Heritage Cases

Bokoni was placed under Care and Maintenance (C&M) during October 2017. In compliance with Duty of Care and relevant legislation, BPM conducted an environmental risk assessment which was submitted to the Department. BPM identified the systematic migration of the Rapholo riverbank towards its operations as a significant risk. The Rapholo River flows along the southern boundary of the mine. Critical locations have been identified, along the BPM perimeter, in the Rapholo River where excessive erosion has taken place. These locations are encroaching on critical infrastructure and need to be rehabilitated to ensure that no further erosion is caused that will endanger the structural integrity of existing Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs), Pollution Control Dams (PCDs) and Return Water Dams (RWDs). Following the identification of the erosion risks, BPM management compiled a Risk Assessment, the results of which indicated that civil works would need to be undertaken to protect and stabilise the areas where erosion has taken place. The rehabilitation works would also ensure that the river flow is not altered and that the river habitat is protected. Areas with high risk to the facilities, and therefore requiring rehabilitation, were identified. BPM pumps excess water from the underground shaft. Various options for the use of the excess water have been identified, of which provision of potable water to BPM employees and nearby communities is the preferred option. Water pumped from the underground shaft will be treated to drinking water standards through a Water Treatment Plant, prior to provision of drinking water to communities and employees. The proposed infrastructure for the WTP include the following and will have a maximum footprint of 3 000 m2 : • Construction of a Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 4 000 m³day; • Construction of new pump station with high lift pumps to pump treated water to the near-by villages; • Construction of floor slab and steel canopy structure for the new WTP; • Construction of 80 m of 200 mm dia. GMS pipework to supply raw water to the WTP; • Construction of 150 m of 160 mm dia. GMS pipeline to supply water to the existing storages and new pump station from the WTP; and • Construction of 2.4 m high security fence (178 m) around the new WTP facility. The new WTP will be constructed adjacent to the existing Bokoni Platinum Mines Merensky WTP. The proposed WTP site has been transformed by adjacent community activities and currently consists of bare soil with no indigenous vegetation remaining on the proposed WTP footprint.