IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Studies Review of the proposed Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga

The review identifies critical gaps in the hydrogeological and wetland assessments for the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine, specifically regarding the impact of mine dewatering on sensitive ecosystems and the lack of post-closure water treatment planning.

• The proposed mine poses a substantial risk to sensitive water resources, specifically the NFEPA wetland CVB5, which falls within the cone of dewatering for both the deep fractured and shallow weathered aquifers.
• The groundwater model used for the project is classified as 'low confidence' (Class 1), making it unsuitable for design or engineering purposes, especially given the mine's location in a 'sensitive and conservation important area'.
• There is a material lack of information regarding the financial viability and design of post-closure water treatment, with no data in the IWWMP on the costs of a plant required to treat decant water, which may be characteristic of acid mine drainage (AMD).
• The report argues that the presence of a dolerite sill will not prevent the dewatering of wetlands above the underground mining area, contradicting claims made in the SAS (2015) report.
• The Water Use License (WUL) is described as fundamentally flawed because it does not authorise the discharge of treated water that will occur during the mine's closure phase, only the volume envisaged for the operational phase.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Studies Review of the proposed Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SP2.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Studies Review of the proposed Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SP2.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Studies Review of the proposed Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga |date=1 December 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SP2.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017iwula, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{IWULA, IWUL and Specialist Studies Review of the proposed Yzermyn Colliery Mpumalanga}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SP2.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }