Request to the NNR for records relating to the remediation of the Wonderfonteinspruit Catchment Area
20 September 2016
- Requestee:
- National Nuclear Regulator
- Reference Number:
- CER-2016-NNR-0002 (FSE)
- Status:
- Records received
- Any records reflecting the current status of the Remediation Steering Committee for the Wonderfonteinspruit Catchment Area, including:
- Details on when the committee last met;
- Membership of the committee; and
- Minutes of any meetings held since May 2015.
- Any and all records reflecting steps taken by the NNR to implement its own recommendations and findings in terms of the “Assessment of the Radiological Impact of the Mine Water Discharges to Members of the Public Living around Wonderfonteinspruit Catchment Area”1 (BSA-Project-No. 0607-03 Contract No RRD/RP01/2006) prepared on behalf of the NNR by BS Associates; the NNR’s/ Department of Water and Forestry’s Report, titled “Wonderfonteinspruit Catchment Area: Remediation Action Plan”, dated April 2009;2 and the NNR’s Status Report, dated 29 October 2007, entitled “Status Report on the Actions arising from the Study of Radiological Contamination of the Wonderfonteinspruit Catchment Area (WCA)”.3 These records should include:
- Any appointment letters to contractors hired to implement remediation activities;
- Any inspection and/or test reports prepared by or on behalf of the NNR;
- Any survey or investigation reports prepared by or on behalf of the NNR, or submitted to the NNR by other responsible parties
- Any rehabilitation plans prepared by or on behalf of the NNR, or submitted to the NNR by other responsible parties; and
- Any directives or instructions issued by the NNR to Mintails Mining (or any of its subsidiary companies) for the failure to remediate the Tudor Dam and the wetlands downstream of the Tudor Dam and to remove slimes downstream of the Lancaster Dam
- A copy of the rehabilitation plan for the Lancaster Dam site which Mintails Mining was required to prepare (as set out in the Wonderfonteinspruit Catchment Area: Remediation Action Plan).
- With reference to the attached response prepared by the NNR to concerns raised by the FSE (attached as Annexure 4), copies of the following documents are requested:
- The remediation strategy, remediation criteria and funding model prepared by the NNR, as referred to in the first paragraph on page 4 of the response.
- The “more detailed studies” into the radiological impact on persons living in informal settlements, as referred to in the second paragraph on page 5 of the response. If these studies have not been undertaken, then we request copies of records indicating any work done in preparation for these studies.
- The certificate of registration issued to Mogale Gold (COR-80), and copies of the occurrence notifications and “close-out reports” submitted to the NNR in respect of the overflow of process water and the slime pipe failure, as referred to in the third and fourth paragraphs on page 5 of the response.
- Any other notifications of non-compliance occurrences submitted to the NNR by Mogale Gold or Mintails Mining (or any other subsidiary of this company).
- The “various processes of managing and communicating with stakeholders” that were drafted by the NNR, as referred to under the heading “The process of managing and communicating with stakeholders”, on page 11 of the response.
- Records reflecting the current status of the engagement process between the NNR and the Department of Mineral Resources on joint efforts in relation to derelict sites, as referred to under the heading “The process of authorisation of derelict sites and other actions currently not under authorisation that should be under authorisation”, on page 11 of the response.
- Records reflecting any measures taken by the NNR to expand its reaction processes, as referred to under the heading “The process of quick response to reports on radiological contamination from the public and other stakeholders”, on page 11 of the response.
- Any records reflecting the NNR’s recent (over the past 12 months) participation in the investigation led by the Department of Environmental Affairs concerning the Blyvooruitzicht mine, as referred to under the heading “The current status of the Blyvooruitzicht Mine’s Criminal investigation”, on page 13 of the response.
- A copy of the certificate of registration or certificate of exemption issued in terms of the National Nuclear Regulator Act for the reprocessing of potentially radioactive material from the rock dumps of the insolvent Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mining Company within the Merafong Local Municipality by Ms Liz Gericke and/or Nickel Mining.
For further information please email [email protected].