TASK TEAM TO INVESTIGATE
Pretoria – Cabinet is expected to give direction in the next two weeks on how South Africa will deal with the potential crisis posed by acid mine drainage (AMD) in Gauteng.
Environmentalists have described AMD as the single most significant threat to South Africa’s environment and as heavy rains persisted this week, fears grew that the problem may be exacerbated. But the Water Affairs Department on Thursday said a decision was looming on the matter following an Inter-ministerial Committee (IMC) meeting with Cabinet to discuss the situation.
It comes after Cabinet mandated the Minister of Water Affairs, Edna Molewa, in August to urgently establish a special task team to investigate how the government should respond to reports of acid water drainage in some parts of the country, mainly in Johannesburg.
The team of experts, chaired by Mineral Resources Department Director General, Sandile Nogcina, has handed over a list of recommendations to be considered at the next Cabinet meeting before a public announcement can be made.
“What we can say is that government is very concerned and takes this matter very seriously and at this stage the recommendations have been signed by both DGs in the Department of Water and that of Minerals and is ready for Cabinet discussion. Everyone will know the way forward in a week or so,” said spokesperson Mava Scott.
Nogcina was not immediately available for comment but Scott said once President Jacob Zuma and his executive have had an opportunity to look at the document, a public announcement will be made and all the necessary steps will be taken to avert the AMD situation.
Acid mine water, or water contaminated with heavy metals as a result of mining activities, is reportedly affecting the South Africa’s economic hub Gauteng, with other cases in Mpumalanga, North West and Free State provinces. Reports suggest that this drainage poses health and economic risks for the country.
Scientists predict that if drastic steps are not immediately taken to shut down disused mine shafts and pump out the acid mine drainage, the poisonous water will flow into rivers and low-lying areas at a rate of up to 70 megalitres a day.
Sputnik Ratau, spokesperson for the Environmental Affairs Department, said the recent floods, which have raised the levels of the toxic water in the mines, has been a cause for concern.
“We have always said that there are certain periods when the impact will be major due to rains but we are hoping that the next two weeks will provide direction on this matter – but what cabinet decides, is what cabinet decides,” he said.
As a short-term measure, an amount of R218 million was set aside by the department to fit pumps to avert any situation that might arise. – BuaNews
Johannesburg - Millions of litres of highly acidic mine water is rising up under Johannesburg and, if left unchecked, could spill out into its streets some 18 months from now, Parliament's water affairs portfolio committee heard on Wednesday.
The acid water is currently about 600m below the city's surface, but is rising at a rate of between 0.6 and 0.9m a day, water affairs deputy director water quality management Marius Keet told MPs.
"(It) can have catastrophic consequences for the Johannesburg central business district if not stopped in time. A new pumping station and upgrades to the high-density sludge treatment works are urgently required to stop disaster," he warned.
Speaking at the briefing, activist Mariette Liefferink, from the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, said the rising mine water posed an "enormous threat", which would become worse if remedial actions were further delayed.
"This environmental problem is second (in SA) only to global warming in terms of its impact, and poses a serious risk to the Witwatersrand as a whole. At the rate it is rising, the basin (under Johannesburg) will be fully flooded in about 18 months."
Mine drainage
She said the rising mine water had the same acidity as vinegar or lemon juice, and was a legacy of 120 years of gold mining in the region.
Acid water is formed underground when old shafts and tunnels fill up. The water oxidises with the sulphide mineral iron pyrite, better known as fool's gold. The water then fills the mine and starts decanting into the environment, in a process known as acid mine drainage.
Keet said the problem was not just confined to Johannesburg, which is located atop one of several major mining "basins" in the Witwatersrand, known as the Central Basin.
In 2002, acid mine drainage had started decanting from the Western Basin, located below the Krugersdorp-Randfontein area. The outflow had grown worse earlier this year after heavy rains, prompting his department to intervene.
However, a lack of treatment capacity in the area "compelled in-stream treatment as a short-term intervention".
This intervention saw the department pouring tons of lime, an alkali, into the Tweelopies Spruit in an effort to neutralise the acid mine water. This had led to problems with the resulting sludge that had formed in the water course.
The region's Eastern Basin, below the town of Nigel, was also threatened. The last working mine still pumping out water in the area was Grootvlei. Keet said that if the mine stopped pumping, acid water would start decanting into the town "within two to three years".
Legal action
Water Affairs is currently taking legal action against the mine, after it allegedly failed to comply with a departmental directive to treat the pumped water before discharging it.
