The West Coast has been bombarded by a surge in mining prospecting applications this month near Critically Biodiversity areas. Protect the West Coast (PTWC) experts have raised grave concerns about the threat to endangered fauna and flora, and warn that proposed rehabilitation budgets are woefully inadequate. PTWC urges the public to unite as a single voice via its digital public participation platform www.ripl.co.za. Register or log onto Ripl by November 19 to object to these applications and raise your environmental and legal concerns to prevent lasting harm to some of the most biodiverse and unique habitats in the world.

If you are familiar with the Public Participation Process (PPP) and have previously engaged with it, read no further. However, if you don’t know how to help prevent relentless, poorly regulated mining on the South African West Coast, keep reading. This is the first article in a series that breaks down the mining application process, and unpacks the basics of PPP and how to engage through our digital public participation platform, Ripl.

NGOs and scientific experts have expressed grave concerns about the cumulative impacts of a series of applications for phosphate mining across a swathe of the West Coast, including near densely populated areas. Phosphate rock is the primary source of phosphorus, a hazardous chemical element that can be toxic to the environment and communities. The warnings follow an application by Kropz PLC, owners of a phosphate mining operation at Elandsfontein, near Hopefield, to mine in the West Coast National Park, despite strong public opposition and a legal challenge by the World Wildlife Fund South Africa (WWF-SA).