Acid mine drainage causes havoc by polluting groundwater

The Bench Marks Foundation, which monitors corporate performance in the field of corporate social responsibility with the focus on social sustainability and economic empowerment, has been lobbying for change in the mining industry particularly with regard to environmental issues since its inception in 2003.

Warnings was issued in 2007

"Although it is seven years too late - the last assessment done by WRC was done in 2005 - reducing the period may mitigate further disasters such as we are currently experiencing in South Africa," said John Capel, executive director at Bench Marks Foundation. He said the organisation issued warnings about the effect of acid mine drainage as long ago as 2007 in its first Policy Gap report, together with information regarding the effect of pumping water out of aquivers, the perforation of dykes and the possible development of fissures due to the pumping out of underground water.

"If government and mining companies took heed of our warnings and implemented the recommendations given in that report not only in the North West Province, but also in the rest of South Africa, the emergency measures currently being undertaken in places such as Springs, Germiston and Roodepoort would not have been necessary. All the short-term solutions undertaken by the Department of Water Affairs such as the proposed desalination of acid mine water should have been part of a longer-term plan that could have been introduced long ago," he said.

Problem is getting worse

Capel also said that there is little capacity at both local government and district government levels to monitor the quality of water and the Bench Marks Foundation hopes that this move by the WRC will finally resolve a number of the gaps in this regard. "There are just too many mining companies operating without water licenses and this is causing further havoc with our water resources. It seems the problem is just going to get worse."

Some of the recommendations given in the reports include projects that would not only address a number of the negative impacts of mining on the environment, but would create a large amount of jobs. To view the Policy Gap series of reports , go to www.bench-marks.org.za.