Concern for Chrissie

A controversial coal mine in the sensitive Chrissiesmeer area has recently been given the go-ahead by Andries Gamede, MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA).

The Lusthof Mine of Black Gold Coal Estates is expected to yield coal to the value of R2-billion over the next four years and the coal will be exported to India.

However, it will probably cost more than this to protect the sensitive water-rich wetlands.
Concerned parties believe acid mine water seeping into Tevrede-se-Pan, a reed pan, could destroy the pan and pollute the upper reaches of the uMpuluzi River that arises in the vicinity.

Dr Koos Pretorius, a veterinarian turned farmer who established the Escarpment Environmental Protection Group, an NGO also concerned with the Chrissiesmeer area, said in a statement to the newspaper that the group had opposed the development for almost 10 years and had an interdict against the prospective mine.

After discussions about a settlement, it was agreed that the footprint of the mine, on old land of kikuyu grass and wattle, was not sensitive, but that the surroundings, however, were.

“The main issue was the water pollution post mining. The mine would pay the NGO’s consultants to see if it was mitigatable. During the process that followed, the investigations showed that due to the locality of the mine and the very small size (on top of a hill and 70 ha only), a water treatment plant that would treat the water and release it back into the environment would mitigate the impact.

A study was then done by the NGO’s financial consultant as to the amount of money that would be needed to be set aside to operate the plant.

“Once again the mine paid for that. It came to the amount of R87 million for the 300 000 litres per day. A trust was then set up on which the NGO could appoint its own trustee,”said Dr Pretorius in the statement.
Based on the above it was agreed by all affected members that the interdict would be lifted and that the NGO would not oppose any other applications needed for the mine to begin operations.

However, this agreement has not allayed all the fears about the effect of the mining.
Chris Burgess, editor of an agricultural magazine, recently expressed the opinion that smaller mine companies, such as Black Gold Coal, do not have a clean record elsewhere in Mpumalanga. He believes there is a good chance that the responsible parties could simply disappear after mining has been completed.

An internet article on “The water warriors” chillingly quotes Dr Pretorius as saying: “The pollution remediation costs of coal mining endure for hundreds of years.”

Last year, the then MEC for Economic Development, Enviroment and Tourism, Ms Pinky Phosa, declared Chrissiesmeer a protected area and the then CEO of Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Mr Jacque Modipane, at the time said that Chrissiemeer was an important tourism hub within the province and the protection of this site would enable the continued development of tourism in the area.

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