Palaeontological Impact Assessment: Desktop Study
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PALAEONTOLOGICAL SPECIALIST STUDY: COMBINED DESKTOP & SCOPING STUDY Phase 1 of proposed Aeolus Solar Energy Facility on Farms Lekkerwater 183, Everts Hope 190 and Portions 4 & 5 of Waschklip 191 near Langebaan, Saldanha Bay Municipality, Western Cape John E. Almond PhD (Cantab.) Natura Viva cc, PO Box 12410 Mill Street, Cape Town 8010, RSA [email protected] January 2012 1. SUMMARY The Aeolus Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd is proposing to develop a 300 MW photovoltaic solar energy generation facility on the Farm 183 Waschklip, Farm 190 Everts Hope, and Portions 4 & 5 of Farm 191 Lekkerwater and Olifantskop situated about 7km northeast of Langebaan, Saldanha Bay Municipality (West Coast District Municipality). The development area is entirely underlain by calcareous dune deposits of the Langebaan Formation (Sandveld Group) of probable Pleistocene age. These sediments are highly calcretised with an extensive limestone hard pan exposed at or near the surface throughout the area. This is locally mantled by thin, unconsolidated quartzose sands and soils. Elsewhere along the West Coast the Langebaan Formation is known to host rich assemblages of Pleistocene mammalian fossils, including several extinct taxa of large mammals referred to the Cornelian and Florisian Mammalian Ages (e.g. short-necked giraffe, dirk-toothed cats, giant buffalo, Atlantic Elephant, Cape Zebra). The fossils are often associated with hyaena dens and / or buried palaeosurfaces. Famous sites include the Elandsfontein (Hopefield) dune field only 16km south-east of the study area as well as Swartklip along the False Bay coast. Importantly, fossil human skeletal remains such as Saldanha Man (Homo heidelbergensis) as well as early modern human trackways (“Eve’s Footprints” at Langebaan Lagoon) and Acheulian to Middle Stone Age artefacts are also recorded from these ancient dune deposits. A range of terrestrial to freshwater gastropod molluscs (snails) are found within these beds as well as microfossils (e.g. foraminiferan protozoans) and plant root traces. The overlying silica sands are of low palaeontological sensitivity. Field assessment of the flat-lying Aeolus solar energy facility study area yielded abundant fossil shells of tiny non-marine snails embedded in surface calcretes within most exposures examined, as well as a small range of trace fossils (e.g. plant root structures). However, no vertebrate remains were seen and, given the flat nature of the terrain, the prospect of bone beds associated with fossil hyaena dens appears to be low. Pending the possible discovery of vertebrate material associated with buried palaeosurfaces, the fossil heritage here is rated as of low, local significance. The overall impact significance of the construction phase of the proposed Aeolus solar energy facility on fossil heritage resources is consequently assessed as low (negative), especially since extensive bedrock excavations are not envisaged here. The operational and decommissioning phases of the solar energy facility will not involve significant adverse or other impacts on palaeontological heritage. The proposed development has no fatal flaws in terms of impacts on John E. Almond (2012) 1 Natura Viva cc fossil heritage and there are no recommendations for further specialist palaeontological studies for this project. Confidence levels for this assessment are moderately high. The ECO responsible for the development should be alerted to the possibility of important fossil remains such as vertebrate teeth and bones being found on the surface or exposed by fresh excavations during construction. Should substantial fossil remains be discovered or exposed during development, the responsible ECO should safeguard these, preferably in situ, and alert Heritage Western Cape so that appropriate mitigation measures may be considered. These measures would normally involve the recording and judicious sampling of fossil material by a professional palaeontologist at the developer’s expense. The specialist involved would require a collection permit from SAHRA, fossil material must be curated in an approved repository, and all work carried out should meet the minimum standards for palaeontological impacts developed by SAHRA. Mitigation in the form of fossil recording and collection should have a positive impact on our appreciation of local fossil heritage. These recommendations should be incorporated into the EMP for the development. 