NKOMATI ANTHRACITE (PTY) LIMITED - Sentula Mining

Environmental Impact Assessment Report: Nkomati Anthracite (Pty) Limited, Madadeni Opencast
Mining Project Page 76
the fact that the mined areas can be rehabilitated to proximate the pre-mining land uses reduces the
significance of the cumulative impacts.
6.5.4 Na t u r a l V e g e t at i o n
Due to the high arable potential of the area within the Madadeni Opencast mining area, extensive
agricultural practices (grazing and crop production) has resulted in the removal of vast areas of
natural vegetation. In view of the above, the natural vegetation of the area has been severely affected
by the previous farming activities. The presence of mining activities would add to the already
impacted environment. Rehabilitation of the mining area (opencast) would in a sense mitigate against
these impacts. However this could not be guaranteed since the land may be reverted back to
agriculture (grazing or crop production) provided good rehabilitation is undertaken.
6.5.5 S u r f ac e w a t e r
Mining has over the past decades had detrimental effects on the surface water environment. This
could be attributed to previous environmentally unfriendly mining practices. The presence of several
mining activities within one catchment may have severe effects on the surface water environment.
However, due to new technologies and environmental awareness that has been promoted over the
last decade, mining can be undertaken such that the impacts on the surface water environment are
significantly minimised and controlled. The quality of the water in the Komati River which drains the
current Nkomati Anthracite opencast mining area is testimony to this.
Agriculture, which currently dominates the area, can have a detrimental impact on surface water.
Nkomati Anthracite (Pty) Limited will, in view of the seriousness of the potential impacts, continue to
undertake the necessary measures to ensure that the current and proposed mining operations do not
contribute to the identified impacts on surface water environment.
6.5.6 G r o u n d w a t e r
During the impact assessment it was identified that groundwater will not be polluted during the
operational phase since water will be pumped out of the groundwater aquifer. It is only after mining,
when groundwater flow conditions has been re-instated that the polluted water can migrate away from
the rehabilitated areas. The expansion of the plume is predicted to be very slow due to the low
hydraulic conductivity and the low gradients in the area.
When groundwater returns to equilibrium conditions, movement of the plume will commence due to an
outward directed hydraulic gradient:
o Movement of the plume could be expected to be mostly easterly towards the Komati River.
o However, movement will very slow due to the low hydraulic conductivity and very low
gradients in the area.
o From the results of the modelling, the plume is predicted to virtually stagnant for all practical
purposes.
o From the results of the modelling it is thus not expected that the groundwater pollution will
ever impact negatively on any current groundwater users or on the Komati River.
6.5.7 Ai r Q u a l i t y
Potentially air pollution may arise from mining activities as a result of particulates entering the
atmosphere. These particulates arise as dust from haul roads, on overburden stockpiles and coal
stockpiles. Mining activities at the proposed Madadeni Opencast area will occur on surface through
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