SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE, SAPPI SAICCOR MILL IN UMKHOMAZI, KWAZULU-NATAL FINAL BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT (DM/0009/2020) 21 OCTOBER 2020 SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE, SAPPI SAICCOR MILL IN UMKHOMAZI, KWAZULU-NATAL FINAL BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT (DM/0009/2020) SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD TYPE OF DOCUMENT (VERSION) PROJECT NO.: 41102161 DATE: OCTOBER 2020 WSP 1ST FLOOR, PHAROS HOUSE 70 BUCKINGHAM TERRACE, WESTVILLE DURBAN, 3629 SOUTH AFRICA T: +27 31 240 8804 F: +27 31 240 8801 WSP.COM QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUE/REVISION FIRST ISSUE REVISION 1 REVISION 2 REVISION 3 Remarks Draft Final Date August 2020 October 2020 Prepared by Babalwa Mqokeli Babalwa Mqokeli Signature Checked by Carla Elliott Carla Elliott Signature Authorised by Carla Elliott Carla Elliott Signature Project number 41102161 41102161 Report number 01 02 File reference G:\000 NEW Projects\41102161 - Sappi Saiccor Water Intake Upgrade WSP is an ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 and OHSAS18001:2007 certified company SIGNATURES PREPARED BY Babalwa Mqokeli Environmental Consultant REVIEWED BY Carla Elliott Associate This report was prepared by WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd for the account of SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD, in accordance with the professional services agreement. The disclosure of any information contained in this report is the sole responsibility of the intended recipient. The material in it reflects WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd’s best judgement in light of the information available to it at the time of preparation. Any use which a third party makes of this report, or any reliance on or decisions to be made based on it, are the responsibility of such third parties. WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd accepts no responsibility for damages, if any, suffered by any third party as a result of decisions made or actions based on this report. This limitations statement is considered part of this report. The original of the technology-based document sent herewith has been authenticated and will be retained by WSP for a minimum of ten years. Since the file transmitted is now out of WSP’s control and its integrity can no longer be ensured, no guarantee may be given to by any modifications to be made to this document. P R ODUCTION TEAM CLIENT Environmentalist Samuel Mokoena SHEQ Manager Craig Daniel WSP Environmental Consultant Babalwa Mqokeli Associate Carla Elliott SUBCONSULTANTS Wetland Specialist Andrew Husted – The Biodiversity Company Estuarine Specialist Nicolette Forbes – Marine & Estuarine Research TABLE OF 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1 CONTENTS 1.1 Background .............................................................. 1 1.2 The Purpose of the BA Process ............................. 1 1.3 Basic Assessment Report Structure ..................... 1 1.4 Assumptions and Limitations ................................ 4 2 DETAILS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER ............... 5 3 LOCATION OF THE ACTIVITY .................. 6 4 ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION .......................... 1 4.1 Project Overview ..................................................... 1 4.2 Proposed Construction Activities ......................... 1 4.3 Description of the Listed Activities Associated with the proposed project ...................................... 1 5 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT .... 2 6 NEED AND DESIRABILITY........................ 5 7 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ....................... 6 7.1 Site Alternatives ...................................................... 6 7.2 Activity Alternative .................................................. 6 7.3 Layout Alternative ................................................... 6 7.4 Technology Alternative ........................................... 6 7.5 No-Go Alternative .................................................... 6 8 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT .............. 8 9 DESCRIPTION OF THE BASELINE ENVIRONMENT ......................................... 1 9.1 Climate ...................................................................... 1 9.2 Geology .................................................................... 2 9.3 Aquatic Environment .............................................. 3 SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE, SAPPI SAICCOR MILL IN UMKHOMAZI, WSP KWAZULU-NATAL October 2020 Project No. 41102161 SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD 9.4 Terrestrial Environment .......................................... 4 9.5 Socio-Economic Environment ............................... 6 10 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ............................ 9 11 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS ............................ 13 11.1 Phases of Development ........................................ 