CSOs 4 Tailings Justice

We are committed to building democratic community power to address the dangers of mine waste, including tailings facilities.

Mapping Tailings Dams in SA

Mapping Tailings Dams in SA

Click on image below for interactive map

https://map.proxi.co/r/a5RRO7clbA_kEZpu28wG

Listing of Tailings Dams in SA

Name of dam / Town nearest / Province / Purpose / Registration date

  1. PREMIER MINE NO.7 SLIMES DAM CULLINAN MP MINE RESIDUE DISPOSAL 1997/09/30
  2. ARNOT WET ASH DAM HENDRINA MP INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE DEPOSIT 2024/05/06
  3. FEDMIS GYPSUM DAM A PHALABORWA LP WASTEWATER DISPOSAL & INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 1985/08/23
  4. FEDMIS GYPSUM DAM B PHALABORWA LP WASTEWATER DISPOSAL & INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 1985/08/23
  5. MAIN RETURN WATER TAILINGS DAM PHALABORWA LP POLLUTION CONTROL 2000/06/17
  6. FINE ASH DAM5 SLIMES DAM EMBALENHLE MP MINE RESIDUE DISPOSAL 2014/09/16
  7. DAGGAFONTEIN TAILINGS DAM SPRINGS GT MINE RESIDUE DISPOSAL 1987/01/23
  8. BRAKPAN TAILINGS DAM TSAKANE GT MINE RESIDUE 1987/10/23
  9. DNC NO.7 MINE SLURRY DAM NO.3 DANNHAUSER KN POLLUTION CONTROL 1987/02/25
  10. DNC NO.7 MINE SLURRY DAM NO.4 DANNHAUSER KN POLLUTION CONTROL 1987/02/25
  11. WEST COMPLEX STORM WATER DAM ORKNEY FS POLLUTION CONTROL 2011/04/14
  12. IMPALA TFS No.4 DAM RUSTENBURG NW MINE RESIDUE 2016/11/10
  13. KAREERAND TAILINGS DAM STILFONTEIN NW MINE RESIDUE 2011/07/25
  14. SLIMES DAM MODULE 1 EMALAHLENI MP RESIDUE DISPOSAL 2011/03/07
  15. SLIMES DAM MODULE 2 EMALAHLENI MP INDUSTRIAL USE 2011/03/07
  16. BOOYSENDAL PLATINUM MINE TAILINGS STEELPOORT MP MINE RESIDUE 2014/12/08
  17. RESIDUE DAM 3 VREDENBURG WC MINE RESIDUE 2012/11/20
  18. FINE ASH DAM4 SLIMES DAM EMBALENHLE MP MINE RESIDUE DISPOSAL 2017/09/20
  19. SEZELA CLEAN WATER RECOVERY PLANT DAM PENNINGTON KN INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 2013/10/14
  20. CISA TAILINGS DAM 4 NEWCASTLE KN INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 2017/05/22
  21. FINE ASH DAM 6 EMBALENHLE MP INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 2022/08/04
  22. JAN PAD DAM SPRINGBOK NC POLLUTION CONTROL 1991/07/19
  23. GROOTVLEI ASH DAM BALFOUR MP INDUSTRIAL USE ASH DAM 2017/12/11
  24. DUVHA ASH DAM EMALAHLENI MP INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 2019/05/16
  25. BIRD PARK DAM GROOTVLEI MP INDUSTRIAL RESIDUE 2021/11/11
  26. CAMDEN POWER STATION MAIN ASH DAM ERMELO FS MINE RESIDUE 2021/12/03
  27. FTSF DAM JAGERSFONTEIN FS WASTEWATER & TAILINGS DISPOSAL 2022/04/04
  28. DAM 10 JAGERSFONTEIN FS INDUSTRIAL USE 2022/09/23
  29. HENDRINA ASH DAM 345 PULLENS HOPE MP MINE RESIDUE 2022/12/23

PREMIER MINE NO.7 SLIMES DAM, CULLINAN

The Premier Mine No. 7 Slimes Dam in Cullinan (Mpumalanga/Gauteng) is a historical mine residue deposit. Dating back to the 1950s with subsequent disposals, it is one of the key tailings storage facilities associated with the operational Cullinan Diamond Mine currently managed by Petra Diamonds. 

  • Location: Cullinan, an area historically known as the location of the Premier Mine, situated roughly 40 km east of Pretoria.
  • Infrastructure: The No. 7 Slimes Dam (often referred to in academic and environmental studies) lies very close to local communities like Refilwe and has been noted for its large footprint.
  • Regulatory & Operational Dates: The date 1958 indicates the approximate time this specific disposal complex originated, while 1997/09/30 marks a significant milestone for mine residue disposal regulation (which coincides with historical permitting and environmental baselines in South Africa).

Because these tailings facilities are situated near residential zones, they are frequently monitored to ensure they meet the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management and local Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) regulations

ARNOT WET ASH DAM, HENDRINA

The Arnot Wet Ash Dam is an industrial residue deposit operated by Eskom, located at the Arnot Power Station east of Hendrina in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It manages the disposal of coal combustion waste (fly and coarse ash) through hydraulic conveyance slurry pipelines.

Facility Name: Arnot Power Station Terminal Reservoirs / Arnot Wet Ash Dam
Location: Mpumalanga Highveld, approximately 220 km east of Johannesburg and 10 km east of Hendrina
Operator: Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd
Deposit Type: Industrial Residue Deposit (Wet Ashing)

FEDMIS GYPSUM DAM A, PHALABORWA

The Fedmis Gypsum Dam A is a registered industrial residue deposit (tailings and wastewater facility) located in Phalaborwa, Limpopo. The facility forms part of the large-scale phosphogypsum stacks in the area, which are the legacy of decades of historic phosphate rock processing, acid manufacturing, and fertilizer production.

Location: Phalaborwa Mining Complex, Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality, Limpopo.
Classification: Industrial residue deposit / storage dam (registered as Dam B703/47).
Material Type: Phosphogypsum.
Mineral Profile: The stacks hold millions of tons of surface resource that are rich in Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
Reprocessing Operations: The deposits are being mechanically reclaimed and pumped into processing facilities to extract these valuable magnet rare earths (such as neodymium and praseodymium) and other byproducts.
Environmental Context: The unlined residue deposits have historically been the subject of environmental liability due to acid water accumulation. Modern reprocessing efforts aim to reuse this acidic water in closed-circuit plants, eliminating the need to draw on external municipal sources while cleaning up the legacy waste