NKOMATI ANTHRACITE (PTY) LIMITED - Sentula Mining

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Environmental Impact Assessment Report: Nkomati Anthracite (Pty) Limited, Madadeni Opencast Mining Project Page 24 put in place measures to ensure that dirty water emanating from the Madadeni opencast mining area is contained within the dirty water areas of the opencast mining area. This is in the form of clean water diversion trenches that diverts clean water away from the mine to the Mgobode drainage channel and dirty water diversion trenches that diverts dirty water to the Madadeni opencast pollution control dam. Further to the above, a groundwater study has also been conducted and has shown that no impacts on the Mdzabi and Mbiteni Rivers are expected from the Madadeni opencast. An integrated water use licence application for all water use activities at Madadeni opencast, which includes the run of mine coal stockpiles, removal of mine water and the use of the pollution control dam has been submitted to DWEA. 3 . 1 . 8 . 1 . 2 . M e a n An n u a l R u n o f f The size and Mean Annual Runoff for the catchment in which the proposed Madadeni Opencast mining area is stipulated in Table 10 below. Based on the area of the Mgobode River catchment, the proposed Madadeni opencast mining is small and will not significantly contribute to the mean annual runoff for this catchment. Table 10: Catchment Mean Annual Runoff (MAR) for Catchments Within and Around the Proposed Madadeni Opencast Mining Area Catchment Area (Km2) MAR (m3.a-1) x1000 Nhlenga River (A) 113 5 198 Mgobode River (B) 75 3 450 Mdzabi River ( C) 71 3 266 Mditeni River (D) 67 3 082 Mambane River (E) 21 966 Subcatchment of Komati River (F) 86 3 956 3 . 1 . 8 . 2 S u r f a c e W at e r Q u a l i t y Surface water quality within the Mgobode River sub catchment within which the proposed Madadeni Opencast mining area is situated is influenced by agricultural activities (cultivation and grazing) and mining (current Nkomati Anthracite Mine). Since the proposed mining activities have the potential to impact on the surface water environment, it is imperative that the water quality of the water bodies within and around the proposed mining area be recorded. These qualities will be used for comparison purposes with water qualities during mining. This will in turn act as a measuring tool for the efficiency or inefficiency of the management measures to be undertaken during mining. Further to the above, Nkomati Anthracite Mine has implemented a surface water monitoring programme for the current mining operation. The surface water monitoring programme consist of strategically placed surface water monitoring positions to monitor water quality within the catchments occurring on the Nkomati Anthracite Mine area,. The surface water monitoring points are indicated on Figure 9 and described in Table 11 below. The sampling localities include monitoring points on the receiving water body (Komati River) upstream and downstream of the mine, boreholes, abandoned workings and pollution control dams. Surface water samples from the water monitoring points are collected on a monthly basis. The samples are analysed for different chemical parameters to determine the qualities of the surface NKOMATI ANTHRACITE (PTY) LIMITED COMPILED BY GEOVICON ENVIRONMENTAL (PTY) LTD
Sampling Points Environmental Impact Assessment Report: Nkomati Anthracite (Pty) Limited, Madadeni Opencast Mining Project Page 25 water. Sampling has been undertaken since 2008. The latest qualities (August) of the samples collected at the mine are illustrated in Table 12. Below is the description of the water quality as per the results of the monitoring undertaken at the mine. The surface water quality upstream of the mine (SRW1) shows that the Komati River in these parts of the catchment is of a very good state. All the measured variables recorded low concentrations. Sulphates, heavy metals and pH, which can be used to determine effects of mining on surface water, also recorded very low and neutral levels, respectively signifying the absence of mine effects on surface water. All variables are within the Target Water Quality Range for Domestic use proposed by the Department of Water Affairs. The surface water at the downstream monitoring point (SRW 3) continued to show good water quality. pH is neutral, to basic Sulphates are low and the TDS is well within the limits. The quality at this monitoring point does not show any sign that the mining activities upstream are having any influence on the surface water environment. The quality of the water at the pollution control dam has shown elevated levels of elements associated with the coal mining activities. Due to it being a pollution control dam, this water quality is expected. The ground water quality downstream of the current Nkomati Anthracite mine (BH 4 and BH 6) showed water of poor quality due to TDS, sodium and calcium concentrations exceeding the Target Water Quality Range for Domestic use proposed by the Department of Water Affairs. Water samples were taken upstream (MD 2) and downstream (MD 1) of the proposed Madadeni Opencast Mining area from the Komati River. See Figure 9. Three water quality variables were looked at namely TDS, pH and Sulphates as these variables indicated if the water would be affected by coal mining activity. Both sampling localities indicated water of good quality and variable concentrations were well within the Target Water Quality Range for Domestic use proposed by the Department of Water Affairs. See Table 12. Table 11: Description of Surface Water Monitoring Points On and Surrounding Madadeni Opencast mining area Monitoring site Description MD1 Downstream of the proposed Madadeni Opencast mining area MD2 Upstream of the proposed Madadeni Opencast mining area SRW 1 Komati River, upstream of Nkomati Anthracite SRW 3 Komati River, downstream of Nkomati Anthracite BH 4 Downstream of Nkomati Anthracite BH 6 Downstream of Nkomati Anthracite Table 12: Surface Water Quality in the Vicinity of the Proposed Mining Project. TDS (Mg/l) pH SO4 (Mg/l) EC (mS/m) Ca (Mg/l) NKOMATI ANTHRACITE (PTY) LIMITED Mg (Mg/l) Variables Na (Mg/l) K (Mg/l) Fe (Mg/l) Mn (Mg/l) F (Mg/l) Cl (Mg/l) MD1 160 8.06 12 23 10.7 9.71 21.0 0.75 0.11 0.01 0.36 22 0.18 MD2 160 8.08 12.1 23.6 110 9.89 22.2 22.2 0.12 0.01 0.32 23 0.23 SW 1 156 8.2 12.4 25.8 10.9 9.99 28.3 0.97 0.17 0.01 0.43 25 0.1 SW 3 204 8.25 15.7 31.6 12.4 11.7 37.5 0.97 0.11 0.01 0.44 37 0.08 BH 4 3694 5.44 127 578 102.9 27.2 1095 9.59 18 2.9 1.3 2100 0.01 COMPILED BY GEOVICON ENVIRONMENTAL (PTY) LTD Al (Mg/l)
Page 1 and 2: NKOMATI ANTHRACITE (PTY) LIMITED AM
Page 3 and 4: Environmental Impact Assessment Rep
Page 11 and 12: SECTION ONE Environmental Impact As
Page 15 and 16: SECTION TWO Environmental Impact As
Page 31: Environmental Impact Assessment Rep
Page 83 and 84:
Environmental Impact Assessment Rep
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113:
show all

NKOMATI ANTHRACITE (PTY) LIMITED - Sentula Mining

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?