Amendment to the Union Section Joint Venture's ... - SRK Consulting

P u r p o s e o f t h i s d o c u m e n tThe purpose of this Background Information Document (BID)is to provide Stakeholders with initial information regardingthe proposed construction and operation of a new ventilationShaft at Anglo Platinum Rustenburg Platinum Mine (RPM) –Union Section Spud Shaft (South Mine), North West Province.An Environmental Management Programme (EMPR)amendment and associated public participation process willbe conducted in terms of Section 102 of the MineralsPetroleum Resources Development Act (Act No. 28 of 2002)(MPRDA) and Regulation 48 – 52. SRK Consulting has beenappointed as the independent environmental consultants forthis project.The Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)/Environmental Management Plan (EMP) reports will besubmitted to the lead decision-making authority; theB a c k g r o u n d a n d i n t r o d u c t i o nDepartment of Mineral Resources (DMR), on behalf of theapplicant, RPM.Stakeholders now have the opportunity to register as anInterested and Affected Party (I&AP) and provide theircomments by completing the attached form and returning itvia email or fax to the responsible personnel as indicated inthis document.Comments on any aspect of the proposed project will help tofocus the studies, to ensure that relevant issues areevaluated in the EIA process, and will assist the authoritiesto make an informed decision.Please complete the enclosed registration and commentsheet, write a letter, provide a written submission, call oremail the Public Participation Office with your contributions,by the 25 th February 2013.The proposed ventilation shaft is a vertical passage that willbe connecting the underground workings with surfaceatmosphere, functioning to move fresh air underground toensure a safe working environment for the underground mineworkers.Union Mine's infrastructure consists mainly of two verticalshafts, namely Richard Shaft (now North Mine) and SpudShaft (now South Mine). The operating depth of the currentworkings is between 150 m and 1,500 m below surfaceL o c a t i o nThe ventilation shaft at Spud Shaft (South Mine) is requiredto enable Spud Shaft to continue mining at the requiredproduction rate. The Spud Shaft’s UG2 operation will extendthe profitability and life of the RPM, and in return createadditional employment. Failure to have this ventilation shaftin time will result in a loss of production and the possible joblosses.The mine is situated in both the Limpopo and the North Westprovinces of South Africa, approximately 210 km north westof Johannesburg and 15 km west of the Limpopo town,Northam. The mine forms part of the North-western Limb ofthe Bushveld Complex. (See Figure 0-1).The Ventilation shaft is located ± 35 km from the PilanesbergNational Park on the farm Haakdoorn 6 JQ, within the MosesKotane municipal area.Other villages in the area are Sefikile, 6 km to the east,Mantserre, 6 km to the north east, and the Union mineresidential development, which is 6 km to the north from theWHO TO CONTACT ABOUT THIS PROJECT?proposed ventilation shaft. See Figure 0-2 for the arialphotograph showing the villages in relation to the VentilationShaft.Ventilation shafts are positioned at specified locations alongthe underground workings to optimise ventilation capacity,whilst considering energy demands and disturbance that mayaccrue to attempt to ventilate over prolonged distances.Therefore this exact position was recommended. Positioningof the raiseboring ventilation shaft is also limited by thecurrent underground mining operations.Should you wish to be registered as a stakeholder or wish is discuss your concerns further with the SRK project team or receivefurther information, please contact: Mrs. Donne Chetty / Mrs. Ilke NelP.O. Box 35290, Menlo Park, 0102Tel: 012 361 9821 , Fax: 086 514 9762E-mail: ddutoit@srk.co.za or inel@srk.co.za