An exploration of the environmental management responsibilities and performances relevant to selected government and other gold mine residue deposits on the East Rand

M.A.In Gauteng alone there are approximately 240 gold mine residue deposits (sand dumps and tailings dams) from gold mining activities on the Witwatersrand, stretching from Randfontein in the West to Nigel in the East. These gold mine residue deposits are generally situated close to residential and industrial areas, to major highways and important watercourses and wetlands. They are potentially hazardous structures that threaten human health and safety, property and the environment and consequently obligate effective, holistic and integrated management. This thesis seeks to examine how current environmental management practices carried out on selected residue deposits measures up to regulatory requirements and good practice guidelines. In order to do this it was necessary to undertake an extensive review of all legislation, policies, standards, guidelines and codes of practice relevant to the management of gold mine residue deposits. The review revealed that since the introduction of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in 1996, dramatic changes have occurred in the entire environmental regulatory system. The recent environmental legal and administrative reform are forcing mining companies to review the management of mine residue deposits as they are now faced with stricter regulatory requirements and an increased threat of civil and criminal sanctions. The general environmental management legal requirements for operational gold mine residue deposits are set out in tabular form and cover all aspects relating to rehabilitation, air quality, visual pollution, access control, hydrology, water pollution, dam stability, monitoring, inspections and maintenance, auditing and the submission of information to the relevant authorities. On inspection of the selected residue deposits it was evident that required legislative provisions were not being complied with and that the environmental management performances relevant to these residue deposits had to be viewed within the broader historical, political and socio-economic context