Draft Status Quo Report for the Pixley Ka Seme ... - SRK Consulting

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SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 37 stakeholders. This incident demonstrates the power of the community in the area against mining activities in the municipality. The PKSLM SDF (2009) expresses concern over the spread of coal mining into the Wakkerstroom area due to the extensive wetlands and high conservation value. Mining would seriously threaten the integrity of the wetlands and other habitats. Open cast coal mining also has an impact on surface water and groundwater resources as a result of AMD and higher turbidity levels. Future mineral potential Further exploration and potential development of precious metal/mineral production, including the reexamination of existing deposits, is likely to take place. The coal output is expected to grow for Mpumalanga over the short-term in response to both local and export markets (MDALA, 2003). A considerable amount of exploration for coal has taken place in recent years in the Mpumalanga coalfield. The potential for UCG of deep-lying coal deposits could further increase coal mining activity. However, the long-term water quality impacts and other environmental implications form UCG have yet to be determined. Given the low quality and limited thickness of much of the resource in the area, coal is likely to be mined using opencast methods. Generally, coal seams that occur close to the surface are highly weathered and not amenable to good coal recovery. The considerable overburden and poor quality of the coal may also contribute to making such ventures unviable. Opencast mining further has a significant impact on the water resources and sensitive ecology. The proper implementation of the mine’s environmental management programme including the final rehabilitation of the mine and disturbed areas could, however, prove to be severe challenges for the operators. Future quarries are also likely to be developed for construction materials where a market for such materials is identified close to materials sources – such materials would include builders sand and road aggregates. Environmental impacts due to mining AMD can arise from coal mining operations, either from overburden and waste piles or from underground or opencast mines. Most mines will fill up with groundwater with time after closure and seepage or decanting of groundwater away from the filled mine will then occur. This is likely to result in the decanting of the potentially contaminated water into surface water resources or other groundwater aquifers. Mines would need to determine the conditions of this decanting including a prediction of the water quality with time, as part of their environmental studies and monitoring, but certainly as part of their application for closure certificates. The extent of the potential development of AMD at each mine is dependent on how successfully the mine manages its water, from within the mine itself, or as seepage or runoff. This can usually only be managed with considerable technical skill and financial input. The extent and severity of actual occurrence of AMD at any mine can only be determined through detailed hydrogeological studies that would include borehole drilling, modelling and laboratory analyses. Pretorius (2008) notes that the examination of maps showing the distribution of mines in the Highveld coal region reveals that there are only a small fraction of the mines that are closed and currently decanting at full capacity. Therefore a new wave of decanting is imminent in the next 10-15 years as additional mines start decanting contaminated water unless the method of prevention of AMD is not improved. 3.4.4 Urban settlements The following urban areas occur in the PKSLM, namely: • Volksrust/Vukuzakhe; • Amersfoort/eZamokuhle; • Wakkerstroom/eSizameleni; • Daggakraal; and • Perdekop/Siyazenzela. Volksrust / Vukuzakhe Volksrust is the largest (in terms of economic activities) urban centre in PKSLM, and is located on the N11 and KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010
SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 38 on the Mpumalanga / KZN border. The N11 is an important transport route for tourists and freight and has, in part, led to the diversified development of Volksrust. It is the central point of an area where maize, wool, sorghum, sunflower seed, beef and dairy are all farmed and produced. The establishment of Eskom’s Majuba power station on the outskirts of Volksrust along with the associated industry and commerce has led to increased economic development, which has improved the quality of life for the residents. The town is well served with engineering and social services and hence supports itself as well as the surrounding hinterland. In 2001, it was estimated to have a population of 20,471 (Census, 2001), which was approximately 25% of the local municipality’s population. Amersfoort / eZamokuhle Amersfoort is situated north of Daggakraal on the intersection of the N11 and R35 from Bethal. It is a small urban centre with limited retail facilities, with only a few tertiary services. It has a railway station, grain silos, a police station and municipal offices. The town has basic infrastructure and services rendering it a minor urban settlement. Housing delivery Despite the apparent increasing population within the municipality according to the IDP, the proposed amount of additional housing appears to be too high in certain areas (Table 3-10). Of particular concern is that 37% of these houses are to be built in Daggakraal, an area of low economic potential and inadequate sanitation and solid waste infrastructure. Should there not be economic diversification within the area within the next five years this may lead to disused houses which at least, constitutes visual pollution and at most inefficient use of potential agricultural land (Klug 2010). Table 3-10: Proposed housing delivery in PKSLM – 2010 to 2015 Wakkerstroom / eSizameleni Wakkerstroom is the second oldest town in Mpumalanga established in 1859 and is located along the R543 east of Volksrust, on a north facing slope. It is a small urban area but comprises a police station, library, schools and some retail sites. Its economy is gradually growing as the area is starting to transform from a mere agricultural support centre to a tourist destination given the wide variety of bird species to be found in the area. While the town’s economic diversification is seen as a positive aspect, it poses certain threats. These include an increase in holiday accommodation and weekend houses. Given the nature of the underlying soils and the slope, the town is located on significant areas within the demarcated town and are subject to flooding in the rainy season. Furthermore, given that the town is on a soak-pit sanitation system this could pose a threat to the groundwater in the area. Source: PKSLM Housing Chapter (2009) Daggakraal Daggakraal and the nearby Vlakplaats are relatively unique settlements in South Africa as they were bought by black farmers in 1912, and have been held in free hold tenure by black farmers since then. During the apartheid years there was a population influx due to the displacement of other communities. In the early 1980's staunch resistance by the people prevented the government from relocating the community. The community now holds title to the neighbouring farm of Sommershoek, designated by Land Affairs Minister Derek Hanekom in 1997, who bought the land for R3.7 million out of a R5.8 million grant provided by government. R2.1 million was also used to build a piggery, which in 2000 was marketing 80 pigs a week. KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010
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