Sibanye Gold Limited (Sibanye-Stillwater): Proposed closure of the underground workings for Ezulwini Operations – Appeal Decision & Additional Requirements
05/03/2020
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)
Appendix F – Public Participation Documents
Appendix H4 - Cooke 3 Risk Assessment and Cooke 3 Emergency Response Plan 3 MB 11 downloads
...WUL Amendment
DMR Directive
Appendix A
Appendix B