16th October 2024
Media statement for immediate Release
VAAL COMMUNITIES PROTEST DMRE’s LICENCING OF PROPOSED VLAKFONTEIN, SPRINGFIELD AND REDAN SIDING COAL PROJECTS
Vaal communities under the auspices of Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance will gather outside the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, at Meintjies St, Sunnyside, Pretoria on the 16th of October 2024 at 11h00. Since the public hearings have come to an end, the Department of Mineral, Resources and Energy is about to decide on the proposed Vlakfontein, Springfield and Redan Siding coal projects.
This is yet another mega mining of coal rush that is about to land in the Vaal Barrage Catchment. Glubay Coal, a subsidiary of Canyon Coal Mine intends to mine coal in an extravagant expedition. The proposed Vlakfontein coal site is planning to wash 1200 tonnes per hour of run off. The washing of coal at this massive scale using fresh water that most people in Waterdal, Dreamland and other surrounding areas have been waiting for access to for more than a decade is a further violation of their rights. It is an indication as to how little regard residents are given – their constitutional right and access to water is not considered in the allocation of water according to demand. When most of the fresh water is lost through leaking pipes, the poor maintenance of infrastructure is yet to deepen. The proposed Vlakfontein coal site has a Rand Water pipeline, and when blasting happens, residents have asked Glubay what about their contingency plan in the likely event of an incident, given the fragility of water pipe infrastructure? DMRE decision making should take cognisance of the likely loss and damage of not only water infrastructure, but also community housing, livelihoods and ecological loss!
VEJA’s list of demands
- DMRE to consider rehabilitation for the loss of water tables in historic open cast mining activities along the Vaal Barrage Catchment.
- DMRE to answer the following questions with due diligence: What is DMRE’s Climate Change Plan? Considering the loss of fresh water by more than 30% seasonally, how is theDMRE planning to contribute to the National Water Resource Strategy and the Climate Change Act?
- How will DMRE address their failures of law enforcement within the historic non-compliance with Sec.24 of the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act, and other Special Environmental Management Acts from previous mines?
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy must come to mine hosting communities to see what is it that communities are going through before giving out another Environmental Authorization for coal mining, Vaal is home to coal mining for local communities to live with the fence line consequences.
