Review Record Sheet
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Zitholele Consulting Reg. No. 2000/000392/07 PO Box 6002 Halfway House 1685 South Africa Thandanani Park, Matuka Close Halfway Gardens, Midrand Tel + (27) 11 207 2060 Fax + (27) 86 674 6121 E-mail : [email protected] REPORT ON WASTE MANAGEMENT LICENSE APPLICATION FOR THE ZIMCO ALUMINIUM COMPANY (ZIMALCO), A DIVISION OF THE ZIMCO GROUP (PTY) LTD, BENONI, GAUTENG PROVINCE FINAL SCOPING REPORT & PLAN OF STUDY FOR EIA DEA Ref. No: 12/9/11/L1290/3 Report No : 12984-46-Rep-004-FSR-Rev0 Submitted to: Zimco Aluminium Company, a Division of the Zimco Group (Pty) Ltd P.O. Box 5044 Benoni South 1502 DISTRIBUTION: 2 Copies - Zimco Aluminium Company, a Division of the Zimco Group (Pty) Ltd 1 Copy - Zitholele Consulting (Pty) Ltd – Library 1 Copy - Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality November 2013 12984 Directors : S Pillay (Managing Director); N Rajasakran (Director); Dr RGM Heath (Director) November 2013 i 12984 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction The existing Zimco Aluminium Company (Zimalco), a Division of the Zimco Group (Pty) Ltd, is a secondary aluminium smelter situated in the Benoni Industrial Sites, Benoni, in the Gauteng Province. The study site is situated in the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The operation recycles aluminium scrap and primary metal to produce aluminium foundry ingot, powder and master alloys which are then sold. The facility also processes aluminium dross to extract the metallic aluminium. The site is approximately 43 000m2 in extent. The processing of aluminium dross occurs in an area of approximately 10 000m2 in size. Activities undertaken on site are listed in Government Notice 718 of 2009 (List of Waste Management Activities that have, or are likely to have a detrimental effect on the environment) and therefore environmental authorisation in the form of a Waste Management License is required in terms of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act 59 of 2008) [NEMWA]. The listed activities triggered by the operations at Zimalco fall under both Category A and Category B of GN 718 (2009) and therefore a full Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment is being undertaken as part of the Waste Management License Application. In response to the promulgation of the NEMWA and the related GN 718, and with a spirit of maintaining legal compliance, Zimalco is being proactive in its undertaking of the required registration and licensing of its on-site waste management activities. This document, the Draft Scoping Report and Plan of Study for EIA, forms part of the Scoping Phase for this project. After submission to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), this document will be made available for public review and comment. Input from potential stakeholders will further inform the document before submission of the Final Scoping Report for approval. Legal Framework The existing activities require Licensing in terms of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act 59 of 2008). The supporting Environmental Impact Assessment will be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) and the EIA Regulations (R. 543 of 2010). In addition, consideration has been given to various other legislative pieces such as the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act 39 of 2004), amongst others. The existing operation triggers activities listed in both Category A and Category B of GN 718 (2009) and as such requires the undertaking of a full Environmental Impact Assessment in order to obtain Licensing. ZITHOLELE CONSULTING November 2013 ii 12984 Scoping Phase The Scoping Phase is a legal requirement in terms of the EIA Regulations (2010) and the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998, as amended). Scoping is the instrument used for determining issues and concerns related to the project, and involves consultation with the public and relevant authorities. Public participation was encouraged by: the placement of notification advertisements in a local and provincial newspaper; the distribution of Background Information Documents (BIDs) to neighbours and surrounding properties; and the placement of site notices on site. These measures will be undertaken in accordance with the Regulations to ensure that any potential Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) are notified of the project and given the opportunity to raise any specific issues or concerns. All issues raised during the Scoping Phase will be included in the Comments and Responses Report that will be submitted with the Final Scoping Report. This Draft Scoping Report describes the existing conditions on site and identifies the potential impacts of the existing operation on the current environmental conditions. This report also includes the methodology that will be used to determine the significance of the identified potential impacts during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) phase. Lastly, this report includes the proposed Plan of Study that will be followed during the EIA phase. Study Approach The compilation of this Draft Scoping Report was undertaken with the collation of desktop information, applicant consultation and site visits. A baseline environmental assessment was undertaken by means of site visits and the review of the existing information. Additional input received from identified stakeholders during the public participation process will further inform the contents of this Report. Baseline Environment The description of the baseline environment addresses all aspects of the receiving environment, including air quality, geology and topography, terrestrial flora and fauna, hydrology, noise, archaeological and culturally important sites, land use and visual nature. The Environmental Impact Assessment phase will include a detailed investigation of the identified impacts in order to determine their extent and nature (significance). Way Forward ZITHOLELE CONSULTING November 2013 iii 12984 This Draft Scoping Report will be made available to stakeholders and Interested and Affected Parties for review and comment. Any comments received will be addressed within the Final Scoping Report and the Comments and Responses Report which will be compiled as a component of the Stakeholder Engagement Process. Once the Scoping Report has been finalised, it will be submitted to the relevant authority (National Department of Environmental Affairs) for comment and approval. Once the Scoping Report and Plan of Study for EIA has been approved by the competent authority, the Environmental Impact Assessment phase of the project can be undertaken. ZITHOLELE CONSULTING November 2013 iv 12984 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Environmental Assessment Practitioner .......................................................... 4 1.2 The Applicant & Landowner ............................................................................ 5 1.3 Relevant Stakeholders .................................................................................... 5 2 CURRENT ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION .............................................................. 6 2.1 Property Description & Location ...................................................................... 6 2.2 Description of the Proposed Activity ...............................................................11 2.2.1 Activity Description ...........................................................................11 2.3 Support Services ...........................................................................................15 2.4 Waste Classification .......................................................................................15 3 BASELINE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ 19 3.1 Regional Climate ...........................................................................................19 3.2 Geology & Topography ..................................................................................20 3.3 Hydrology and Hydrogeology .........................................................................21 3.4 Flora ..............................................................................................................27 3.5 Fauna ............................................................................................................31 3.6 Noise .............................................................................................................31 3.7 Archaeological and Culturally Important Sites ................................................31 3.8 Land Use .......................................................................................................32 3.9 Visual Nature .................................................................................................32 3.10 Socio-Economic Context ................................................................................32 4 NEED & DESIRABILITY OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY ............................. 33 5 ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................. 34 5.1 Consideration of Alternatives .........................................................................34 5.1.1 Alternative Site on Property ..............................................................34 5.1.2 Alternative Properties .......................................................................34 5.1.3 Alternative Activity ............................................................................35