Charges are being laid against AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) (JSE:ANG) (ASX:AGG) for a spill that resulted in uranium-laden water going into a tributary of the Vaal River.
Last week’s spillage from a pipe at the miner’s operations in Stilfontein, near Kerksdorp, is said to have spread toxic waste over about 1.6 kilometres of the water resource. This is at least the second leak from AngloGold’s Mine Waste Solutions unit in the past five months, reports Bloomberg.
“We appointed a response team, which included internal and third-party specialists, to closely monitor and mitigate the impact,” the company was quoted as saying. “Operations were immediately halted, containment walls constructed, and all bolts in the critical sections of the pipelines replaced and welded.”
According to the Mail&Guardian an incident report was filed to the National Nuclear Regulator by the company last week indicating the spillage had occurred due to a “pipeline failure” between two of the its plants.
If AngloGold is found guilty, Mariette Liefferink, head of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, said authorities could make the mine pay for the financial impacts of the polluted water.
The company is the world’s third-largest gold producer and it is dealing with a series of challenges, from trying to keep key mines open to “more than halve” its corporate costs in 2014, with the goal of saving a minimum of US$482 million.
Image of the Vaal River by Tjpytheas
3 Comments
Annalien
Mines just don’t give a damn, do they? What good is a response team… what about a pollution control team to prevent it from happening in the first place?
JP
JP
We can control and minimize the damage by cleaning up and as is, continuously improve safety measures – you can not prosper without utilizing our resources. Risk reducing is a continuous process.
We must be realistic about it.
Kobus
freddy mande mukumbi
Mande Mukumbi Freddy
12, Avenue Salvias/Bel-Air, C/Kampemba
Téléphone: +243 816975999/+243 971567123
E-mail: [email protected]
Monsieur/Madame le Directeur des
Ressources Humaines.
Date: 14/09/2013
Object candidature au poste d’Opérateur de l’excavatrice
annonce Excavator Operator
Monsieur le Directeur,
Votre annonce pour le poste d’operateur de l’excavatrice,à retenu toute mon attention.
Titulaire d’un diplôme de graduat en théologie,département des droits canon et interprétation, diplôme d’Etat des humanités pédagogiques
et 3 mois au centre de formation FRT de la Gécamines, siège de Kambove/Kakanda 1999.
En 2011 jusqu’à présent, comme formateur polyvalent des
engins lourds de mine tels que : Pelle Hitachi 1900, Dump Truck Hitachi
EH1700, ADT cat.740&Bell B40D, Loader cat.966H, Dozer cat.D9R, Backhoe, Compactor et petits véhicules à la société Mining Company Katanga (MCK/Trucks)
De 1999 à 2011, comme Operateur polyvalent des engins
lourds de mine, à la société de transport minier et puis chez MCK/Trucks.
Maitrisant les procédures d’opérations, rigoureuse,
organisée et ayant un gout de prononcé pour la communication, je saurai
efficacement assister l’équipe des Operateurs (petites annonces) de votre société.
Vous trouverez ci-joint mon CV détaillant chacune de mes expériences.
Dans l’attente de vous rencontrer, je vous prie d’agréer,
Monsieur le Directeur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Mande Mukumbi Freddy