Acid Mine Drainage in Johannesburg

Although reports on the dangers on Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) are over a decade old, there has been very little action to tackle the problem.

These photos were taken in 2008 and yet the problem still persists, made even worse by the recent heavy rains around Johannesburg.

For more information on AMD, what it is, and what is being done about it, click here.

Children from the local community of Maguqa play on a field of white salt precipitate from the AMD (acid mine drainage). The pollution is caused by the water containing a mixture of AMD coming from abandoned local coal mines, a ticking time-bomb for the environment. The water draining from the mines is also filled with sulphate salts, heavy metals and carcinogenic substances like benzene and toluene. zoom
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Although reports on the dangers on Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) are over a decade old, there has been very little action to tackle the problem. These photos were taken in 2008 and yet the problem still persists, made even worse by the recent heavy rains around Johannesburg.

© Graeme Williams / Panos / Greenpeace

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