Article posted 02 June 2009 in LegalBrief Environmental:

Moutonshoek community rallies

Published in: Legalbrief Environmental
Date: Tue 02 June 2009
Category: Development
Issue No: 0114 
      

“Opponents of the plan to develop a major open-cast mine in the heart of the fertile farming valley of Moutonshoek, near Piketberg, have won an initial skirmish in what is likely to be a protracted legal and environmental war, says a Cape Argus report.  They have formed the Verlorenvlei coalition, including several big non-government environmental organisations.

Members of the coalition include groups of farmers, workers, civic personnel, business, environmentalists and ratepayers, and the national organisations are Wessa (Wildlife & Environment Society of SA), BirdLife SA and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Two months ago, an application by mining company Bongani Minerals to mine tungsten and molybdenum in the agriculturally vital valley was granted by the then-Department of Minerals and Energy, now the Department of Mining. The mining right is subject to a full environmental impact assessment which has begun with the first phase, a scoping study in which any likely impacts are identified.

The draft scoping report was presented at a lively meeting held at the Karookop school in the valley a month ago and affected parties had until last week to respond. The coalition has now wrung from those involved a one-week extension for submissions about the draft scoping report to 1 June. “

The full Cape Argus article is available here (but only for subscribers).

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