63 / 84
January 2017
MODERN MINING
61
Underground mine to continue in tandemwith Gamsberg
It should be emphasised that Gamsberg is
in no way intended to replace Black Moun-
tain Mining (BMM)’s current polymetallic
underground mine at Aggeneys, which is
a healthy producer of both lead and zinc
with a projected production of 90 000
tonnes of metal in concentrate in 2017.
The mine comprises two operating
shafts – Deeps and Swartberg – and a
processing plant and has been in opera-
tion since 1980.
Deeps produce copper, lead and zinc,
with silver as a by-product and has about
four years of economic life left. Swartberg
is primarily a copper and lead producer,
with silver as a by-product. Plans are well
advanced to deepen Swartberg, which
will increase production to 1,6 Mt/a of
copper and lead ore and 60 to 70 kt/a of
metals in concentrate, depending on fa-
vourable economic assessment.
Top projects
Centre of Endemism with its 397 succulent spe-
cies, 16 of them endemic. We are well aware of
our responsibility to protect this highly sensi-
tive environment and we are sparing no effort
to ensure that we get things right.”
Naidoo says that VZI is working very closely
with a range of interested parties, most nota-
bly the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), which she describes as one of
the world’s oldest and largest global environ-
mental organisations. “We have a broad ranging
partnership now in place with the IUCN,” she
says. “They are guiding us on how we can best
proactively address the impacts of our proj-
ect and are also assisting us with the capacity
building and empowerment of local NGOs on
biodiversity management and enhancement.”
The mitigation hierarchy that VZI has
adopted can be summarised as ‘Avoid,
Minimise, Remedy and Offset’. Elaborating,
Naidoo says the first step is to avoid as far as
possible any negative impacts by locating
elements of the project away from areas of
environmental sensitivity. “This principle has
guided the siting of the plant, the waste dumps
and the tailings facility. Obviously, we are lim-
ited in what we can do with respect to the open
pit but even here we have deliberately sterilised
some ground – 10 Mt of resource, to be specific
– in the interests of preserving the environment.
“The second mitigation principle, Minimise,
involves fencing off areas to protect fauna and
flora and planning and constructing waste
dumps and other facilities to prevent run-off
or atmospheric pollution. We are, for example,
going to separate different types of waste rock
based on leachability characteristics. Moving
to the third principle, Remedy, this involves
the translocation of sensitive species for use in
concurrent rehabilitation and already we have
moved around 80 000 plants.
“Finally, we have our ‘Offset’ principle. This
has seen us entering into a biodiversity offset
agreement with the Department of Environment
and Nature Conservation in terms of which we
are identifying and securing properties near to
the project site which have similar biodiversity
features. At this stage, we’ve identified approxi-
mately 40 000 ha and these will ultimately be
managed in conjunction with our partners to
ensure that there will be no biodiversity loss as
a result of our mining activities.”
Summing up, Naidoo says she believes that
Gamsberg will become a template for how the
environmental impacts of mining can be suc-
cessfully managed and minimised. “Vedanta
has never attempted anything on this scale
before so in many respects we’re playing a
pioneering role,” she observes. “We’ve made
mistakes but we’re learning as we go along and
we’re determined that Gamsberg will become a
benchmark project in demonstrating that mines
can be developed – and operated – in a manner
that is wholly consistent with a high degree of
care and concern for the natural environment.”
Photos courtesy of Vedanta Zinc International
ZINC
The Deeps Shaft at Black Mountain Mining produces copper, lead and zinc, with silver as a by-product.