(1) No, my Department has not entered into a contract with any company for the specific purpose of directing acid mine drainage water (AMD) into potable, industrial or agricultural use. As an interim measure for AMD mitigation in the Witwatersrand gold fields, my Department’s entity, the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), has appointed service providers to treat (neutralise) AMD for discharge into river systems. This intervention is necessary for water resource protection and averting other AMD- associated risks on the environment. For the service currently provided, no tariff is set and service providers are strictly reimbursed for the operation and maintenance cost incurred during AMD treatment.
(1)(a) The names of the companies appointed by the TCTA are Sibanye Gold and Proxa.
(1)(b) Sibanye Gold and Proxa, tasked with operation and maintenance of the Western Basin AMD Plant in Randfontein, Gauteng; and the Central Basin AMD Plant in Germiston, Gauteng, respectively, perform neutralisation of AMD for discharge into river systems, thus ensuring water resource and environmental protection.
(2) I am presently considering a host of information centered on inter alia, technical, legal, financial and institutional matters necessary for a long-term project that is capable of directing AMD into beneficial (economic) uses. I will pronounce my Department’s position thereto once the internal appraisal processes are concluded and all risks fully quantified and understood.
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