Die Weskus met sy unieke biodiversiteit en bewaringsareas is blykbaar nou die proefkonyn in ‘n uiters gevaarlike eksperiment om vir die eerste keer in SA se geskiedenis vir sedimentêre-tipe fosfaat (* lees onderaan) te myn teenoor die gewone stollingsgesteentes (igneou phoshate) – boonop deur twee maatskappye wat geen ervaring van die fosfaatmynbedryf het nie.
Die “opkomende” mynmaatskappy Elandsfontein Exploration and Mining (EEM) aan wie die mynregte op ‘n uiters omstrede wyse toegeken is, is eers in 2010 gestig en het geen ervaring van die fosfaatmynbedryf nie. Boonop het die multi-dissiplinêre ingenieursgroep DRA wat die implementeringsfase en lewensvatbaarheidstudie uitgevoer het, nog nooit in sy 30-jarige bestaan ‘n fosfaatmyn-projek onderneem nie – wat nog te sê van so ‘n unieke een in so ‘n uiters ekologies-sensitiewe gebied?
Dit is dus geen wonder dat die hele projek van die begin af in soveel omstredenheid en bewerings van ongerymdhede gehul is nie.
Die ervare regspan van Cullinan and Associates wat die Weskus Omgewingsbewaringsassosiasie WOBA aangestel het om die beweerde wanpraktyke in die hof te beveg, se saak omvat meer as 1000 bladsye vol bewyse van ongerymdhede en basiese vereistes waaraan EEM nie voldoen het nie. Dit is uiters onrusbarend dat soveel kortpaaie blykbaar gevat word in ‘n unieke fosfaatmyn-eksperiment deur twee maatskappye wat geen ervaring daarvan het nie – veral as so ‘n myn die hele Weskus se unieke biosfeer permanent kan verwoes.
* Stollingsgesteentes is gestolde magma wat as instrusies in ander gesteentes of as vertikale pype voorkom en bevat ‘n sterk kristallyne apatietmineraal wat hard en feitlik onoplosbaar in water en swak sure is. As sodanig is dit nie geskik as bemestingstof nie en moet dus eers met sterk sure behandel word.
Voorbeelde: Kola (voormalige VSU), pirokseniet en foskoriet (Phalaborwa, Suid-Afrika)
* Sedimentêre gesteentes is afsettings van biologiese oorsprong (veral seediere) wat vorm na chemiese afbreek van bene, dieremis en stollingsgesteentes. Hierdie apatiet (soms fosforiet genoem) is minder kristallyn en feitlik amorf en daarom meer oplosbaar as stollingsgesteentes – dit los gedeeltelik op in verdunde swaksure soos sitroensuur en kan in verdeelde en fynverdeelde vorm as sodanig gebruik word, as fosfaatkunsmis, veral in suur grond.
Voorbeelde: Marokko, Taiba, Togo, Gafsa (Tunisië), Tennessee en Florida (VSA), eilandafsettings en ‘Langfos’ (Langebaanweg, Suid-Afrika)
http://www.geckofert.co.za/a02types.html
The West Coast Environment Protection Association (WCEPA) has appointed Cullinan and Associates Inc. (Cullinans) a leader in the field of environmental law with enormous depth of experience to stop Elandsfontein Exploration and Mining (EEM) mining phosphates without the necessary authorisations. Cullinans will assist WCEPA to ensure that EEM complies with all applicable laws and that just and fair processes are followed in respect of decision-making affecting the environment.
WCEPA has reason to believe that the process followed in granting the Mining Right to EEM was fatally flawed and we intend to apply to court to have it reviewed and set aside. We also intend to approach the court to ensure that EEM does not undertake any mining unless it first obtains a water use licence, an atmospheric emission licence and environmental authorisation.
Langebaan Lagoon (which is a RAMSAR site and a marine protected area) is an ‘aquifer dependant lagoon’ and the Elandsfontein aquifer which feeds the Lagoon has been described by experts as ‘highly vulnerable and susceptible to anthropogenic pollutants and disturbance’ and ‘potentially extremely environmentally sensitive’ due to its intergranular sandy structure.
The Department of Water Affairs have outlined in their research that:
• the Langebaan Road aquifer and the Elandsfontein aquifer are connected with one another as different influences have the same impact on the monitoring holes of both aquifers,
• water flows from the Elandsfontein aquifer to the Langebaan Lagoon through Geelbek,
• water also flows from Elandsfontein to the Langebaan Road aquifer,
• if the aquifer should be dried up for whatever reason, the sand formations, will lose its capability to store water permanently,
• if pollution of any nature should occur the Langebaan Road aquifer, Elandsfontein aquifer and the Langebaan Lagoon will be affected.
EEM is proposing to mine within:
• a 10-million-year old aquifer, which is a critical groundwater source within a 30 km radius,
• a Core 1 area of a UNESCO Biosphere,
• an internationally significant heritage area, described as an “Origin of Man” site,
• a Critical Biodiversity Area,
• a Buffer zone of the West Coast National Park and
• a climate adaptive corridor,
• an area that is signed into an international Convention on Biological Diversity treaty (South Africa is a signed partner) as part of the Park Expansion Plan Program,
• a priority climate change adaptation corridor where they will be mining on endangered vegetation with 16 Red Data species,
• a most vulnerable municipality with regards to climate change,
• a planned protected area,
• a groundwater catchment area, and
• an inter-regional biodiversity corridor.
For legal queries, please contact Janah Miller or Walter Anderson at 021 671 7002.
All other queries, please contact Carika van Zyl on 079 484 4684
http://www.miningweekly.com/…/dra-secures…/rep_id:3650
DRA secures EPCM contract for phosphate development