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Black Mountain Mining – Vedanta Resources, Aggeneys, Northern Cape

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Black Mountain Mining – Vedanta Resources, Aggeneys, Northern Cape ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AMENDMENT: BLACK MOUNTAIN MINING – VEDANTA RESOURCES, AGGENEYS, NORTHERN CAPE DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Client: BLACK MOUNTAIN MINING Proposal Name: Environmental Management Programme Amendment RHDHV Reference Number: E00.CPT.000402 DMR Reference: ML 5/2000 Date: June 2013 Location: Aggeneys, Northern Cape Compiled by: Ntšeketsi Lerotholi Reviewed by: Bronwen Griffiths © Royal HaskoningDHV All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission from RHDHV and Black Mountain Mining. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... V LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ VI APPENDICES-SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ............................................................................. VII APPENDIX A: WATER QUALITY AUDIT REPORT, FEBRUARY, 2001 ........................................ VII ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. VIII 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 History and Background Information ........................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Contact details for the mine .................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Location of the Operations ............................................................................................................ 3 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT .............................................................. 5 2.1 Geology of the Broken Hill Deeps Project Ore Body .................................................................. 5 2.2 Ground Water .................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2.2 Depth of water table(s) ........................................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Background Groundwater Quality .......................................................................................... 9 2.2.4 Ground water quality around the tailings and ageing pond area ......................................... 11 2.2.5 Depth of water Table ............................................................................................................ 14 2.2.6 Seepage Volumes ................................................................................................................ 14 2.2.7 Seepage quality prediction ................................................................................................... 15 2.2.8 Groundwater Use ................................................................................................................. 16 2.3 Climate ........................................................................................................................................... 16 2.3.1 Mean monthly and annual rainfall ........................................................................................ 17 2.3.2 Maximum rainfall intensities ................................................................................................. 18 2.3.3 Mean monthly, maximum and minimum temperatures ........................................................ 19 2.3.4 Monthly mean wind direction and speed .............................................................................. 20 2.3.5 Incidence of extreme weather conditions ............................................................................. 20 2.4 Topography ................................................................................................................................... 20 2.4.1 Description ............................................................................................................................ 21 2.4.2 Soil ........................................................................................................................................ 21 2.5 Land use ........................................................................................................................................ 24 2.5.1 Pre-mining land use ............................................................................................................. 24 2.5.2 Historical agricultural production .......................................................................................... 24 2.5.3 Evidence of misuse .............................................................................................................. 24 2.5.4 Existing structures ................................................................................................................ 24 2.6 Natural vegetation / plant life ...................................................................................................... 24 2.6.1 Priority and Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................................ 30 2.7 Fauna ............................................................................................................................................. 31 2.7.1 Commonly occurring species ............................................................................................... 31 2.7.2 Avifaunal Priorities ................................................................................................................ 31 2.7.3 Drainage Context ................................................................................................................. 33 2.7.4 Surface water quality ............................................................................................................ 37 2.8 Air quality ...................................................................................................................................... 37 2.9 Noise 37 2.10 Sites of Archaeological and Cultural interest ........................................................................... 37 2.10.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 37 2.10.2 Earlier and Middle Stone Age sites ...................................................................................... 39 2.10.3 Middle Stone Age sites ......................................................................................................... 40 2.10.4 Later Stone Age Sites .......................................................................................................... 40 2.10.5 Rock art sites ........................................................................................................................ 44 2.10.6 Painted boulder site near Aggregate Quarry ........................................................................ 44 2.10.7 Cemeteries and graves ........................................................................................................ 51 Black Mountain Mining (Pty) Ltd – EMPR May 2013 Page i 2.11 Visual Aspects .............................................................................................................................. 51 2.11.1 Study Area Visual baseline .................................................................................................. 51 2.11.2 Study area visual character and VAC .................................................................................. 54 2.11.3 Presence of Receptor Locations and Visual Sensitivity of the Area .................................... 55 2.12 Socio-economic structure ........................................................................................................... 57 2.12.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 57 2.12.2 Formulation of Integrated Development Plan‟s .................................................................... 59 2.12.3 Aggeneys Community Engagement Plan ............................................................................ 59 2.12.4 Small Business Development ............................................................................................... 60 3 PROCESS DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................. 62 3.1 Mining Process ............................................................................................................................. 62 3.2 Mineral Processing Plant ............................................................................................................. 62 3.2.1 Crushing ............................................................................................................................... 63 3.2.2 Milling ................................................................................................................................... 63 3.2.3 Aeration ................................................................................................................................ 64 3.3 Flotation .......................................................................................................................................
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