"The water is half a metre from the surface and about to decant into the Vaal River system"
Comment: The same problems has happen out West and our future if uranium mining is approved in VA!
Bobby Jordan Published:Jun 27, 2009
Acid dissolves minerals in old mines
A river of acid water — enough to fill 600 swimming pools a day — has flooded old gold mines west of Johannesburg and is just days away from spilling over, causing an environmental disaster.
Natural ground water becomes highly acidic after flowing into old underground mines, where it dissolves heavy metals such as iron and uranium. In this form, it poses a health risk to humans and animals and damages the environment and agricultural land.
Long-term exposure to the poisoned water poses major health risks, including increased rates of cancer, skin lesions and retarded brain development.
An overflow of toxic mine water in the past led to radioactive contamination of Robinson Lake — a fishing and picnic area that has now become lifeless — outside Randfontein on the West Rand.
Acidic water is also dissolving huge areas of underground rock, threatening the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site.
The rapid rise in the water level follows the partial closure of a water treatment plant outside Randfontein because of wrangling between the government and mining companies over the cost of cleaning up the toxic mess caused by mining, and the quality of water left behind.
Despite warnings from scientists, the toxic tide — called acid mine drainage — has filled an underground void called the western basin, which comprises hundreds of square kilometers between Krugersdorp and Randfontein, once the world’s richest gold mining area. The water is now half a metre from the surface and about to start decanting into the Vaal River system.
Acid water is also fast filling up two other underground caverns — a central basin beneath Johannesburg and Soweto stretching as far as Alberton, and an eastern basin beneath the East Rand as far as Nigel and Springs.
If left unchecked, this water could also decant and contaminate water that ultimately flows into the Orange River.
The looming crisis in the western basin has prompted a flurry of negotiations between the government and mining companies, which have set up a technical task team in the hope of avoiding a potential environmental disaster.
In the past, pumps kept gold mines outside Johannesburg largely free of water because most water was pumped to the surface, partially treated and released into rivers. Now many of the gold mines have closed or can no longer afford to keep pumping, and vast underground areas are filling up.
“It (the western basin) is the first gold basin that has filled and decanted — to overflow uncontrollably. That’s why it’s an issue,” said Rand Uranium senior consultant for sustainable development Rex Zorab. “It’s not like the central basin where there’s a huge void still to be filled,” he said.
At the heart of the problem are new water management regulations released this year, which direct mining companies to clean all pumped water to drinking-quality standard. Until now, they only partially treated pumped water before releasing it into the Vaal River system.
Mining firms said it would take at least two years to build a new water treatment plant to meet the government’s demands, at a cost of about R550-million. The government says the companies are nevertheless liable for environmental damage caused by discharging partially treated water — so the companies have reduced the amount of water they pump out.
The impasse involves three mining companies: Mintails, DRD Gold and Rand Uranium. Until recently, they treated 25 megalitres of acid mine drainage daily at two plants.
But a stalemate in negotiations over water quality prompted Mintails to partially close their treatment plant in April, causing water in the basin to fill up. It is now just days until acid water starts pouring out of an old mine shaft close to Randfontein — and spilling into the Tweelopie Spruit, which feeds into the Mooi River that supplies untreated water to Potchefstroom. The spruit also feeds into the Crocodile River.
Department of Water and Environmental Affairs spokesman Linda Page said: “They (the three companies ) have been given 90 days to stop discharging into the Tweelopie Spruit. Failure to do so will result in further action from the department.”
Mintails spokesman Basie Maree said: “We are committed to turn the water plant to full production once we have a clear directive on water quality standards and liability impacts.” jordanb@sundaytimes.co.za
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=1024839
Natural ground water becomes highly acidic after flowing into old underground mines, where it dissolves heavy metals such as iron and uranium. In this form, it poses a health risk to humans and animals and damages the environment and agricultural land.
Long-term exposure to the poisoned water poses major health risks, including increased rates of cancer, skin lesions and retarded brain development.
An overflow of toxic mine water in the past led to radioactive contamination of Robinson Lake — a fishing and picnic area that has now become lifeless — outside Randfontein on the West Rand.
Acidic water is also dissolving huge areas of underground rock, threatening the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site.
The rapid rise in the water level follows the partial closure of a water treatment plant outside Randfontein because of wrangling between the government and mining companies over the cost of cleaning up the toxic mess caused by mining, and the quality of water left behind.
Despite warnings from scientists, the toxic tide — called acid mine drainage — has filled an underground void called the western basin, which comprises hundreds of square kilometers between Krugersdorp and Randfontein, once the world’s richest gold mining area. The water is now half a metre from the surface and about to start decanting into the Vaal River system.
Acid water is also fast filling up two other underground caverns — a central basin beneath Johannesburg and Soweto stretching as far as Alberton, and an eastern basin beneath the East Rand as far as Nigel and Springs.
If left unchecked, this water could also decant and contaminate water that ultimately flows into the Orange River.
The looming crisis in the western basin has prompted a flurry of negotiations between the government and mining companies, which have set up a technical task team in the hope of avoiding a potential environmental disaster.
In the past, pumps kept gold mines outside Johannesburg largely free of water because most water was pumped to the surface, partially treated and released into rivers. Now many of the gold mines have closed or can no longer afford to keep pumping, and vast underground areas are filling up.
“It (the western basin) is the first gold basin that has filled and decanted — to overflow uncontrollably. That’s why it’s an issue,” said Rand Uranium senior consultant for sustainable development Rex Zorab. “It’s not like the central basin where there’s a huge void still to be filled,” he said.
At the heart of the problem are new water management regulations released this year, which direct mining companies to clean all pumped water to drinking-quality standard. Until now, they only partially treated pumped water before releasing it into the Vaal River system.
Mining firms said it would take at least two years to build a new water treatment plant to meet the government’s demands, at a cost of about R550-million. The government says the companies are nevertheless liable for environmental damage caused by discharging partially treated water — so the companies have reduced the amount of water they pump out.
The impasse involves three mining companies: Mintails, DRD Gold and Rand Uranium. Until recently, they treated 25 megalitres of acid mine drainage daily at two plants.
But a stalemate in negotiations over water quality prompted Mintails to partially close their treatment plant in April, causing water in the basin to fill up. It is now just days until acid water starts pouring out of an old mine shaft close to Randfontein — and spilling into the Tweelopie Spruit, which feeds into the Mooi River that supplies untreated water to Potchefstroom. The spruit also feeds into the Crocodile River.
Department of Water and Environmental Affairs spokesman Linda Page said: “They (the three companies ) have been given 90 days to stop discharging into the Tweelopie Spruit. Failure to do so will result in further action from the department.”
Mintails spokesman Basie Maree said: “We are committed to turn the water plant to full production once we have a clear directive on water quality standards and liability impacts.” jordanb@sundaytimes.co.za
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=1024839
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