PREMIER MAKHENKESI Stofile has given his conditional support to the potential of titanium mining on the Wild Coast in Northern Pondoland if environmental studies prove favourable. Titanium deposits are being prospected at Xolobeni by the Australian-based Mineral Commodities Ltd, which is also looking at the possibility of a smelter in the East London Industrial Development Zone. Xolobeni, near the Mkambati Nature Reserve, is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot and has plants endemic to the area. Mineral Commodities has prospected in the area since 1996. No application has yet been made to mine. "The Premier supports the project in the sense that, if it materialises, it will have major contributions in terms of the development responsibilities of the Eastern Cape," Stofile's spokesman Manelisi Wolela told the media. However, the premier emphasised that there must be a balance between development requirements and environmental sustainability and full community involvement in the process. Nyati Titanium Eastern Cape, a subsidiary of Mineral Commodities, has entered into a three-year understanding with the East London IDZ as a possible location for an ilmenite smelter. Ilmenite is the chief source of titanium. The decision on whether to apply for a mining permit could take eight to 12 months, environmental manager Wolf Martinick told the Dispatch newspaper. This would then have to followed by a detailed environmental impact assessment. The Xolobeni prospecting involved drilling holes that were 8cm in diameter and between 30 and 40 metres deep. A total of about 20000 metres should have been drilled by October. Minerals and Energy assistant director of environment Jan van As commented that current legislation meant a company could apply for a mining permit before completing full environmental studies as the processes ran concurrently. However, the application did not guarantee the right to mine as this was determined by the social and environmental factors outlined in the project's environmental management programme.