AMD) represents
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• Antimony, cadmium and tin conta
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• Decreased light penetration to
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6.1.8 “Peripheral” or indirect
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Worldwide, the general public has e
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2. That copies of this report shoul
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Banks, D., P.L. Younger, R.T. Arnes
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CSIR (1993). An Environmental Impac
Page 353 and 354:
Fuggle, R.F. & M.A. Rabie (1996). E
Page 355 and 356:
Love, D. & D.K. Hallbauer (2000). M
Page 357 and 358:
Pettersson, U.T. & J. Ingri (2000b)
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Turton, A.R. (1999b). Water scarcit
Page 361 and 362:
World Bank (1998). World Developmen
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