Africa-Press – Namibia. DR Kuiri Tjipangandjara, a Doctor of Science in Mineral Engineering and Chemical Metallurgy, has said that there is a need for comprehensive sampling of water wells in the Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer System. He said that, in the absence of the proposed in situ leaching (ISL) mining by Headspring Investments, there is already a high level of radionuclides in the aquifer’s water.
Radionuclides expose those who consume them in water over a long time to the risks of cancer.
Dr Tjipangandjara made these remarks whilst speaking at a press briefing held by Russia’s Uranium One, a Rosatom global mining company. The briefing hosted visitors from the Dalur mine in Russia and the Karatau mine in Kazakhstan, who gave their feedback on the mines, which already use the in situ leach mining method proposed for the Leonardville area in the Omaheke region by Headspring Investments, the Namibian subsidiary of Uranium One.
The proposed mining in Leonardville has come under attack with fears that the mine solution contains amounts of dissolved uranium as high as 3000 times above the WHO safe guideline for drinking water. Whilst admitting that the underground water within the mine area will be unsuitable for water supply during the mining, Riaan van Rooyen, spokesperson for Headspring Investments, said that the mining site covers only 1.5% of the Stampriet Water Basin and will be fully isolated from the surrounding environment.
Van Rooyen shared this at a meeting attended by Dr Eng Kuiri Tjipangandjara, Water Engineer Colin Namene, environmentalist Vera Uushona, radiation specialist Packy Pakarae, Omaheke Regional Councillor Aldo Hengari, Mining Engineer, and Spike Shippiki, environmentalist.
Giving his impressions on the proposed mining, Dr Tjipangandjara said that it is difficult to talk about ISL without the conventional leach method, whether it’s open pit or underground.
“It’s not an overnight job, it’s a process. People should be educated about different mining methods, Environment Impact Assessments (EIA’s), and the regulatory part. It should not be expected that a mining company be expected to police an operation. This whole project has multiple stakeholders; there is no way one ministry can decide on it. The issue of water quality should be addressed, as well as pollution. I gave a presentation in Mariental and looked at the water analysis, and the alpha and beta radionuclides, which shows that in the absence of any ISL operation, radionuclides are being emitted. We already saw a high level of radionuclides in the water, which means that dissolved uranium is already seeping into the water. There is a need for comprehensive sampling of all wells in the area to make an informed decision. It should not be the mining company that does this, but this is the responsibility of line ministries,” Dr Tjipangandjara said.
He added that this is all the more necessary because the Omaheke region is a water-rich area and the proposed mining operation would be surrounded by farmers as well as the general community.
Further to this, Dr Tjipangandjara said that the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM), which oversees the water supply of transboundary water resources in Namibia and South Africa, should not only monitor mining in Namibia but in Botswana and South Africa as well, as they too have operations situated near the aquifer.
Colin Namene, an environmentalist commenting on the matter, said that on a face-value basis, the proposed ISL mining has minimal disturbance to land as there are few excavations, as well as little tailing and waste which are associated with acid mine drainage. He however added that due to the intrusive nature of the proposed ISL mining method, there are subsurface environments which need to be taken into consideration, which can only be substantiated by science-based data.
Spike Shippiki, an environmentalist, echoed the same sentiments and said that the ISL method is closer to the subsurface and the operations need a lot of monitoring and care to protect the environment. “But like any mining method, some management and mitigation measures, if properly introduced, can allow the mine to be sustainably operated,” Namene said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
