The landmark Top Star drive-in, which is located on an old mine dump next to Simmonds South Way, in Johannesburg, will soon be just a memory.

Crown Gold Recoveries (CGR), a subsidiary of DRDGold, kicked off the retreatment of the old mine dump in late December, and Johannesburg citizens should expect to see an open space where the old drive-in used to be within the next 30 months.

However, obtaining the mining rights for the retreatment of the mine dump proved to be a bumpy ride for CGR, as it initiated the process back in 2006.

CGR GM Henry Gouws explains that the company’s plans to re-mine the dump faced considerable challenges, as the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority of Gauteng (Phrag) laid a claim protecting the site as a heritage site.

“One would question the validity of a slimes dam or a sand dump being declared a heritage site, considering that especially Top Star produced multiple environmental problems, and the drive-in had been closed well before we wanted to start mining the dump,” he adds.

Phrag effectively withdrew its claim after failing to have the Top Star area declared of historical significance. The Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) approved the mining rights application in August last year.

The dump contains an estimated 128 000 oz of gold at an estimated grade of 0,775 g/t.

CGR owns the property on which the Top Star mine dump is located, and once the dump reclamation is completed, the company plans to rehabilitate and develop property on the area.

“At this stage, it is premature to say whether the Top Star area will be inner city, residential, warehousing or factories. We have had initial proposals, which would seem to indicate that inner city accommodation and light industry factories could be built on the area,” he adds.

He says that the suitability of the area can only be determined once the dump has completely been removed. “We have to look at what the conditions are underneath the dump and how much radiation is in the ground. This will determine what type of buildings will be placed on the area. However, there are huge possibilities for developing the site. There are a number of large, successful examples of major dump sites that have been cleared and are undergoing development, such as the Crown City area, which used to be an old mine dump and is now home to China City, light industry and retail facilities.”

CGR has retreated 24 mine dumps since it was incorporated in 1982, and is currently operating five active reclamation sites.

The reclamation of these old mine dumps, however, does not put a smile on everyone’s faces. People living near these mine dumps are affected by dust pollution from the reclaimed dumps.

It has been reported that communities complain about dust clogging drainpipes, and vehicles and homes are constantly full of mine dust.

Gouws states that CGR is taking all the necessary steps to minimise the dust pollution.

“Mine dumps are always a big issue, but dust pollution is normally confined to dry, windy periods between August and October, before the rainy season

CGR runs a dust survey programme on wind-borne dust, and publicises the data on a quarterly basis, with all affected parties, including businesses, homeowners, legislative bodies and government given a chance to contribute.

“To mitigate the dust, we have a specific mining direction. The Gauteng high-winds are typically north-westerly in direction. Because most of these dumps are pretty old, they do have well-established vegetation on them, and we will always start mining from the south-easterly side. In doing so, we leave the undisturbed vegetated side facing the wind.

“However, wind direction can change, for  which we have water spray systems that wets the area on which we work. As soon as the soil is damp, the dust liberation is reduced. We sometimes mix the water with a binding agent to cement the particles together on these faces as well,” he explains.

CGR’s next project, the reclamation of the Elsburg Tailings dams using Ergo Mining infrastructure, is currently in the commissioning stage. This project is expected to be active for the next 12 years.

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