13 11.2 Construction Phase .............................................. 13 11.3 Operational Phase ................................................. 19 11.4 Decommissioning Phase ...................................... 20 11.5 No-Go Alternative .................................................. 20 11.6 Cumulative Impacts .............................................. 20 12 ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS ................................................... 1 13 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STATEMENT .................... 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................... 2 SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE, SAPPI SAICCOR MILL IN UMKHOMAZI, WSP KWAZULU-NATAL October 2020 Project No. 41102161 SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD TABLES TABLE 1: LEGISLATION REQUIREMENTS AS DETAILED IN APPENDIX 1 OF GNR 326 ........................................ 1 TABLE 2: DETAILS AND EXPERTISE OF THE EAP ................................................ 5 TABLE 3: LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE ................... 6 TABLE 4: DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICABLE LISTED ACTIVITIES ...................... 1 TABLE 5: SUMMARY OF APPLICABLE LEGISLATION ............................... 2 TABLE 6: WATER USE PER SECTOR IN TERTIARY U10 ............................. 8 TABLE 7 NATURE OR TYPE OF IMPACT ............. 10 TABLE 8 PHYSICAL EXTENT (E) RATING OF IMPACT ....................................... 10 TABLE 9 DURATION (D) RATING OF IMPACT .... 10 TABLE 10 REVERSIBILITY (R) RATING OF IMPACT ....................................... 11 TABLE 11 MAGNITUDE (MAGNITUDE) RATING OF IMPACT ................................. 11 TABLE 12 PROBABILITY (P) RATING OF IMPACT ....................................... 11 TABLE 13 SIGNIFICANCE (S) WEIGHTINGS AS DECISION MAKING GUIDE ........ 12 FIGURES FIGURE 1: LOCALITY MAP FOR THE PROPOSED SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE (WSP, 2020) . 1 FIGURE 2: THE FIRST FLOOR OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IN RELATION TO THE EXISTING STRUCTURE (ANDREW FRASER, 2019) .............................................. 2 FIGURE 3: IMAGE OF EXISTING PUMP HOUSE INDICATING ABSTRACT ADDITION IN YELLOW OUTLINE 1 FIGURE 4: ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED MCC ROOM ............................................ 3 FIGURE 5: AVERAGE RAINFALL IN UMKHOMAZI, KWAZULU-NATAL (SOURCE: EN.CLIMATE-DATA.ORG) ............ 1 FIGURE 6: AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN UMKHOMAZI, KWAZULU-NATAL SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE, SAPPI SAICCOR MILL IN UMKHOMAZI, WSP KWAZULU-NATAL October 2020 Project No. 41102161 SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD (SOURCE: EN.CLIMATE- DATA.ORG) ................................... 2 FIGURE 7: GEOLOGICAL GROUP FORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED PROJECT AREA (WSP, 2020) .................................. 3 FIGURE 8: AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED PROJECT AREA (WSP, 2020) .................................. 4 FIGURE 9: SAPPI SAICCOR PUMP HOUSE SITE LOCATED WITHIN THE KWAZULU-NATAL COASTAL BELT THORNVELD ....................... 5 FIGURE 10: SAPPI SAICCOR PUMP HOUSE SITE IN RELATION TO THE IRREPLACEABLE CBA AND ESA (WSP, 2020) .................................. 6 APPENDICES A EAP CV AND DECLARATION B STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT C WETLAND RISK ASSESSMENT D ESTUARY SPECIALIST IMPACT ASSESSMENT E GEOTECHNICAL STUDY F ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME SAPPI WATER INTAKE PUMP HOUSE UPGRADE, SAPPI SAICCOR MILL IN UMKHOMAZI, WSP KWAZULU-NATAL October 2020 Project No. 41102161 SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LTD 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Sappi Saiccor (Sappi) Mill, located in Umkhomazi, manufactures dissolving wood pulp to create a wide range of consumer products, particularly viscose fibre for clothing and textiles. The mill’s water intake pump house, supplying raw water to the Mill’s processes, was installed and commissioned approximately 60 years ago. As a result, the current electrical equipment within the pump house is now obsolete and prone to regular breakdowns. As a means to ensure continued water supply for the Mill’s processes, Sappi is proposing the upgrade of the water intake pump house by constructing a Motor Control Center (MCC) room adjacent to the existing pump house building. In terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998, as amended) (NEMA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations promulgated in Government Notice (GNR) 326 of 7 April 2017, a Basic Assessment (BA) process is required for the proposed water intake pump house upgrade. In order for the proposed project to proceed, it will require an Environmental Authorisation (EA) from the Competent Authority (i.e. the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs (EDTEA)), as well as approval in terms of the National Water Act. 1.2 THE PURPOSE OF THE BA PROCESS The purpose of the BA is to identify, assess and report on any potential impacts that the proposed