"South Africa: Urgent Court Action to Stop Mine Using West Coast Groundwater", 13 Oct 2017

The West Coast Environmental Protection Agency (WCEPA) has filed an urgent interdict in the Western Cape High Court against Kropz Elandsfontein (Pty) Ltd and the Minister and Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation...WCEPA's objection to granting the water licence is based on experts' reports which showed that the mine's usage of water from the Elandsfontein aquifer posed "a high risk of irreparable environmental damage" to the integrity of the aquifer and to ecosystems dependent on groundwater...The NGO said in court papers it did not have to show that the mine's use of the aquifer water could harm the environment...At the heart of the NGO's objection to the water licence is that possible environmental impacts of the mine's water use from the aquifer have not been assessed...Kropz had not taken any steps to challenge the appeal, but had told attorneys for the WCEPA that it regarded the appeal as invalid...Spokesperson for Kropz Elandsfontein Michelle Lawrence said the company would oppose the court action. "We will be meeting our legal counsel to determine the way forward. We shall not provide any further information on this matter until it is dealt with by the court," said Lawrence.