Acid mine drainage being managed, says IMC

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The decanting of acid mine drainage, or AMD, in Gauteng into the environment and water courses is a result of mining activities over more than 150 years.

Following a Cabinet decision, an Inter-Ministerial Committee on AMD was set up and co-chaired by the Ministers of Water and Environmental Affairs and Mineral Resources. The IMC includes the Ministers of Finance, Science and Technology and National Planning.

An inter-governmental task team was set up to ensure the programme of addressing AMD is underway and that progress is reported to the IMC, and thus to Cabinet.

Also, a task team of scientists and professionals in the water sector, namely the Team of Experts, under the leadership of the CEO of the Council for GeoScience was put together with tight timelines to advise the inter-governmental task team and the IMC.

This task team has presented their findings to the inter-governmental task team and the IMC and made recommendations.

The report recommends the implementation of "emergency works" to contain AMD at a pre-determined level which will ensure that ground and surface water is protected, as well as preventing other AMD-associated environmental and socio-economic impacts.

It recommended the pumping and neutralisation of AMD, primarily in the area of the Western Basin, where there was active decant of AMD into the water courses.

In the Western Basin, which was always the one under most threat, the immediate solution is operational, said the IMC on Wednesday. "It can be reported that thus the surface decant of AMD into the environment has been eradicated."

In the Central Basin, work towards the construction of an AMD pump station, neutralisation plant, as well as waste and neutralised water pipelines at the former East Rand Proprietary Mines (South west Vertical Shaft) commenced in January 2013.

The IMC said civil works were at an advanced stage of development and commissioning is projected for December 2013. It said the current level of underground AMD did not present any environmental or socio-economic risks.

In the Eastern Basin there is a projection for infrastructure development similar to the one at the Central Basin.

"A bid for the project has recently been advertised and mandatory briefing meetings in line with the bid have been convened with potential service providers ... it is envisaged that the bid will be awarded by December 2013 with the project commissioning envisaged for December 2014," said the IMC.

The Team of Experts also compiled a long-term feasibility study towards concrete management of the AMD. This has been received by the Department of Water affairs on behalf of government, which will be presented to the IMC.

The IMC said it wanted to assure the public that the challenge of AMD, particularly in the Witwatersrand, was being attended to.

"It is the firm belief of government and its partners that there is significant progress being made towards addressing this critical challenge to our environment and water resources with socio-economic impacts," it said.