On stopping the growing threat below Johannesburg, Keet said about R220m was needed to establish pump stations, pipelines and treatment works. Responding to a question, he said there were plans to tackle the problem.
"The idea is to build a pump station; the challenge is where the money will come from," he said.
Liefferink said if the acid mine water rose to the surface in Johannesburg's CBD, it posed a threat to the city's inhabitants, its buildings and the surrounding environment.
She told MPs that residents of many of Gauteng's poorer communities were living alongside, and in some cases on top of, land contaminated by mining activities. They were exposed to high concentrations of cobalt, zinc, arsenic, and cadmium, all known carcinogens, as well as high levels of radioactive uranium.
"In some cases, RDP houses are being erected next to radioactive dumps," she told MPs, who expressed shock and concern at the news.
Liefferink said acid mine drainage was exacerbating the problem, because it dissolved the heavy metals and precipitated them in water sources and wetlands, where people grew crops and abstracted water.
Threat
She also warned that some of the heavily polluted streams drained into the Vaal River system, and posed a threat to the region's water supply.
Liefferink, who backed up her presentation with a series of photographs showing, among other things, shacks erected on top of an old mine tailings dump, received a round of applause from MPs.
Mining started on the Witwatersrand about 120 years ago. More than 43 000 tons of gold and 73 000 tons of uranium have been extracted from the region's mines.
According to Liefferink, this mining activity has left a legacy of about 400km² of mine tailings dams and about six billion tons of pyrite tailings containing low-grade uranium.
"Waste from gold mines constitutes the largest single source of waste and pollution in South Africa... Acid mine drainage may continue for many years after mines are closed and tailings dams decommissioned," she said.
- SAPA
The pollution problem at the Hartbeespoort Dam was "historic in nature", the water affairs ministry said on Monday, in response to legal threats against the department."
It must be borne in mind that the challenges that plague the dam are historic in nature and have been in the making for more than 80 years," acting director general Nobu Ngele said in a statement.
She was responding the media reports that an environmental lobby group was planning to bring criminal charges against Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica for the pollution contaminating the dam.
Ngele said a programme to eradicate the pollution was showing progress
"The fish composition in the dam has already improved since the implementation of this programme."
The Harties Metsi Ame programme was established in 2006 to deal with water pollution and to address the issue of illegal waste being discharged into the Hartbeespoort Dam.
"The first and short-term phase focuses on removing unwanted, exotic, sediment-feeding carp and barbel fish, establishing shoreline and wetland conditions in the dam and the introduction of biological and mechanical harvesting of algae and hyacinths" she said.
The second phase of the programme will focus on catchment impacts, improving storm water management; as well as protecting and remedying the problems in wetlands and in-stream river habitats
77% of South Africans state that they are concerned about Climate Change compared to a global average of 69%.Climate change. Global warming. Greenhouse effect. Whatever the terms used, over the past few years the world has become used to hearing about it on a regular basis Environmentally conscious consumers - no longer the small niche market it once was - are using their spending power to support earth-friendly products, whilst companies and governments around the globe have received the message loud and clear.
To understand more about this hot issue, global market research firm Synovate examined people's attitudes towards climate change and the issues surrounding it in a recent global research study. The study, conducted with over 13,000 people in 18 countries, also addressed the responsibilities and roles of media in combating this global concern. This is the third global climate change research study that Synovate has conducted since 2007.
Climate concerns?
The study reveals that the world's population remains as concerned as ever about the effects of climate change. Across all countries surveyed in the three rounds of research conducted by Synovate, 30% of people in 2010 and 2008 said they were 'very concerned' about climate change, versus 29% in 2007. 48% of South Africans stated that they were "very concerned" and 29% stated they were "somewhat concerned."
Interestingly, there was an increase in the percentage of people who aren't concerned about climate change at all because they believe it's just part of a natural cycle of events. Nine percent of those surveyed this year compared to 4% in 2008 are not worried, no doubt at least partially influenced by the several groups who have questioned the validity of the concerns around climate change over the past year. This figure is at 9% in South Africa.
Steve Garton, global head of media research at Synovate, said: "The issue of climate change has continued its rough ride since our last climate change survey in 2008. Global conferences that have been organised to tackle the challenges have struggled to reach a meaningful consensus whilst the underlying science has been questioned by some. At the very least, the most important beliefs of the impacts relating to climate change have not been made simple and clear enough to people around the world."
In the latest survey, countries with the highest number of people reporting they are 'very concerned' about climate change include Colombia (69%), Ecuador (59%), and China (58%, which is more than double the 26% of Chinese who were very concerned in 2007).
