New waste plants for Kumba

THABAZIMBI – Two new plants, one for the treatment of hydrocarbon spillages, and a waste separation facility will be constructed by Kumba Iron Ore, Thabazimbi Mine.
In view of good communication and continued good relationships with stakeholders a Kumba Day was held on Friday 30 May at the Cinema Hall. The programme included discussions on safety, social development, environmental management and proposed new activities.
In a discussion on safety, feedback was given on the safety audit by the Department of Mineral & Energy (DME) in April this year when sections of the mine were closed for a 24 hour period. In mine terms, a Section 54 instruction was issued. In areas where big machinery is used for earth-moving along certain slopes, additional precautions were implemented which would ensure the safety of mine workers.
Kumba has an excellent safety record of more than 5000 fatal free production shifts at Thabazimbi and the issuing of a Section 54 instruction is part of the ongoing effort by the DME, the mine and the employees to improve safety and health in the mining environment.
On the social development front a lot could, and was, said about Kumba’s role in the community. Mention was made of upgraded hostels, the Marakele Marathon, sponsorships of local soccer teams, ablutions built for Kgapamadi Primary School and a generator for all four local schools.
But certainly the most noteworthy contribution to the community must be Itireleng, Kumba’s training centre, which is available to everybody in the community, not just Kumba staff members. Here skills such as bricklaying, carpentry, welding and motor mechanics are taught free of charge. The community makes good use of this facility and a long waiting list exists.
Feedback was given on Kumba’s activities regarding rehabilitation of mining sites. It was explained that rehabilitation was done in two phases. First the slopes of mine dumps were brought to acceptable levels, between 18º and 24º. Then indentations are made and grass and trees planted. Pictures were displayed of the improvement of mine dumps through rehabilitation at Donkerpoort, Buffelshoek and Kwaggashoek.
Questions were raised by concerned stakeholders about prospecting done by other companies, where rehabilitation was not done, about maintaining fire breaks in areas where Kumba land neighbours private land, and Kumba’s role in establishing proper sewage works for Thabazimbi. In response to this last issue Van den Brink said that a comprehensive sewage infrastructure was planned by the municipality for Thabazimbi and Northam, and that Kumba will join hands with the other mines in the area to participate in the IDP of the Municipalty.
Lastly, Jan Nel, a Shangoni consultant, informed the meeting about the new sites that will be developed by the mine in view of a healthier environmental approach.
The first is called a bioremediation site and this will be used to treat oil and diesel spillages, silt trap waste, hydrocarbon spillages and material from contaminated storage dams. This site will also serve as a storage place of hazardous waste.
The second site to be constructed is a recycling facility. Here waste will be separated and a dedicated area will serve as temporary storage area for recyclable waste until enough is generated for removal by waste management companies. A question was posed by the audience if Thabazimbi town could not participate in such an effort. This was going to be taken up with the local authority.