Environment

7.18 The Blesbokspruit Ramsar wetland site

Situated close to Ergo is one of southern Africa's larger wetlands in the highveld region. Indeed, the once small stream that is the Blesbokspruit developed into a wetland area as a result of the development of mining operations in early years, whose discharge of excess underground water caused localised flooding and created vast stretches of shallow water. In 1986, the catchment was designated as a site for inclusion in the Ramsar 'List of Wetlands of International Importance'.

Ironic as it is that mining operations were responsible for the creation of the Blesbokspruit wetland, they have also been largely responsible, along with industrial development and human habitation, for the subsequent pollution, which threatens the wetland today. Ergo has, however, played a significant role in reducing the level of pollution through its clean-up of surrounding tailings dams, together with its own spillage management programme. However, even if all mining and industry-related impacts were to be mitigated, the wetland will still be affected by the impact of human habitation and the discharge of treated sewage. For this reason monitoring of the Blesbokspruit wetland will continue through the management forum long after Ergo closes.

Background

The Blesbokspruit Ramsar wetland, which is approximately 1,858 hectares, lies adjacent to Ergo's Daggafontein Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) and is habitat to a significant number of waterfowl, including the yellowbilled duck, spurwinged goose and flamingo.

Wetlands are classified as areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. The Blesbokspruit wetland is a high conservation priority because it forms an important component of one of the tributaries of the Vaal River, which provides water to one of South Africa's largest provinces, Gauteng. Besides being home to many waterbird species, it also has a natural purification capacity for mining, industrial and domestic effluent discharged into the Blesbokspruit River before entering the Vaal River.

However, in 1996, Blesbokspruit was placed on the Montreux Record, Ramsar's monitoring tool, which alerts the Convention to any changes in the ecological character of wetlands. It was classified as an area requiring priority conservation attention since its ecosystem functions were at risk, primarily from pollution and flooding as a result of the closure of the adjacent Grootvlei Proprietary Mines.

As a result, a Blesbokspruit catchment management forum, comprising key stakeholders - mining companies including Ergo, government departments (environmental affairs and nature conservation), an advisory committee chaired by the provincial authority responsible for managing the Ramsar site and interested and affected parties has formulated a management plan for the area.

Prior to the Montreux Record and stricter environmental legislation, serious spillages occurred from a number of disused tailings dams from the many mining operations dotted on the East Rand. However, these spillages have largely been eliminated since Ergo removed these dams to retreat the tailings, in a process which allowed further extraction of gold. The tailings from this process were deposited in the Daggafontein TSF. A one-kilometre stretch of agricultural land separates the western edge of the TSF and the Blesbokspruit wetland and an unnamed tributary of the Blesbokspruit is located to the south of the TSF. Some tailings reclaimed higher up in the Blesbokspruit catchment also ended up on Ergo's Brakpan TSF.

Although spillages occurred while Ergo was in full operation, they had no detectable impact on the Blesbokspruit Ramsar site. This is due to a spillage management procedure introduced by Ergo, resulting in prompt action to prevent spreading of spillage, cleaning up of the affected land and control measures to prevent re-occurrence of a spillage incident. Now in closure phase, a comprehensive Ergo Closure Plan has been drawn up, detailing mitigation measures where impacts of moderate and high significance are predicted in the vicinity of the Daggafontein TSF including the Ramsar site. The plan takes into account the findings of GHT Consulting, which was commissioned in 2002 by AngloGold Ashanti to assess the current and future impacts of the Daggafontein TSF on groundwater and surface water quality.

A detailed technical report was compiled covering many aspects of the impacts of closure. One point was that, without intervention and appropriate management controls, surface water quality may be affected in water bodies close to the TSF, including the Blesbokspruit, due to wash down of tailings or seepage. This, however, would be resolved after decommissioning of the operation when no more water and tailings material will be pumped into the tailings dam, and the implementation of measures to address further potential damage caused by rainfall and erosion. High salt concentrations, into the Blesbokspruit and its southern tributary, are expected to decrease by as late as 2105.

Following comprehensive technical studies to quantify the environmental risk of the TSF, a Closure Plan for the TSF was submitted to, and accepted by, the Department of Minerals and Energy during 2004. The Closure Plan development process involved consultation with all stakeholders including relevant government departments, neighbouring farmers and landowners, mining industry representatives, Ergo and AngloGold Ashanti representatives, and interested and affected parties. Concerns relating to the Blesbokspruit were noted and acted on. For example, a causeway across the Blesbokspruit will be left intact on Ergo closure as it has become an excellent platform from where to observe birds in the wetland. Other issues were dealt with through Ergo's participation in the Blesbokspruit catchment management forum.

The Daggafontein TSF Closure Plan notes that although the water quality, as monitored in the Blesbokspruit, has improved over the years, it is still generally poor, as a result of industry, abandoned mining infrastructure and dispersed sources of water pollution due to human habitation. Even if all mining and industry-related impacts were to be mitigated, the wetland will still be affected by the impact of human habitation and the discharge of treated sewage. For this reason monitoring of the Blesbokspruit wetland will continue through the management forum long after Ergo closes.