Corporate social responsibility
The vast majority of those surveyed (88%) feel that companies have a responsibility to help reduce climate change. This was highest in China (98%) and France (94%).
In response to how they should do this, the top answer was 'save energy and reduce waste' (70%) followed by 'ensure materials are green and ethically sourced' (58%).
Garton said: "Companies around the world have been told by consumers (and their wallets) over the past few years to examine how they can become more efficient whilst also ensuring the goods they produce are healthy for the individual and the planet."
Eighty-three percent of South Africans believe that companies have a responsibility to ensure they help to reduce climate change effects and 74% believe that the way to do this is by investing in green technology.
Richard Rice, Group Sales and Marketing Director, states that "In South Africa, we are now seeing some action from government and businesses in South Africa to address the issue of climate change. There have been recent reports of green legislation entering the business economy and experts are expecting government to implement a carbon tax which is feared to have a detrimental effect on South African business. However, South African businesses are aware of the urgent need to address the climate change policies and argue for new thinking to fundamentally transform the economy into a green one."
Where's the blame?
Twenty-eight percent of people globally believe that the main factors causing climate change are those caused by human (waste, population increases, electricity, etc). This figure is fairly consistent with the 27% who said the same in 2008. In South Africa, the majority believe the main factor in climate change is industrialisation (25%), while 18% maintain that the blame lies in human causes and 21% place the blame on pollution.
The belief that deforestation is the main factor causing climate change has tripled from 5% in Synovate's first climate change survey in 2007, to 15% in 2010. This rose as high as 41% in Kenya. George Waititu, head of Synovate Kenya, said: "Between 2007 and 2009 Kenya went through the worst drought in a decade. At the same time, the country experienced the worst political crisis in half a century, notwithstanding the global economic downturn. The livelihoods of many Kenyans are still based on agriculture, which relies on climate conditions, global economic stability and political solidity. The increase is due to the fact that the adverse effects of the drought were realised in 2010, while 2008 was fairly manageable. In the search for solutions, various stakeholders across the country and beyond have pointed to deforestation as the main cause of climate change, especially around Mau forest, the largest water catchment in the country. The government has embarked on a campaign to relocate those who live around the area, effectively re-foresting the Mau."
Experts fear looming pollution crisis could hamstring economic growth, writes Anton FerreiraMay 23, 2010 12:07 AM | By Anton Ferreira
South Africa faces a water crisis that could cripple economic growth and cause a plague of health problems - but critics say the government has yet to act with urgency.
The most immediate concern is the acid mine drainage (AMD) polluting a vast swathe from the Witwaters-rand to Mpumalanga. Other threats include pesticide run-off, broken infrastructure and failed sewage plants.
As the population grows and economic recovery puts more pressure on limited inland water resources, experts predict a shift of industrial activity to coastal areas where desalination plants will have to meet a growing share of demand.
Environmentalists warn that if the government and industry fail to act, within two years mine water as corrosive as battery acid will gush from Johannesburg's Wemmer Pan and seep into the city's streets and gardens.
"It is acutely toxic," said Mariette Liefferink, who leads a group of non-governmental organisations lobbying for action. "It affects the soil and neural development of the foetus, which leads to mental retardation; it will cause cancer, cognitive problems, skin lesions," she said.
"These are all the foreseeable risks if we do not manage our AMD."
Acid mine drainage, which occurs when mines close and stop pumping water out of shafts, has contaminated streams and dams on the West and East Rand that feed into the Limpopo and Vaal rivers. Treatment by utilities such as Rand Water renders the water safe, but those who drink straight from rivers are at risk.
Liefferink accused the government of dragging its feet. "Unfortunately they're taking a very short-term, Band-Aid approach. Radical measures should be taken."
Mine water can be made safe to drink by reverse osmosis, as an Anglo American coal mine is doing in Witbank, but this is expensive.
Jo Burgess, a research manager at the Water Research Commission, said government departments were taking steps to deal with this "very serious problem".
"Whether the steps are sufficient or not we will only know as time passes, because it takes years, if not decades, for the impacts of acid drainage and the efforts to mitigate it to become noticeable."
A Department of Water Affairs spokesman, Linda Page, said the department was formulating a strategy. With the National Nuclear Regulator it was investigating the clean-up of sediment in the Wonderfonteinspruit on the West Rand, heavily contaminated with uranium.
"Our planning within the department for the country's future water needs is strong," Page said. "However, SA will have to adjust more and more to the fact that our fresh water resources are limited and we have to use our water more efficiently."
A Centre for Development and Enterprise report says water-supply problems could rival the electricity shortage as a hurdle to development.
