IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Investigation Review of the Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga

The review finds that the specialist studies for the Yzermyn underground coal mine are materially incomplete, particularly regarding hydrogeology, wetlands, and hydrology. The groundwater model is classified as low confidence (Class 1), failing to account for seasonal variations or the specific characteristics of dolerite sills, dykes, and faults. This leads to an underestimation of impacts on groundwater-dependent ecosystems, including the potential drying up of springs and wetlands. Hydrological assessments are based on outdated layouts and fail to adhere to General Notice 704 regarding flood line Exclusion Zones. Consequently, the report argues that the issued IWUL lacks sufficient conditions to mitigate environmental risks to an acceptable standard.

• The groundwater model developed by Delta h (2014) is of low confidence (Class 1) and unsuitable for the sensitive environment of the Yzermyn mine, as it relies on limited monitoring data and a steady-state approach that cannot capture seasonal variability.
• There is a critical lack of hydrogeological data regarding dolerite sills, dykes, and faults, which are essential for understanding groundwater flow and contaminant migration; this gap undermines the veracity of the mine's impact assessments.
• Underground mining is expected to cause a groundwater drawdown of between 2m and 5m, which will likely lead to the drying up of springs and negative impacts on wetlands above the mining area, contradicting claims that impacts would be limited to surface infrastructure.
• The wetland assessments are flawed due to a lack of seasonal surveys (wet and dry) and the use of desktop-only delineation for wetlands in the underground mining area, preventing an accurate baseline for monitoring.
• Contradictions exist within the wetland reports; specifically, the SAS delineation letter describes wetlands as 'highly disturbed' with 'limited Ecological Importance', while the SAS assessment report and NSS report classify them as 'largely natural' with 'Very High' importance.
• The hydrological assessments are based on outdated mine layouts and fail to calculate a flood line Exclusion Zone as required by General Notice 704 (GN 704).
• Pollution Control Dams (PCDs) are incorrectly sized because they are based on inaccurate groundwater inflow estimates and a flawed assumption that they can be operated nearly empty to avoid spills.
• The potential for post-closure acid mine drainage (AMD) and the migration of contaminant plumes from mine voids and shafts have not been simulated or quantified, leaving a significant gap in the environmental risk assessment.
• The issued IWUL is deemed insufficient because it is based on specialist reports that failed to identify all potential impacts and the interconnections between groundwater, surface water, and wetlands.

APA

Koning, A., Bredenkamp, B., King, K., & Langlands, K. (2016). IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Investigation Review of the Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-G.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Koning, Alvar, Brendon Bredenkamp, Karen King, and Kate Langlands. IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Investigation Review of the Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2016. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-G.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Koning |first1=Alvar |last2=Bredenkamp |first2=Brendon |last3=King |first3=Karen |last4=Langlands |first4=Kate |title=IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Investigation Review of the Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=18 November 2016 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-G.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{koning2016iwula, author = {Koning, Alvar and Bredenkamp, Brendon and King, Karen and Langlands, Kate}, title = {{IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Investigation Review of the Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-G.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }