There are about 6 000 abandoned mines in South Africa that are leaking acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metals into the environment, says non- governmental organisation the Bench Marks Foundation in a recent research report.

Bench Marks Foundation executive director John Capel says the ‘Policy Gap 9’ report, titled South African Coal Mining: Corporate Grievance Mechanisms, Community Engagement Concerns and Mining Impacts, indicates that the mining industry and government’s cavalier attitude towards properly closing mines and rehabilitating the environment – despite strict environmental and water legislation – is seriously affecting communities near mines. This attitude also has an adverse impact on the rest of South Africa.

The report focuses on communities near mines in the Nkangala district of Mpumalanga, including eMalahleni (Witbank) and Steve Tshwete (Middelburg) and on mining corporations Anglo American and BHP Billiton.

“In terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), companies are required to set aside funds for effective mine closure, but we have seen that many of the mining companies skirt around this by selling mines that are approaching the end of their life to juniors who do not have the resources or the capacity to close them properly,” he says.

Capel adds that this is causing a major cost externalisation to society, as postclosure impacts are extensive.

“Therefore, we are dealing not only with major environmental, health and social problems while mines are active, but also when they close,” he says.

According to the report, the condition of the abandoned Coronation mine, previously owned by Anglo American Coal, in Mpumalanga, “is shocking”.

The mine, the report states, is not enclosed and there is no warning to inform people of the dangers it poses. Those migrating to eMalahleni for employment often settle in the dangerous exclusion zone around the mine.

“Shaft coal mines are extremely shallow and are prone to caving into sinkholes, especially during the rainy season,” says Capel, adding that they also fill up with water and decant AMD into the groundwater and the surface water.

The coal waste, he says, also spontaneously combusts.

“Our community monitors have also found that the coal waste is piling on the edge of the Likazi informal settlement community at Coronation mine, which is being remined by artisanal miners.”

Capel says these miners dig for coal to sell to people in informal settlements who do not have access to electricity.

He notes that the Bench Marks Foundation has discovered that children are being used in the re-mining, tunnelling their way under the coal pile to relay trays loaded with coal back to the mouth of the tunnel.

Capel adds that mines that have not been properly closed serve as an invitation to the large number of unemployed people in South Africa to engage in uncontrolled and unregulated illegal mining.

“We regularly hear about illegal mineworkers trapped in unused mines and, often, their dying as a result of a mine collapsing. This is going to continue unless something is done about mine closures,” he says.

The report states that the Bench Marks Foundation is still trying to determine if Anglo American Coal was issued with a mine closure certificate, or if it sold the operation just before closure to another mining company with less resources or skills to close the mine properly.

“What is clear is that this mining site has not been rehabilitated and is causing serious harm to communities, water, soil and the surrounding area. The Department of Mineral Resources and Parliament need to effect changes to the MPRDA to make it illegal to sell a mining operation near the end of its life so that a company can avoid the costs of proper closure,” Capel says.

An official response to the report states that Anglo American Coal has received the report issued by the Bench Marks Foundation and has noted the reference to its operations at Coronation mine.

Anglo American Coal spokesperson Moeketsi Mofokeng says the company is considering the detailed allegations contained in the report and will engage with the Bench Marks Foundation in due course to discuss the issues raised.

“Anglo American Coal does not believe that a public debate, conducted in the media, will be a satisfactory way of addressing the issues raised in the report. Anglo American Coal is also not currently in a position to comprehensively comment on the detailed content of the report,” he says.

Anglo American Coal continues to support all initiatives by the mining industry, government and non-governmental organisations to improve the way in which its mining operations are conducted, he concludes.