There are inevitable disturbances to land during mining. By implementing the Anglo Environment Way, we endeavour to minimise the negative impacts of our activities and ultimately restore disturbed land to an agreed land capability and land use at mine closure.
Indigenous plants at Isibonelo colliery are preserved in a nursery before being replanted during the land rehabilitation process
Our internationally recognised Mine-Closure Toolbox assists operations with strategic long-term mine-closure planning. It expands the focus from financial provisioning for rehabilitation and physical closure to planning for long-term sustainability by addressing complex socio-economic, physical and bio-physical challenges.
Following a structured approach to closure planning is critical and the toolbox covers three main themes: strategic planning, assessing current status; and scheduling, resource allocation and budgeting to address identified gaps.
Rehabilitation
Our Thermal Coal business has produced a best practice guide for rehabilitation. This sets the standard for rehabilitation planning, equipment, soil handling, fertility and the reestablishment of vegetation. Research and development projects for optimising fertiliser applications, planting indigenous grass species on rehabilitated areas, irrigation and soil compaction alleviation are under way.
Biodiversity
South Africa is a country rich in biodiversity. Mining has the potential to harm biodiversity, either by disturbing habitats or having a negative impact on air quality, land and local water sources. We therefore have a responsibility to minimise those negative impacts, which we do through encompassing biodiversity conservation into our environmental policies.
Every operation develops and implements its own biodiversity action plan (BAP) to manage its biodiversity responsibilities. BAPs are created in line with local conservation and socio-economic priorities, which are identified through our social and environmental impact assessments. These include concerns such as the relationship between communities and natural systems and the potential impacts of resettlements. Where significant biodiversity risks or opportunities are present, operations are expected to develop an additional BAP.