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This document is a statement of grounds of appeal filed by eight environmental and community organisations against an environmental authorisation (EA) granted on 7 June 2016 to Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the Yzermyn underground coal mine near Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga. The appellants argue that the EA was granted without lawful authority, based on a deficient Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR), and ignores critical biodiversity and socio-economic risks.

A legal notice dated 27 June 2016 in which eight environmental and social justice organisations announce their intention to appeal the environmental authorisation granted for the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine in the Wakkerstroom district of Mpumalanga, South Africa.

This document is a replying submission by Atha-Africa, submitted on 12 April 2019, responding to an administrative appeal against the approval of the Environmental Management Programme (EMP) for the Yzermyn Project. The submission disputes the findings of a September 2013 NSS Report and a subsequent 'Brownlie Review,' arguing that updated specialist studies by Delta-H and Scientific Aquatic Services demonstrate that the project's environmental impacts—specifically regarding wetlands, groundwater, and biodiversity—are localized and can be effectively mitigated.

This document consists of a series of panel reports, official letters, and motivations regarding the declaration of protected environments in Mpumalanga, South Africa, and the subsequent conflict with mining interests held by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd (AAV). It details the administrative process of declaring the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE), the expansion of the Kwamandlangampisi Protected Environment (KPE), and the declaration of the Tafelkop Nature Reserve (TPNR), while addressing objections from local communities and AAV regarding socio-economic impacts and mining rights.

This document contains technical appendices and legal affidavits regarding the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine (YUCM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It details the project's location within the endangered Wakkerstroom/Luneburg Grassland ecosystem, provides hydrogeological simulations of groundwater drawdown in shallow and deep aquifers, and includes the formal mining right granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for an area of 8,382.6158 hectares.

A notice of appeal filed on 30 March 2015 by eight environmental organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), challenging the grant of mining right MP30/5/1/2/2/1/0069MR to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd (AAV). The appeal seeks to set aside and suspend the right for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine, arguing that the grant is unlawful and irrational given the area's extreme environmental sensitivity, its status as a protected environment, and the lack of required ministerial consent.

A letter from the Minister of Mineral Resources of the Republic of South Africa to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd granting a mining right for coal across several farms in the Wakkerstroom magisterial district, subject to specific regulatory and environmental conditions.

A letter from the South African Department of Mineral Resources to the Centre for Environmental Rights regarding an appeal against a mining right granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd in the Wakkerstroom district of Mpumalanga.

A letter from Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) requesting that a notice of appeal submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) be dismissed because the original mining right granting letter has been superseded by a second, amended version.

BirdLife South Africa submitted a formal objection on 5 April 2013 to the draft scoping report for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine, operated by Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. The organization argues that the mine's location in the Grassland Important Bird Area (IBA) and its proximity to protected environments and endangered ecosystems make the application unsustainable and legally flawed.

An email from Glenn Ramke of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd providing comments and objections regarding the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine.

A formal letter from the Directorate: Mineral Regulation: Mpumalanga Region to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Limited notifying the company that its application for a coal mining right has been accepted, subject to the submission of specific reports and documentation.

A directive from the Mpumalanga Regional Manager of the Department of Mineral Resources (implied by the Act cited) to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd stating that their Environmental Management Programme (EMP) for mining activities in the Wakkerstroom magisterial district is non-compliant with Section 39(4)a of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.

A letter from Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd (AAV) to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) requesting amendments to the conditions of a granted Mining Right for the Yzermyn Underground Coal Project (YUCP) in Mpumalanga. AAV argues that current restrictions on mining in wetland areas are too restrictive and proposes alternative wording to allow for surface infrastructure and regulated wetland disturbance.

This document contains the heads of argument submitted on behalf of the Minister of Environmental Affairs, the Minister of Mineral Resources, and the MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs of Mpumalanga Province. The respondents oppose a judicial review application brought by several environmental organisations seeking to set aside the written permission granted to Atha Africa (Pty) Ltd to conduct underground mining within the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE). The respondents argue that the decision-making process was procedurally fair, that they were entitled to rely on interrelated statutory authorisation processes to avoid duplication, and that the permission was granted subject to stringent environmental and social conditions.

A letter from Thabiso Nene, Chairperson of The Voice Community Representative Council, to the Centre for Environmental Rights confirming the organization's role in inviting a public debate regarding a proposed coal mining project near Wakkerstroom.