The impact of gold mining on the Witwatersrand on the …

The water treatment plant at Harmony Gold Mine was designed to partially treat 15 ... This Act states that a mine permit holder whose actions cause or result in pollution, environmental degradation or health risks "…is responsible for any environmental damage, pollution or ecological degradation as a result of his or her operations and ...

(PDF) A NOTE ANALYSING THE DECISION OF HARMONY GOLD MINING …

The essay critically analyses the recent judgement delivered by the Supreme Court of Appeal which found Harmony Gold liable for the remediation efforts aimed at alleviating against the effects of Acid Mining Drainage as a result of the directives issued under the National Water Act regardless of the fact that Harmony Gold was no longer the current …

The impact of gold mining on the Witwatersrand on the …

The dewatering and rewatering of the karstic aquifer overlying and adjacent to the Witwatersrand Supergroup and the pollution caused by Acid Mine Drainage …

Hidden Valley Gold-Silver Mine

Hidden Valley Gold-Silver Mine. Hidden Valley is an open pit gold-silver mine located in Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. Newcrest and Harmony Gold Mining of South Africa own the mine through a 50/50 joint-venture (JV) called Hidden Valley JV (HVJV), which is one of three JVs between Newcrest Mining and Harmony …

HARMONY GOLD MINING COMPANY LIMITED …

[4] The directive has its genesis in the gold mining activities in the mining towns of Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein and Hartebeesfontein (Kosh area). It is common cause that the gold mining activities conducted by the mining houses (including the applicant) are a source of potential pollution to the underground water in the area. In

Causes and consequences of the Merriespruit and other tailings‐dam

In fact, the mining industry has experienced several significant dam failures in the recent history: the Merriespruit (South Africa) gold tailings spill resulted in 17 fatalities in 1994 (Fourie ...

Heavy Metal Pollution from Gold Mines: Environmental …

Environmental pollution from gold mines is associated mainly with the release of harmful elements from the tailings and other mine wastes. The infiltration of …

Arsenic pollution in Quaternary sediments and water near a former gold mine

Dissolution of arsenic-bearing minerals associated with gold mines and their tailings causes an increase in concentrations of arsenic species in soil and surface water, but the spatial ...

Harmony Gold Mining Co Ltd v Regional Director: Free …

This case dealt with a gold mining company required to take anti-pollution measures in respect of pollution on its land but such measures had to be taken on the land of other gold mines. The appellant was Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited, one of five gold mining companies with mines in a basin of North-West Province. ...

The Environmental Impact of Gold Mines: Pollution by …

As gold is a precious metal found in small quantities, gold mining operations tend to cover wide areas and thus can inflict environmental damage over a geographically wide area. Gold mining tends to have huge negative implications on the environment, from digging out huge pits to disposing of leftover chemicals and tailings.

Mercury Pollution Is Way Up. One Huge Culprit? Gold Mines

Researchers estimate that these mines account for up to 1,400 tons of mercury pollution a year, nearly 40 percent of the annual total. Mercury poses a direct health threat to miners, who breathe ...

Digging Deeper: Causes, Effects, And Solutions To Mining Pollution

For instance, the use of explosives during mining can release toxic gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. These gases can cause respiratory problems and acid rain. Moreover, the use of cyanide in gold mining can cause water pollution, which can harm aquatic life and humans who consume contaminated water.

All that glitters... Acid mine drainage: The toxic legacy of …

The name Witwatersrand, literally "White Water Ridge" in Afrikaans, isubiquitous in South Africa. The namesake ridge, often called the Rand,passes through Johannesburg. This …

Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry v Stilfontein Gold Mining

It was not disputed that all of the mines in the KOSH area accepted that their activities could potentially cause pollution to water resources and that management of underground water was essential to continued safe mining operations. To this end the KOSH Intermine Water Forum was formed. ... Harmony Gold Mining Company, …

Environmental Impacts of Gold Mining

It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems. Producing gold for one wedding ring alone generates 20 tons of waste. …

Gold Mining Is Poisoning Amazon Forests with Mercury

Gold mining causes deforestation, which converts forests to polluted ponds and mobilizes large amounts of sediment from river bottoms. The burning of the gold-mercury amalgam also emits enormous ...

