Modikwa Platinum Mine is an existing platinum mine located approximately 20 km west of Burgersfort and 18 km north of Steelpoort in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality that forms part of the Sekhukhune District Municipality of the Limpopo Province. As part of the proposed project, Modikwa Platinum Mine intends to undertake the following activities on the farms Hendriksplaats 281 KT and Onverwacht 292 KT:
- Widening and upgrading of the existing South 2 shaft access road;
- New road sections to connect the existing gravel roads from the existing Chrome Retreatment Plant, to the neighbouring Samancor Mine plant;
- New access roads associated with the Merensky Shaft; and
- Supporting infrastructure at Merensky shaft.
Before MPM may commence with development of any of the proposed activities, certain environmental authorisations need to be undertaken in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations of 2014, as amended and Section 21 of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) (NWA).
In terms of NEMA, the listed activities, requiring a Basic Assessment process, applicable to this project are:
- Listing Notice 1, Activity 12: The development of infrastructure with a physical footprint of 100 square metres or more, within a watercourse or within 32 metres of a watercourse, measured from the edge of a watercourse.
- Listing Notice 1, Activity 19: The infilling or depositing of any material of more than 5 cubic metres (m3) into, or the dredging, excavation, removal or moving of soil, sand, shells, shell grit, pebbles or rock or more than 5 m3 from a watercourse.
- Listing Notice 3, Activity 4: The development of a road wider than 4 metres with a reserve less than 13.5 metres.
- Listing Notice 3, Activity 12 (ii): The clearance of an area of 300 square metres or more of indigenous vegetation except where such clearance of indigenous vegetation is required for maintenance purposes undertaken in accordance with a maintenance management plan within critical biodiversity areas identified in bioregional plans.
- Listing Notice 3, Activity 18: The widening of a road by more than 4 metres, or the lengthening of a road by more than 1 kilometre.
A Water Use Licence Application (WULA) is required for existing water uses not included in the current Water Use Licence (WUL), No 04/B41J/ABCEFGIJ/4312, issued on 11 October 2017, proposed water uses and authorised water uses for an increase in volume. The following Section 21 water uses in terms of the NWA will be applied for as part of the WULA process:
- Section 21(a): Taking of water from a water resource
- Section 21(b): Storage of water
- Section 21(c) and (i): Impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse and altering the bed, banks, course or characteristics of a watercourse;
- Section 21(g): Disposing of waste or water containing waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water resource.
