bdfm.co.za reported that BHP Billiton said that it was not responsible for the pollution with acid mine water of the primary water source for the Mpumalanga town of Carolina and Xstrata Coal said that they have co operated with Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Ms Edna Molewa and her department on the issue.

BHP Billiton spokeswoman Ms Kesagee Nayager said BHP Billiton Coal SA is confident it has not contributed to water pollution in the Carolina area".

She said the company was waiting for a final report from the Inkomati Catchment Management Agency, after taking agency officials on a site visit to the Union Colliery on March 13 to demonstrate the company’s environmental practices.

Ms Nayager said “There was a second meeting between the company and agency officials on March 27 and a third on April 25. At the April meeting the agency was given monitoring data and specialist studies of ground and surface water quality to further demonstrate that it has not polluted the water resources.”

Xstrata Coal SA spokesman Mr Gugulethu Maqetuka said the company sold its Mpumalanga assets, including Spitzkop and Tselentis, to the Msobo Group last year. He said “Before the sale we received approval of integrated water use licences for both mines and we have co operated with the Department of Water Affairs fully on all water related matters, related to the mines.”

Ms Molewa implicated BHP Billiton’s Union Colliery, a colliery operated by Xstrata Coal, Northern Coal’s Mimosa Mine and a mine operated by Siphetha Coal in the pollution that led to a Pretoria judge this week ordering the Gert Sibanda district municipality to supply Carolina residents with at least 25 litres of drinkable water per person per day by Friday. They had been without sufficient drinkable water since mid-January.

Source - bdfm.co.za

(www.coalguru.com)