Many aspects of the looming crisis were a result of "over-ambitious" plans in the immediate post-apartheid period to provide running water to impoverished rural areas. "They remain laudable in principle, but the harsh truth is that they have proved impossible to implement effectively."
Bill Harding, an expert on dam ecology, said one of the biggest threats to water supplies was sewage flowing into dams, bringing nutrients that spur the growth of toxic algae.
Other harmful substances, such as disease-causing bacteria and hormones that can disrupt development of sexual organs in foetuses, were probably also present.
"We've been warning about reservoir management since the mid-'80s," Harding said.
"All the dams in Gauteng are in a critical condition. We're getting rapidly to the point where we're going to have a massive crisis. There'll be water coming through your tap, but you won't be able to drink it."
According to figures cited by the SA Institute of Civil Engineering, SA will need R500-billion over the next 10 years to fix water infrastructure and install fresh capacity.
Jabu Maphalala, spokesman for the Chamber of Mines, said the industry agreed in 1994 to put aside funds for rehabilitation.
"However, mining has taken place for over 100 years, and left undesirable legacies, some of which emanate from abandoned, ownerless as well as derelict mines," he said.
"Legislation now stresses the 'polluter pays' principle, but it is not easy to apply in dealing with this legacy because the original operators have long disappeared and the commodities produced have been consumed."
RICHARD DAVIES | CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - Apr 29 2010 12:33
The shocking state of South Africa's sewage plants, which treat billions of litres of waste water each day, was revealed in the long-awaited Green Drop Report officially released by Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica on Thursday.
Among its findings are that "the bulk of the plants can be described as poor to non-functional".
According to the document -- which includes a "first-order assessment" of municipal treatment plants, conducted between August 2008 and July last year -- close to half (403) of the 852 waste water treatment plants around the country were not in a state to be assessed.
Of the 449 that were, only 203 scored "better than 50% in measurement against the stringent criteria set".
A scant 32 treatment plants -- about 3,8% of the total -- received so-called Green Drop status, which is broadly equivalent to them complying with international standards.
The majority of the plants that won the award are located in or around Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The report's findings imply that hundreds of millions of litres of untreated or inadequately-treated sewage is being illegally discharged into rivers and streams each day, mainly by small town municipalities.
Referring to the 403 treatment works that were not assessed, the document noted that municipal officials at these plants were, among other things, "not sufficiently confident in their levels of competence to be subjected to assessments".
Another reason given was municipalities "not adhering" to a call to be assessed.
CONTINUES BELOW
"It was found that most facilities in the rural areas and smaller towns are not adequately equipped with staff of appropriate skills and this constrained the performance of these systems," the report stated.
Free State, Limpopo fingered
The report examined municipalities by province. The lowest scoring of these, with a provincial average of 15%, was the Free State, where only eight out of 20 water service authorities took part in the Green Drop assessment.
Another province where "most of the municipalities had low scores" was Limpopo. The province scored an average 18%, with only four of its 13 water service authorities assessed.
A water service authority (WSA) controls a region in a province, and may serve more than one municipality within that area.
In a section titled "Key Findings and Way Forward", the report said skills shortages existed at all levels of waste-water treatment management.
"The result is that many plants are not operated correctly, and the resultant effluent water quality is no longer compliant.
"A poor understanding of the technicalities of waste-water treatment and ... treatment plants is prevalent under senior town management and administration; the needs of the plant and its operators are therefore not prioritised."
There was also a poor understanding of funding needs.
Maintenance a 'luxury'
"As a result, maintenance of infrastructure may have become a luxury rather than a necessity. The state of the bulk of the plants can be described as poor to non-functional. In many cases, extensive refurbishment and expansion of the current plants are required ... [and] the processes employed at plants are no longer sufficient to deliver the required final water quality," said the report.
At a parliamentary media briefing earlier this month, Sonjica said her department would ideally need "more than R100-billion" over the next three years to tackle challenges such as upgrading and refurbishing sanitation infrastructure, and hiring skilled staff.
A month earlier, she denied there was a sanitation crisis, but said her department was worried about municipal sewage plants.
"I wouldn't say there was a crisis in a way that would make people run, really, but there are serious concerns, we have very serious concerns ... as the regulator," she said at the time.
The report said South Africa's 852 sewage plants and pipelines treat and transport about 7,589-billion litres of waste water a day. The estimated capital replacement value of the infrastructure was about R23-billion, and estimated operational expenditure was about R3,5-billion a year.
On municipalities that do not comply with the required sewage treatment standards, it threatened to place low-scoring authorities under "close surveillance". - Sapa
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