Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report
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©Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT PROPOSED NEW OVERVAA L T U N N E L ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGE MENT PROGRAMME, MSUKALIGWA LOC AL MUNICIPALITY, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE E I M S R E F : 0963 DEA REF: 14/12/16/3/ 3 / 3 / 1 0 1 JUNE 2015 Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd Block 5 Fernridge Office Park, 5 Hunter Avenue, Ferndale, Randburg. P.O. Box 2083, Pinegowrie 2123 0963 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Tel: +27(0)11 789-17170 Fax: +27(0)11 787-3059 Leaders in Environmental Management ©Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd PROPOSED NEW OVERVAA L T U N N E L DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT RE PORT DOCUMENT CONTROL Name Signature Date Compiled: Tshivhangwaho Mudau 2015-06-17 Nobuhle Hughes Checked: Liam Whitlow 2015-06-17 Authorized: Liam Whitlow 2015-06-17 DISTRIBUTION LIST Agency, Organization or Person # Of Copies Gert Sibande District Municipality 1 Hard copy Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and 1 Hard copy Environmental Affairs (MDARDLEA) Mpumalanga Department of Water and Sanitation 1 Hard copy National Department of Environmental Affairs 2 Hard Copies 2 Electronic copies Distributed as Follows For Public Review # Of Copies EIMS website for public review 1 Electronic Ermelo Public Library 1 Hard copy Msukaligwa Municipal Offices (Sheepmoor) 1 Hard copy REVISION AND AMENDME NTS Date No. Description Of Revision Or Amendment 2015/06/19 0 Draft Environmental impact Assessment Report This document contains information proprietary to Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd. and as such should be treated as confidential unless specifically identified as a public document by law. The document may not be copied, reproduced, or used for any manner without prior written consent from EIMS. Copyright is specifically reserved. 0963 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT i ©Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd SUMMARY DATA SUMMARY DATA Proposed Project: Transnet Richards Bay Coal Line: Proposed New Overvaal Tunnel, within Msukaligwa Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. Location: South East of Ermelo, within Msukaligwa Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. Client: Transnet SOC Limited. Contact: Khathutshelo Tshipala. Contact Details: Carlton Centre, 150 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, 2001. Tel: (011) 308 4709 Fax: 086 686 0622 E-mail: [email protected] Consultant: Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd. Contact: Tshivhangwaho Mudau. Contact Details: PO Box 2083, Pinegowrie 2123. Tel: (011) 789 7170 Fax: (011) 787 3059 E-mail: [email protected] 0963 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT ii ©Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Transnet has identified the need to construct a new railway tunnel (hereafter referred to as the proposed project) parallel to, and approximately 20m south of, the existing Overvaal single railway line tunnel, in Mpumalanga Province. The proposed project will be located on the Transnet Richards Bay Coal Line, approximately 30km south east of Ermelo. The proposed new tunnel will be approximately 3 994 metres in length, commencing at Chainage 24 870 in the west and exiting at Chainage 28 766.4 in the east. The existing and proposed tunnels are situated in an area that is characterised by a rolling to undulating topography. Well defined, localised drainage channels occur along the route and drain in a north easterly direction. The general surface elevation along the tunnel ranges from 1641 mamsl to 1656 mamsl (metres above mean sea level) in the west and central sections, increasing to approximately 1665 mamsl at the N2, and then decreasing rapidly to 1590 mamsl eastwards. The proposed project is listed as an activity which requires an Environmental Authorisation (EA) from the relevant Competent Authority (CA), under the provisions of Section 24 of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA). Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd (EIMS) has been appointed by Transnet SOC Limited as the Independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to undertake the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process required in order to apply for the EA. An application for EA was submitted to the designated CA, namely the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), in October 2013. Typically the EIA process can be separated into two distinct phases, namely, Scoping phase and EIA phase. Final Scoping Report (FSR) and the Plan of Study for Environmental Impact Assessment were submitted to the CA in January 2015 and the acceptance letter (please refer to table below) was received in April 2015 instructing EIMS and the applicant to continue with the EIA phase in accordance with the plan of study that was outlined in the scoping report. The primary aim of scoping was to undertake a preliminary assessment of how the proposed project is likely to interact with the specific characteristics of the receiving environment. The outcomes of scoping process was a list of potential impacts and the identification of suitable feasible alternatives which require further investigation and assessment in the current EIA phase. A key aspect of an EIA is the need to inform and consult with the relevant receiving communities, key authorities, organisations and the general public in order to ensure a thorough and comprehensive process. A Public Participation Process (PPP), based on the requirements of Section 54 (c) of GN R543 promulgated under the National Environmental Management Act, is ongoing. The PPP involved identifying I&APs, notifying them about the application, soliciting their issues and concerns with regards to the proposed project activities, and finally to communicate the findings of the study. The public will be afforded the opportunity to review and comment on this Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and will be involved throughout the entire EIA process. The issues and concerns identified in the public participation process to date include the following categories: Registration/ participation; Fauna; Eskom specific issues; 0963 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT iii ©Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd Acknowledgement of initial Waste management; notification; Community benefits; Requests for information; Health and safety; Employment issues; Dust pollution; Property/ land issues; Palaeontology and heritage; Safety and security concerns; Acknowledgement of Draft Scoping Water issues; Report notification; Impact on existing infrastructure; Meeting arrangements; and Compensation; General issues. Skills development; The concerns raised during the Scoping phase focus group and public meetings as well as through continued correspondence with I&APs to date is presented in the IRR and the associated meeting minutes. All comments, queries, concerns received thus far have been responded to as per the contents of the IRR and meeting minutes. The following specialist studies have been conducted and their findings have been used to inform this EIA report. Ecological Impact Assessment; Hydrological and Hydrogeological Impact Assessment; Wetland Impact Assessment; Paleontological assessment; Heritage Impact Assessment; and Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment. The receiving environment has the following key environmental sensitivities that were considered in this EIAR: The study area transects the vulnerable Eastern Highveld Grassland and the least concern Wakkerstroom Montane Grassland and it is considered potential location of sensitive flora (includes vegetation units classified as Endangered and Less Threatened); The presences of ten provincially protected species had been confirmed, as well as the habitat suitability of at least one threatened Red Data plant, Gladiolus malvinus. The study area includes the usual variations of faunal habitat found throughout most of the Mesic Highveld Grassland Bioregion (pers. obs.). Disturbed primary vegetation, secondary vegetation and transformed areas are commonly found commonly in the southern parts of Mpumalanga. 0963 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT 2 ©Environmental Impact Management Services (Pty) Ltd According to the hydrocensus survey conducted by GCS a total of 18 sensitive receptors were identified within 2km radius around the proposed tunnel area, only eight sensitive receptors are at medium risk to be impacted upon by the proposed tunnel project. These eight (8) receptors consist out of four production boreholes (OHP7, OHP8, OHP9 and OHP12) and four (4) natural springs (OHP5, OHP10, OHP11, OHP18). Based on the investigation most groundwater users abstract from the weather aquifers with the exception of a primary school production borehole OHP13 which is drilled into the deeper fractured bedrock aquifer. Most of the groundwater qualities have a neutral pH and have low Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations, except for OHP6 which is slightly acidic (pH value 5.84). Mostly all the metal parameters falls within the SANS 241-1: 2011 Water Quality Standards, except for the OHP10, OHP14 and OHP17, which manganese concentration (0.443mg/l and 0.095mg/l), and iron concentrations (4.54mg/l, 0.569mg/l and 0.609mg/l) exceeded the SANS Water Quality Standards (refer to the attached Hydrogeological specialist report). Most of the groundwater qualities have a neutral pH and have low Electrical Conductivity