THE INTER MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS

A letter dated 25 January 2011 from a coalition of civil society organisations and individuals to the co-chairs of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Acid Mine Drainage (IMC), demanding transparency and urgent action to stop the release of untreated acid mine drainage (AMD) into South African water systems.

• The authors report the ongoing flooding of the Central and Eastern Basins of the Witwatersrand Basin and an increase in uncontrolled decant of untreated acid mine drainage (AMD) from the West Rand Basin. They state that heavy summer rainfall has caused toxic water levels to rise rapidly, with groundwater levels estimated to be increasing by 40 centimetres per day.
• The decant of untreated AMD is described as having devastating long-term consequences, including the poisoning of food crops, deterioration of human health, and the destruction of wildlife, ecosystems, and heritage sites. The authors argue this threatens constitutional rights to health care, food, water, housing, and an environment not harmful to health or well-being.
• The Inter Ministerial Committee on Acid Mine Drainage (IMC) is accused of a lack of transparency and the exclusion of civil society. Specifically, the IMC has not made the team of experts' (TOE) interim and further reports public, nor has it invited public comment or participation in its meetings.
• The authors criticize the IMC for unreasonable delays, noting that since its first meeting in September 2010, no significant steps have been taken to halt AMD discharge. They highlight that the first decant on the West Rand in 2002 had been predicted as early as 1996.
• There is significant concern regarding the IMC's preference for neutralisation as a short-term treatment solution. The authors argue that neutralisation is inadequate and fails to address radiological issues posed by uranium in AMD, as noted in reports by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR).
• The State is accused of failing to act on specific environmental crises, including fish kills within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and the situation at the Grootvlei mine. At Grootvlei, untreated AMD has flowed into the Blesbokspruit and receiving wetland, with AMD levels reported to be only 60m below the mine floor.
• The authors demand the immediate publication of TOE reports and a decision on the Western Utilities Corporation (WUC) proposal. They threaten legal action if a response is not received by 2 February 2011, asserting that the State has failed its positive obligation under section 24 of the Constitution to secure a healthy environment.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2011). THE INTER MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Letter-to-IMC-re-AMD-25-Jan-2011.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. THE INTER MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS. 2011. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Letter-to-IMC-re-AMD-25-Jan-2011.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=THE INTER MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS |date=25 January 2011 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Letter-to-IMC-re-AMD-25-Jan-2011.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2011inter, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{THE INTER MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2011}, month = jan, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Letter-to-IMC-re-AMD-25-Jan-2011.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }