Pollution reality of gold mining waste on the Witwatersrand

Abstract

While South Africa has made significant progress in shifting policy frameworks to address mine closure and mine-water management, and the mining industry has changed their practices to conform to new regulations, vulnerabilities in the current system still remain. The pollution reality of gold mining waste is illustrated by a case study in the West Rand area, where decant from gold mines started in 2002. Potential receptors of the pollution in the cast study area include neighbouring property owners, a game reserve and, further afield, the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. The study illustrates many of the technical, socio-economic and governance challenges faced by industry and regulators in managing the negative impacts derived from mine waste.