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federation for a sustainable environmentlatest news & developments
(John McCann/M&G)

Long-awaited legislation seeks to strengthen SA’s environmental regime

National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Act introduce new offences, increase quantum of fines, extend enforcement powers to municipal managers

Danger below:  Underground acid mine water levels on the Eastern basin pose a threat

Pumping of acidic mine water on East Rand delayed — again

The plant’s closure means that a tide of toxic mine water is rising significantly underground, which could decant into the environment within months

Threat: The rising water level will affect mining underground and should the toxic acid mine water break to the surface the groundwater could be contaminated. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Deep concern over rising underground tide of toxic acidic mine water on East Rand

Broken abstraction pumps at the Eastern basin treatment plant mean that water supply may become contaminated, posing a serious threat

26 January 2022. Tsediso Raleholi shows a photograph of her 10-year old daughter Mapula. Mapula drowned in a mine dam on Durban Deep over the Christmas holidays. (James Puttick)

‘My child would still be alive’ if that dam at the mine wasn’t there

The drowning of 10-year-old Mapula Raleholi is the latest in a series at mining sites in Gauteng

Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy. (Photo by Ruvan Boshoff/Sunday Times/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

Environment minister in crosshairs over proposed amendment to environmental regulations

The proposed change will make it impossible for civil society, or their lawyers, to appeal environmental authorisations without using the services of a costly environmental…

Polluted land: Slimes dams and gold mine dumps near Snake Park in Soweto (above) and many other areas leach heavy metals into the soil and water. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Cannabis can clean toxic mines and industries

Cannabis is dubbed the ‘mop crop’ for its ability to remove or render industrial pollutants harmless

Costly closure: Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mine near Carletonville closed down and along with it the village. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

South Africa’s closed mines must not shaft people

The government’s vision for mined land: farms, tourism and self-generation of electricity

Plastic and other waste pollution along the Hennops River. The sewage pollution of the river affects the water quality of the Rietvlei and Hartbeespoort dams. File photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

There is shit in the Hennops River: ‘No way you can call this water’

E.Coli counts in tributaries feeding the Hennops River run into tens of millions, far above the permitted limit

Polluter not paying: Acid water from mines, in particular those that have not been rehabilitated by owners, is polluting the Vaal River system with metals, radionuclides and concentrated salts. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

State halts its R10bn long-term plan to fully treat acid mine water

The state is saddled with the burden of treating acid water and polluters are escaping the responsibility

West Rand: ‘These mine dumps are destroying us’

Mining areas on the West Rand are ecologically dead because of poor rehabilitation

An employee walks past stockpiled of coal for shipping at the Richard’s Bay coal terminal, in Richard’s Bay. (Dean Hutton/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Interdict stops coal company from starting mining in one of SA’s water factories

Coalition fighting planned underground colliery in Mpumalanga wins a round against Uthaka Energy in court

Persistent: Environment and agriculture MEC Vusi Shongwe wants protection of Mabola revoked

Water reserve loses ground to coal mine

Despite the state’s commitments to protecting water sources, an MEC is exploiting a loophole to allow a mine linked to the Zuma family to proceed

Costly cleanup: Mine waste water is poisoning rivers. (Paul Botes/M&G)

Sisulu: Third of audited mines violate conditions of water use licence

The water and sanitation department has not revoked or suspended water use, ‘but this remains an option’

Foul: Pigs root in sludge in Emfuleni municipality. (Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

‘People the same as pigs’ in the Vaal

The water and sanitation department has taken over the clean-up project while sewage continues to pollute the Vaal River and Emfuleni municipality