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Witfontein Coal Mine EIA

CaseViews

CaseHeader

Status: 

HeritageAuthority(s): 

Development Type: 

ProposalDescription: 

The project relates to the proposed establishment of the Witfontein Coal Mine, near Bethal in Mpumalanga. The mine would consist of a larger underground section, a small opencast pit and an adit to access the underground.

Expanded_Motivation: 

It is important to clarify aspects regarding the progression of the project and layout up-front to reduce confusion when reading the EIA. There was an initial layout, called Layout 1. Specialist studies were undertaken on Layout 1 and it was found that some impacts were of high significance due to infrastructure locality and size. The layout was then amended to mitigate potential impacts, known as Layout 2. The amendments to the layout included: • The 2 opencast pits were reduced to one small pit and one adit • All infrastructure was moved outside of the 100m buffer from wetlands and watercourses, except the adit and overburden dump The Impact Assessment undertaken as part of the original EIA was done on Layout 2. Specialist studies undertaken during the EIA, on layout 1, were not re-done on Layout 2, as the amendment to the layout reduced the impacts. An Integrated Water Use Licence (IWUL) was undertaken for the project. During the undertaking of the IWUL, additional studies were undertaken for the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). These studies included: • Hydropedology • Stormwater Management Plan • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Strategy Report • Updated Groundwater Flow Model • Preliminary Engineering Designs for Passive Treatment System DWS also requested that the Layout 2 be amended so that all infrastructure was outside of the 100m wetland and watercourse buffer. The amendments included: • Adit was moved slightly to remain completely outside of the 100m wetland and watercourse buffer • Overburden dump was moved north-east and across the road (D450) • Separation of overburden dumps into hards and softs stockpiles, as they have different liner requirements; and • A hydropedological assessment was undertaken and a scientific buffer determined. Following consultation with DWS, the scientific buffer remained at 100m from watercourses. This layout was approved in the IWUL and has now been incorporated into the EIA. It is called Final Layout 3. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) submitted comments and requested that the EIA be aligned to the IWUL and the layout approved in the IWUL. The EIA has therefore been amended in response to the comments. The layout of the underground mine has not been amended. The proposed Witfontein Project will be constructed on land currently used for agriculture. The project involves 6 farm portions and a total area of approximately 480ha (prospecting right area/proposed mining right area) (Figure 4.1). Littlesnipe holds two prospecting rights (MP 11535 & 11532 PR) over these farms portions and the mining right application includes both prospecting rights. The area of the underground workings is approx. 480ha and the surface area of disturbance is approx. 68 ha. The project has a measured coal resource of 18.86 million tonnes and will involve the extraction by means of both opencast and underground mining methods. The mine will have a planned life of approximately 10 years. Mining will initially involve conventional truck and shovel operations from one opencast pit, namely Holfontein (South Pit), followed by bord and pillar underground mining by creating an adit through the high wall at the opencast pit, and another adit on the farm Witrand. The opencast section will be developed to approximately 30 m below natural ground level, where an access adit from the high wall will be created to mine the coal that is located underground. An overland conveyor will be built between the northern (Witrand) and southern (Holfontein) adits. The conveyor will transport ROM coal from the northern adit to the plant, and will cross the Piekespruit. The conveyor will be completely enclosed and regularly maintained to ensure that no coal can spill from the conveyor. The underground mining will commence subsequent to opencast mining and will form the majority of the coal extraction for the mine, with approximately 12 million tonnes run-of-mine (ROM) coal to be produced. Underground mining will take place over most of the mining right area, with the exception of the wetland areas, and no undermining of the discard dump will take place. The mine will have a planned LOM of approximately 10 years and is planning to mine 100 000 tonnes of coal per month during the operational phase. The coal will be processed at the mine plant complex.

ApplicationDate: 

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 - 16:27

CaseID: 

17730

OtherReferences: 

ReferenceList: 

 
 

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