Heritage Cases

An integrated environmental authorisation ("EA") and waste management license ("WML") application under the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 ("NEMA") and National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008 ("NEMWA") was submitted to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ("DMRE"). The application includes: • an application for an integrated EA and WML (“IEA”) for projects proposed by EP to take the EM mining operations forward (“EP Proposed Projects”); and • the consolidation of the existing Environmental Management Programmes (“EMPrs”), EAs and WMLs for EM and the portions of the EMPrs (“Maroelabult EMPrs”) and IEA for the area held under the MR Sale Portion (“Sale Portion Area”) into the Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) / EMPr for the Elandsfontein Mining Right (approved by the DMRE on 21 December 2006 – Ref No: (NW) 30/5/1/2/3/2/1/280EM) (“Environmental Licence Consolidation Application”), (collectively the "Integrated DMRE Environmental Application"). The EP Proposed Projects will be for the following activities: • Mining at MM, including the Boundary Pillar on the UG2 reef horizon between EM and MM; • Construction and operation of two Run of Mine (“ROM”) stockpiles at EM; • Raise-boring and operation two Vent Shafts at EM; • Mining of the Merensky Reef at EM, including associated infrastructure, Overburden Stockpiles and Waste Rock Dumps (“WRDs”); • Mining of the UG1 in the existing Tailings Storage Facilities ("TSF”) Paddocks 2, 3 and 4 in the area which is included in the Elandsfontein Mining Right; • Backfilling of existing opencast pits at EM with tailings and the construction of a pipeline to convey the wet tailings from the Concentrator Plant to the opencast pits and a return water pipeline between the existing TSF return water sump and opencast pits (“Pits Pipelines”); • Water management infrastructure linking EM and MM, including expansion and construction of pump stations and pipelines for the conveying of dirty water and tailings between EM and MM (“Water Management Pipelines”); • Construction of an electrical 11kV substation, distribution line and associated infrastructure at MM; • Construction and operation of a Chrome Floatation Plant (“CFP”) and associated infrastructure at the Maroelabult shaft within existing operational area; and • WRD re-processing at MM.