Evander Gold Mine says spillage is not harmful
There is no danger of hazardous material or vegetation being contaminated, meaning no risk to humans or livestock.
Motorists and community members were shocked to see a white chemical spill along the old Standerton road next to Evander Gold Mine on Monday morning, October 4.
Motorists said the spill was all over the road and they were concern that it might damage their vehicles.
“Even the grass next to the area turned white as if it was snowing, How much harm did this cause to the environment?” asked Mr Themba Maseko, a motorist.
“Does the mine care about the environment and the community?” Mr Maseko questioned.
Mr Hethen Hira, a head investigator at the mine said it is indeed of great concern for them when incidents do occur, no matter how small.
He said the safety of their employees and host communities is a number one priority for Pan African Resources.
“The tailings slurry spill occurred at about 05:00 on Monday, when a HDPE pipe ruptured at a welded seam.
“This allowed already-processed material from the Kinross plant that was being transported for deposit onto the Winkelhaak Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) to be spilled onto the road adjacent to Sakhisizwe township.”
Mr Hira said the slurry material was of a non-hazardous concentration in the volume spilled and the matter wass reported as a Level-1 (low-risk) environmental incident.
“Nevertheless, a full investigation has been undertaken and will be reported as required.”
Mr Hira explained that the pipes are inspected on a daily basis through patrols and any incidents are managed as soon as possible, for which Evander Mines has the necessary protocols in place in terms of its environmental compliance requirements.
The pipe has been successfully repaired and no further were incidents reported.
He said that the plant processes about 35 thousand tons of material per day, which is sent through to the TSF to be deposited.
“The spill covered an area of 25 metres along the road and 20 meters from the pipe.
“This was estimated at about 38 tons of material in total, most of which has already been cleared from the road area, and the remainder on mine property was cleared during the night.
“There is no danger of hazardous material or vegetation being contaminated, meaning no risk to humans or livestock.
“Our stakeholder engagement team will be available to engage with the respective community members should there be any concerns,” concluded Mr Hira.