The Environmental Disaster That is the Gold Industry

Exposing the deep earth to air and water also causes chemical reactions that produce sulfuric acid, which can leak into drainage systems. Air quality is also compromised by gold mining, which ...

Waste Management | Sustainability | Harmony

GOLD: R1 420 779/kg -1.15%. USD:ZAR R18.86 +0.09%. At 18:44pm, 14 Apr 2024. Home » Sustainability » Environment » Waste management. All Harmony operations' environmental management systems provide for the disposal of mineral, non-mineral and hazardous waste materials. By understanding the actual cost of waste …

Harmful mining activities, environmental …

Strip mining causes dust and noise pollution . ... Harmony Gold mining company Ltd v Regional Director: Free State Department of Water Affairs & others 2014(3) SA . 149 (SCA). 44.

Environmental Protection | Sustainability | Harmony

Mining's potential impact on the biophysical environment is potentially significant, whether by pollution, the depletion of natural resources and disrupting land usage and management. Harmony has long understood that environmental protection is ethical, required and essential to running effective and sustainable business units.

THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA

Harmony ceased to be engaged in mining operations in the KOSH area on 27 February 2008. It then asserted that once it no longer had any connection to the land in question, the directive became invalid or unenforceable against it, a view not shared by most of the respondents. [2] Gold mining operations by a number of different gold mining

Causes, Effects and Solutions to Mining Pollution

There are many causes of mining pollution. Some of them include the following: 1. Technological Advancement. Technological advancement has a serious role to play in mining pollution. Before the advent of technology, miners had to resort to conventional methods of extracting mined materials from the ore, and these methods had little to no …

Heavy Metal Pollution from Gold Mines: Environmental …

Environmental pollution from gold mines is associated mainly with the release of harmful elements from the tailings and other mine wastes. The infiltration of water through sulphide- containing tailings piles and ponds, surface and underground workings, waste and development rock leads to leaching of large volumes of metals like …

The Environmental Disaster That is the Gold Industry

Exposing the deep earth to air and water also causes chemical reactions that produce sulfuric acid, which can leak into drainage systems. Air quality is also...

Contamination of groundwater by potential harmful elements from gold

Mining of gold in the Welkom and ia areas of the Free State Province in South Africa has produced numerous gold mine tailings, which contain a variety of contaminants. The extent of contamination of groundwater in the area was studied by measuring several water quality indicators at eight sampling sites, and within three …

Types of Pollution Generated by Gold Mining

Airborne pollution from gold mining frequently contains heavy metals such as mercury, and as such is a potential health hazard for anyone exposed to it. Soil Pollution. The soil pollution created by mining operations is another threat to wildlife and human health. Frequently, valuable ores run through rocks containing sulfides, and …

Why Tens of Thousands of Toxic Mines Litter the U.S. West

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accidentally released three million gallons of toxic waste into the Colorado waterway during efforts to …

Corporate social investments | Harmony Gold Mining …

Our corporate social investments (CSI) focus on going beyond compliance. This is an additional commitment we make to uplift and improve the lives and livelihoods of our host communities as well as labour sending areas. The following strategic pillars guide our focus areas for social investments in our South Africa and Papua New Guinea operations.

The Environmental Impact of Gold Mines: Pollution by Heavy …

Land, water, and air pollution are all a byproduct of goldmining through the cyanide heap-leaching method. Gold mining disrupts the landscape, the water table, the geological …

Mining Case Law Review Fact Sheets: Finalised Cases

HARMONY GOLD MINING CO LTD V REGIONAL DIRECTOR: FREE STATE, DEPARTMENT WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY (2006) JDR 0465 (SCA). See the full SCA judgement and related information here. HARMONY GOLD MINING CO LTD V REGIONAL DIRECTOR: FREE STATE, DEPARTMENT WATER AFFAIRS AND …