Meet Jaco Lambrechts, environmental specialist at our Kolomela iron ore mine. It’s his job to make sure our practices at Kolomela are environmentally sustainable, and that we’re doing as much as we can to protect and improve the environment around us.
“The best part about my job is that I get to make a real difference every day, and I really believe this,” says Jaco. “Although mining does have a physical impact on the environment, the overall balance of what we put back in, is significant.”
As an environmental specialist, Jaco’s everyday tasks are to make sure that our strict environmental management systems are always followed, while developing innovative new approaches to help make our operations more sustainable. From a technical point of view, his focus is on biodiversity management, rehabilitation, and land management.
Jaco tell us a bit about some key projects that his team is working on.
Soil Rehabilitation
Some of the work Jaco does at our bioremediation facility at Kolomela, focuses on soil rehabilitation. This involves removing hydrocarbons (pollutants) in the soil so that it is fertile again.
“What we do is put the soil through a composting process where we add the necessary bacteria to combat hydrocarbons, which are pollutants,” explains Jaco. “This way we make the soil fertile again, and end up with a very good substitute for top soil.”
By using this process and rehabilitating the soil we’re able to support government’s national drive for zero waste to landfill by 2020.
Jaco adds that this activity is also improving the sustainability of the surrounding area as there is already a natural shortage of top soil. “If we can continuously make compost during our operations it will be easier to rehabilitate the land when the mine closes.”
Environmental monitoring
“If we don’t catalogue, monitor and understand the natural life that surrounds us, how can we ever protect it?” asks Jaco.
Before Kolomela mine came into existence, there was only one local bird species listed on the national bird list, despite many calling this region home. Today, the environmental team at Kolomela mine have already identified more than 160 birds in the area – adding them to the national list and significantly improving environmental awareness in the surrounding communities.
Jaco and his team also noticed that there were very few plants and samples listed for the area. Today, Kolomela has helped identify and sample over 360 plant species. “From an environmental monitoring point of view, we have added a lot of value for the scientific community at large,” says Jaco.
Water conservation
We cannot mine without water and 70% of our mines are in places where water is scarce. This is why it’s so important to use innovative methods and out-the-box thinking when it comes to dealing with this challenge – an area where Jaco thrives.
Jaco is currently putting together a research project where together with his team he will put together a water balance equation for the area.
By measuring the rainfall, the amount of water in the soil, and how much water each plant uses, an objective scientific equation can be deduced – adding to Jaco’s environmental management projects.
“By doing this, we can work out how much water “Mother Nature” uses and where she gets the water from for all her functions,” says Jaco.
Looking to the future
While Jaco and his team are doing all they can to ensure our impact on the environment is minimal, he maintains that this process is not a quick win and it will take time to see his efforts in action.
“The projects and programmes we put in place will only come to fruition in five to ten years’ time. It is not immediate. This is why it’s extremely important for us to make sure that even though we can’t see the impact now, we are always doing it right,” says Jaco.