Zinc miner Black Mountain Mining (BMM), a subsidiary of Vedanta Zinc International, has proposed the construction of a new zinc smelter and associated infrastructure at its Gamsberg zinc mine, near Aggeneys, in the Northern Cape.
On March 18, BMM revealed that the new smelter would produce 300 000 t/y of special high-grade zinc metal by processing 680 000 t/y of zinc concentrate. As a by-product, 450 000 t/y of pure sulphuric acid would be produced for both export and consumption within South Africa.
Environmental consultancy SLR Consulting has been appointed by BMM as the independent environmental assessment practitioner for the environmental-impact assessment (EIA) process.
The Northern Cape Department of Mineral Resources and Energy granted BMM a positive environmental authorisation on March 9.
Interested and affected parties have been invited to lodge any appeals with the Directorate of Appeals and Legal Review of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in Pretoria, within 20 days.