OUR ENVIRONMENT
PRESERVATION
Overview
Lonshi Mine is committed to the continual improvement of our environmental performance and ensuring that our impact on the environment is minimised. The key areas of focus include water stewardship, the reduction of our carbon emissions and energy usage, and the minimisation of dust levels in our operation.
Our approach to environmental management is defined by our sustainable development policies, as well as the ISO 14001 international environmental management standard. South Deep is certified to the ISO 14001 standard and also fully compliant with the International Cyanide Management Code. We do not use mercury for the beneficiation of gold in any of our processes.
Water
Access to clean water is a fundamental human right and a vital resource for South Deep’s mining and ore processing activities. With South Africa being a water-stressed environment, responsible water stewardship ensures security of supply to our operation. Managing our impact on and access to water is also essential to maintaining our social licence to operate, as water is a critical resource for many of our host communities.
Dust
DRC’s mining industry regulations set targets for the amount of silica dust our employees are exposed to. We are making good and steady progress in improving our engineering controls to achieve the set targets.
Examples of the controls we have put in place are improved dust allaying and automated footwall treatment in high risk areas and rolling out real-time dust monitors. Internal tip dust suppression systems are installed at the three main intake areas and will be rolled-out to all other tipping areas at the mine. Employees are also required to wear PPE.