Tshipi - Proposed Alternative Post-Closure Strategy focusing on Agri-Processing at the Tshipi Borwa Mine, Northern Cape (DMRE Ref: NC-00243-MR/102)

Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining (Pty) Ltd (Tshipi) currently operates the Tshipi Borwa open pit manganese mine located approximately 18 km south of the town Hotazel in the Joe Morolong Local Municipality and the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province.

Tshipi is committed to restore the surface to pre-mining state of wilderness and grazing and requires that the open pit is backfilled. Recent operation optimisation investigations indicate that when considering environmental, socio-economic, technical, commercial and legal factors, completely backfilling the open pit is sub-optimal. In this regard, Tshipi is proposing an alternative closure and rehabilitation strategy with an Environmental, Social and Governance focus, which entails developing an agricultural-based post-mining land use solution, as an alternative closure and rehabilitation strategy through the use of a pit lake. Following the review of climatic conditions; the availability of land and groundwater; and job opportunities, the establishment of a pomegranate orchard and development of chicken broilers have been identified as sustainable post-closure land uses.

For the proposed pit lake to develop post-closure, concurrent backfilling (in-pit dumping), and the establishment of Waste Rock Dumps (WRDs) that remain in perpetuity, is required as part of the remaining operational phase of the mine. It is for this reason that an application to amend the approved Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) commitments is required now.

The proposed commitment changes will require an Environmental Authorisation and an amendment to the mine's current EMPr as the Project includes activities listed under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 (GN R 982 of 2014), as amended. Under the National Environmental Management Act , 1998 (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), listed activities are prohibited from commencing until written authorisation is obtained from the Competent Authority, which in this case is the Northern Cape Province office of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). In terms of the Section 102 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (No. 28 of 2002), an EMPr may not be amended or varied without the written consent of the Minister of DMRE.

A BASIC ASSESSMENT PROCESS is required to apply for the above authorisations in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 (GN R 982 of 2014), as amended.

The Basic Assessment Report, will only focus on the following proposed commitment changes:

Operational Phase:

• concurrent backfilling only i.e in-pit dumping during mining operations; and
• sloping and rehabilitating WRDs as part of early rehabilitation.

Decommissioning Phase:

• removal of infrastructure and preparation of the site for final rehabilitation and closure;
• backfilling and profiling of portion of waste rock back into the open pit as part of a partial backfill scenario;
• cessation of dewatering activities to allow for the development of the pit lake; and
• rehabilitation of any remaining WRDs (which did not form part of the operational phase concurrent rehabilitation); and
• establishment of an access road to the pit void where the pit lake will develop.

Closure:

• Maintenance, aftercare and monitoring of final landforms (rehabilitated areas, WRDs and pit lake and partially backfilled pit).

SLR Consulting (Africa) (Pty) Ltd (SLR), an independent firm of Environmental Assessment Practitioners, has been appointed by Tshipi to manage the environmental authorisation process for the proposed project.

This BAR does not support an environmental authorisation application for agricultural related listed activities under National Environmental Management Act, 107 (No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA). A separate process will be undertaken nearer to the time to apply for agricultural related activities.

Status

A Draft Basic Assessment Report was distributed for a 30-day review and comment period from 01 September to 03 October 2023. All comments received on the draft report have been collated and responded to in the Comments and Responses section and the draft report updated to Final Basic Assessment Report. The Final Basic Assessment Report has been submitted to the competent authority for consideration and decision. For information purposes, the full updated report is available for download below.