Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has raised concern over the rising number of gold processing plants in Bulawayo, warning that some facilities are posing new environmental risks due to the use of hazardous chemicals and the improper disposal of wastewater.
Speaking during a presentation at a recent trade effluent and wastewater recycling workshop in Bulawayo, EMA’s environmental quality officer for Bulawayo, Mr Mcebisi Dube, said the agency conducts quarterly inspections of companies whose operations interact with the environment, particularly those releasing pollutants into the air or handling hazardous chemicals in terms of Statutory Instrument 268 of 2018.
Mr Dube said hazardous substances covered under the regulations include chemicals such as cyanide, caustic soda and sulphuric acid, as well as materials like coal, all of which require strict monitoring and proper handling.
“As EMA, we conduct quarterly inspections of companies with interests in environmental issues, especially those whose processes release substances into the air or those using hazardous substances as defined by Statutory Instrument 268 of 2018,” he said.
Mr Dube noted that EMA has already identified companies whose operations interact with the environment and placed them under monitoring.
However, he said an emerging concern has been the rapid increase in gold processing facilities, commonly known as gold elution plants, driven largely by the growth of the mining sector.
“These gold processing plants are sprouting in the city and they are coming with a new hazard related to wastewater management. Their effluent is mainly acidic and, when combined with the city’s ageing sewer infrastructure, the chemicals can even digest or damage some of the infrastructure,” said Mr Dube.
He said the agency has already attended to several incidents where sewer pipes were clogged or damaged due to effluent from such operations.
“As the agency responsible for environmental protection, we have had to act by fining some of these companies,” said Mr Dube.
He reiterated that companies are not permitted to dispose of waste into the environment without proper authorisation.
“No one is allowed to dispose into the environment without a licence and in an urban set-up like ours, waste can only be discharged into the sewer system managed by the local authority,” he said.
Mr Dube added that EMA has issued legal orders and environmental tickets in some cases to enforce compliance, with fines ranging from a minimum of US$5 to a maximum of US$5 000.
He said that the legal orders compel companies to rectify identified issues by installing recycling systems or pre-treatment infrastructure before discharging effluent into the municipal sewer system or the environment.
This, he said, is critical to protecting council infrastructure and preventing pollution that could contaminate water sources, especially where treatment plants are located close to community boreholes.
Mr Dube warned that companies that fail to comply with environmental regulations will continue to face penalties as EMA intensifies enforcement to safeguard the environment and public health.
EMA is a statutory body mandated to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources, prevent pollution and protect the environment from degradation.
