Following the National Environmental Management Act (Nema) amendment in December last year, mining consultancy firm SRK Consulting says it is vital for mining companies in South Africa to deploy consultants who are environmental experts and also have sound technical understanding of mining.

By so doing, companies will ensure that they are able to deliver optimal value when mine audits are done and are aligned with policies and Acts.

SRK Consulting senior environmental management consultant Matthew Law notes that Nema being part of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) requires that a consultant’s independent audit of a mine’s Environmental Management Programme Report (EMPR) should include specific recommendations to address areas of noncompliance.

“This legal requirement means that the environmental expert should ideally have a sound technical understanding of mining, so that any recommendations [made] are based on a sound and practical understanding of mining practice,” he adds.

Moreover, Law indicates that it is quite conceivable in cases where noncompliance is identified in an audit that the consultant could make recommendations which are practically unrealistic in the context of the mine’s operational framework.

He points out that SRK works on mining projects throughout the African continent, which has allowed it to provide sound recommendations for mining companies in South Africa.

“The advantage of SRK’s technical skill and experience is that we plan and implement complex projects as a matter of course, integrating the various project elements through close cooperation of our interdisciplinary teams,” Law explains.

Through its Cape Town offices, SRK provides services in environmental-impact assessments and audits for industry and mines.

The Western Cape is characterised by great biodiversity and ecological sensitivity. Owing to this, mining companies operating in and around the Western Cape are required to strictly comply with regulations and closely monitor how their operations align with the environment commitments made in their EMPRs.