Public Hearings on Acid Mine Drainage Nikisi Lesufi Stephinah Mudau Chamber of Mines of SA

Chamber of Mines Voluntary private sector organization Membership based –Mining still critical to RSA’s economy –Key player in employment creation –Social license to operate

Over a century of mining – different stages of development and maturity Dynamic environment: - role players/policies/legislation keep changing Environmental impacts of abandoned, ownerless and legacy sites (including acid mine drainage) Background to legacy of acid mine drainage

Legislative framework: water management in the mining sector MPRDA – primary instrument regulating mining in the RSA –Approved EMP and Mine Closure Plan National Water Act –Authorisation of water use NEMA and specific acts –Biodiversity and environment conservation Site specific obligations of authorisation holders

Responsibilities for Water Management o Mine Water Management o Ownerless and derelict mine sites - responsible party is the State o Authorisation holders impacted by extraneous water - authorisation holder with State assistance o Authorisation holders - sole responsibility  Explore opportunities for cooperation, i.e PPP

CoM Initiatives in water resources management in the mining sector Prevention of future negative legacies –CoM/DWA formal liaison engagements –Best Practice Guidelines –Water Conservation and Demand Management –Individual companies implementing the regulatory requirements i.e NWA, MPRDA etc Initiatives in response to IMC report –Technical input into DWA implementation processes

Approaches to Water Management Forward looking approaches –Current active operations –Funded from working capital –Reduce future footprint –(e.g. Emalahleni, and individual company initiatives) Management of Legacies –State assistance to mines impacted by extraneous water –State responsibility for derelict and ownerless sites

Conclusions Innovative approaches to legacy sites; –Search for win-win solutions  e.gWUC proposal, –Regulatory flexibility Improved environmental performance –Mining companies –Monitoring and enforcement - State Obligations of gov depts to cooperate and align regulatory process »end