2. INTRODUCTION & BRIEF The Aeolus Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd is proposing to develop a photovoltaic solar energy generation facility on the Farm 183 Waschklip, Farm 190 Everts Hope, and Portions 4 & 5 of Farm 191 Lekkerwater and Olifantskop that are situated to the west of the R27 trunk road and about 7km northeast of Langebaan, Saldanha Bay Municipality (West Coast District Municipality) (Figs. 1, 2). The land parcels involved are currently zoned for agricultural use and total 3792 hectares in area, of which some 50% only would be occupied by the currently intended phase of the proposed solar energy project. The facility was planned to have a final generation capacity of 70 MW, built up in 20 MW blocks over five years. Due to Eskom Refit requirements the project in the final EIA phase will be downsized to two 75MW installations on adjacent titles abutting the Eskom incoming major power line. Key components of the solar energy facility include: Arrays of photovoltaic panels with a maximum height of 2m. Excavations for the steel frame panel supports will be 80cm or less deep; Two service buildings (administration / security / warehouse) of maximum 1.5 storey height; Service tracks; Electrical infrastructure, including open electrical substations in the NW corner of the development. The footprint of the proposed development is underlain by potentially fossiliferous Late Caenozoic sediments of the Sandveld Group that may be disturbed, destroyed or sealed-in during the construction phase of solar energy facility. In accordance with the requirements of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 the present combined desktop and field-based palaeontological assessment was therefore commissioned on behalf of the Aeolus Development Corporation by Cape Lowlands Environmental Services, Darling, as part of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment for the project. The various categories of heritage resources recognised as part of the National Estate in Section 3 of the Heritage Resources Act include, among others: geological sites of scientific or cultural importance palaeontological sites palaeontological objects and material, meteorites and rare geological specimens John E. Almond (2012) 2 Natura Viva cc Fig. 1. Extract from 1: 250 000 topographical map 3318 Cape Town (courtesy of the Chief Directorate: National Geo-spatial Information, Mowbray) showing the approximate location of the first phase of the proposed Aeolus Solar Energy Facility c. 7 km northeast of Langebaan, West Coast Regional Municipality (blue polygon). The red ellipse indicates the important vertebrate fossil locality at Elandsfontein (Hopefield), some 15.5km SE of the study area. The two black triangles identify key stratotype sections through the Langebaan Formation at the lower Prospect Hill Quarry near Saldanha (top left) and Kraalbaai on the western shore of Langebaan Lagoon (centre left). John E. Almond (2012) 3 Natura Viva cc c. 2.5 km Fig. 2. Google Earth© satellite image of the West Coast area immediately northeast of Langebaan showing the approximate location of the Phase 1 Aeolus Solar Energy Facility study area in flat terrain west of the R27 tar road (yellow polygon). John E. Almond (2012) 4 Natura Viva cc Fig. 3. Provisional layout of solar panels for the Aeolus Solar Energy Facility near Langebaan as reflected in the Scoping Report. The EIA Phase of the project will confirm development intent of only the two easternmost sets of blocks on the farms Waschklip and Evertshope. John E. Almond (2012) 5 Natura Viva cc 2.1. Approach used for this specialist palaeontological study This palaeontological report provides an assessment of the observed or inferred palaeontological heritage within the study area, with recommendations for specialist palaeontological mitigation where this is considered necessary. The report is based on (1) a review of the relevant scientific literature, including recent palaeontological assessments for development projects in the Saldanha area (e.g. Pether 2011); (2) published geological maps and accompanying sheet explanations, (3) a two-day palaeontological field assessment carried out over the period 22 to 24 December 2011. Because the level of rock exposure within the flat-lying study area itself was generally poor, far better exposed stratotype sections of the main rock unit involved (Langebaan Formation) along the western shore of the Langebaan Lagoon as well as in quarries near Saldanha were also inspected for fossil remains typically associated with this rock unit (Fig. 1). Please note that only the intended footprint areas on the farms Waschklip and Evertshope for the proposed solar energy facility were assessed in the field for the present study. However, given the very similar geology underlying the entire development area, the general conclusions and recommendations given in this report are likely to be equally applicable to the project as a whole. In preparing a palaeontological desktop study the potentially fossiliferous rock units (groups, formations etc) represented within the study area are determined from geological