Safety, health and environment (SHE)

Land remediation

The guiding principles underlying AECI’s remediation activities are to protect human health and the environment; to use good science, proven concepts, and best available techniques not entailing excessive cost; and to work with regulatory authorities and share information with interested and affected parties.

A risk-based approach guides the remediation process and human health and environmental risk assessments are undertaken at appropriate stages in individual projects. These assessments influence subsequent activities.

Annual reviews of the Group’s environmental liability have been conducted by independent consultants since 1995 and the level of detail increases each year. The reviews are a reasonable approach to quantifying the potential future liability that has resulted from past operations. It is assumed that good management and operating practices at current operating sites will reduce remediation requirements over time.

Liability review findings are used to plan detailed remediation projects and to motivate Group companies to initiate necessary remediation and environmental management activities. At end-2008, the environmental liability for the Group was estimated at R146 million for remediation.