Jones & Wagener International > Public Documents > Sibanye Gold Limited (Sibanye-Stillwater): Proposed closure of the underground workings for Ezulwini Operations – Appeal Decision & Additional Requirements

Sibanye Gold Limited (Sibanye-Stillwater): Proposed closure of the underground workings for Ezulwini Operations – Appeal Decision & Additional Requirements


Ezulwini Mining Company (Pty) Ltd

PROPOSED CESSATION OF PUMPING AND ASSOCIATED DECOMMISSIONING OF THE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS OF THE EZULWINI MINING COMPANY (PTY) LTD (EMC) (COOKE 4 SHAFT), GAUTENG

MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS APPEAL DECISION AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

 

Ezulwini Mining Company (Pty) Ltd (“EMC”) appealed to the Minister of Environmental Affairs (“Appeal Authority”) against the Regional Manager: Mineral Regulation for the Gauteng Regional office of the Department of Mineral Resources’ (“DMR”) negative environmental authorisation decision dated 30 April 2018. EMC’s application to the DMR was for the decommissioning of the underground mine workings and associated cessation of pumping operations at Ezulwini mine, Gauteng Province under reference GP 30/5/1/2/2 (38) MR.  The Appeal Authority issued a decision on the appeal on 6 March 2019, received on 11 March 2019, which was duly made available for public review on our website at https://www.jaws-int.compublic-document/sibanye-gold-limited-sibanye-stillwater-proposed-closure-of-the-underground-workings-for-ezulwini-operations-ea-appeal-decision/ on 15 March 2019.

Based on the appeal decision, the DMR issued a letter to the EMC on 19 March 2019 (a copy of the letter and its attachments are included below) directing EMC to:

  • Submit four hard copies of the Final Basic Assessment (FBAR) and appendices to the DMR, for distribution to the commenting authorities,
  • Conduct a further consultation process with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) the Principal Inspector of Mines (PIOM) and the Council for Geoscience to solicit comments, and
  • Determine the financial provision that caters for any environmental liability, pollution or ecological degradation, the pumping and treatment of polluted or extraneous water, and the management and sustainable closure of the mine.

Further to the above, all registered Interested and Affected parties are granted another 30 calendar days (excluding public holidays) to comment on the FBAR and appendices, as well as the following additional documents:

Description
Letter to Mr Max Madubane, Regional Manager – Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate: Summary of water barrier pillar and plug stability during re-watering of Ezulwini

Owner/Origin
SRK Consulting

Date
31 January 2018

Document Reference
507569/4

Appendix
A1

Description
Response to DWS’ Comments on the Final Basic Assessment Report and Environmental Management Programme Report for the Cessation of Pumping Operations at Ezulwini and Closure of Underground Workings and Appendix

Owner/Origin
Sibanye-Stillwater

Date
10 October 2018

Document Reference

Appendix
A3

Description

Appeal Decision:
Appeal Against the Decision not to grant Environmental Authorisation to Ezulwini Mining Company (Pty) Ltd in Respect of the Decommissioning of the Underground Mine Workings and associated Cessation of Pumping Operations at Ezulwini Mine Situated on Farm Jachtfontein 344, Farm Klipgat 700, Farm Modderfontein 345 and Farm Waterpan 292, Registration Division IQ, within the City of Rand West Local Municipality, in the Gauteng Province

Owner/Origin
Minister of Environmental Affairs: Republic of South Africa

Date
6 March 2019

Document Reference
LSA 172942

Appendix
A5

Description

Letter to the Regional Manager: Mineral Regulation: Gauteng Region: Consultation in terms of Section 24 O(2) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) with regard to the Basic Assessment Report (BAR) in support of the Application for Environmental Authorisation (spelling corrected) for Cessation of Pumping and associated Decommissioning of the Underground Workings of the EMC (Cooke 4 Shaft) listed in terms of the National Environmental Act: EIA Regulations 2014, on the Farm Cloverfield 75 IR, situated in the Magisterial District of Westonaria.

Owner/Origin
Inspector – Mine Health and Safety: Gauteng Region

Date

22 February 2018
Received on 25 March 2019, as attachment to DMR letter dated 19 March 2019 and received on 25 March 2019.

Document Reference

GP30/5/1/2/2 (38) MR
Ref: O 194

Appendix
A7

Description
Letter to Ms Lauren Dell, Sibanye Stillwater (Pty) Ltd: Comments on the Final Basic Assessment Report and Environmental Management Programme Report for the Cessation of Pumping Operations at Ezulwini and Closure of Underground Workings

Owner/Origin
DWS: Gauteng Provincial Operations

Date
16 June 2018

Document Reference
16/2/7/C222/C046

Appendix
A2

Description
Letter to Mr W Robinson, Sibanye-Stillwater: Response to Comments on the Final Basic Assessment and Environmental Management Programme Reports for Cessation of Pumping Operations at Ezulwini and the Decommissioning of Underground Mine Workings

Owner/Origin
DWS: Gauteng Provincial Operations

Date
6 March 2019

Document Reference
16/2/7/C222/C046

Appendix
A4

Description

Letter to Ezulwini Mining Company: An Environmental Authorisation for the Cessation of Pumping of the Underground Mine Water and Associated Decommissioning of the Underground Workings of the Ezulwini Mining Company (PTY) LTD listed in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA): EIA Regulations, 2014 on Various Portions of the Farms Jachtfontein 344 IQ, Modderfontein 345 IQ, Klipgat 700 IQ and Waterpan 292 IQ, situated in the Magisterial District of Westonaria

Owner/Origin
DMR: Mineral Regulation: Gauteng Office

Date
19 March 2019

Document Reference
GP30/5/1/2/2 (38) MR

Appendix
A6

In addition to the documents listed in the above table, an updated financial provision estimate has been included in the submission, for review.

The public review period will be from 16 April 2019 to 20 May 2019.

The FBAR and appendices, as well as the additional documents listed in the table above, can be found below.

Please forward any comments you may have to Jones & Wagener at gina@jaws.co.za and/or vanzyl@jaws.co.za.

After the commenting period, all the comments received, including the minutes of the meetings with the DWS, PIOM and Council for Geoscience, will be collated in a Supplementary Comments and Response Report and submitted to the DMR. The Comments and Response Report will also be made available for public review and additional comments on the Supplementary Comments and Response Report may be submitted directly to the DMR at that time.

(as submitted and made publically available on 12 October 2017)

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Final Basic Assessment Report 60.83 MB 22 downloads

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Appendix A - EAP CV and Qualification 564.18 KB 13 downloads

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Appendix B1 - Historic Documents 1 4.02 MB 15 downloads

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Appendix B2 - Historic Documents 2 4.77 MB 11 downloads

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Appendix B3 - Historic Documents 3 845.02 KB 11 downloads

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Appendix C1 - Plug Review & Design 31.17 MB 15 downloads

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Appendix C3 - Surface Water 34.05 MB 11 downloads

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Appendix C4 - Wetland Note 5 MB 11 downloads

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Appendix C5 - Socio-Economic 2 MB 10 downloads

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Appendix D - Impact Assessment 418 KB 12 downloads

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Appendix E - Closure Plan 33 MB 14 downloads

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Appendix F – Public Participation Documents

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Appendix F1 75 KB 12 downloads

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Appendix F2 2 MB 13 downloads

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Appendix F3 2 MB 11 downloads

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Appendix F4 1 MB 12 downloads

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Appendix F5 507 KB 11 downloads

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Appendix F6 2 MB 12 downloads

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Appendix F7 630 KB 13 downloads

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Appendix F8 13 MB 12 downloads

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Appendix F9a 15 MB 10 downloads

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WUL Amendment

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Appendix Ia 8 MB 11 downloads

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Appendix Ib 800 KB 11 downloads

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Appendix Ic 6 KB 13 downloads

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DMR Directive

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DMR Directive 1.37 MB 12 downloads

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Cover Letter 202.11 KB 15 downloads

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Appendix A







Appendix B