Mobile Telephone Network (Pty) Ltd Proposed 2Africa
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MOBILE TELEPHONE NETWORK (PTY) LTD PROPOSED 2AFRICA/GERA (EAST) SUBMARINE FIBRE OPTIC CABLE SYSTEM TO BE LANDED AT DUYNEFONTEIN, CITY OF CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA MOBILE TELEPHONE NETWORK (PTY) LTD (LANDING PARTNER) DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT EIA REFERENCE: 14/12/16/3/3/2/2046 MOBILE TELEPHONE NETWORK (PTY) LTD PROPOSED 2AFRICA (EAST) SUBMARINE FIBRE OPTIC CABLE SYSTEM TO BE LANDED AT DUYNEFONTEIN, CITY OF CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA MOBILE TELEPHONE NETWORK (PTY) LTD (LANDING PARTNER) DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT EIA REFERENCE: 14/12/16/3/3/2/2046 Prepared for: Prepared by: Mobile Telephone Network (Pty) LTD ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants 216 - 14th Avenue, Fairland PO Box 503 Johannesburg Mtunzini 2195 3867 May 2021 MTN (PTY) LTD DOCUMENT CONTROL Prepared and Submitted by Checked by Approved by: ACER (Africa) Environmental MTN MTN Consultants Mr P Janse van Rensburg Mr P Janse van Rensburg Date: 17 May 2021 Date: 24 May 2021 Date: 24 May 2021 2AFRICA/GERA (EAST) SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM SOUTH AFRICA – DUYNEFONTEIN LANDING DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT iii MTN (PTY) LTD DISTRIBUTION OF DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR COMMENT This draft report is available for public review at the following public venues in the project area for a period of 30 days (28 May – 29 June 2021). Venue Street Contact Person and Number Koeberg Public Library Merchant Walk, Ms Roelda Brown (Senior Librarian) Duynefontein, Tel: 021 553 2514 Melkbosstrand, 7441 Email: [email protected] The report is also available on ACER’s website: www.acerafrica.co.za under the link “Projects - Current Public Review” - (2AFRICA/GERA (East) - Duynefontein). Please submit your comments on the draft report by no later than 29 June 2021 to: Glenda Du Toit ► P O Box 503, Mtunzini, 3867 ► Tel: 035 340 2715 ► E-mail: [email protected] Please note that, in line with the EIA Regulations, all registered interested and affected parties are required to disclose any direct business, financial, personal or other interest which that party may have in the approval or refusal of the application. In addition to public review, the following authorities have been sent electronic copies of the Draft EIAR: 1. Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Ms Sindiswa Dlomo Email: [email protected] 2. Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries – Biodiversity Oceans and Coast Division Mr. Xolani Myanga, Ms Nontsasa Tonjeni and Ms Funanani Ditinti Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 3. Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Government Mrs Adri La Meyer Email: [email protected] 4. City of Cape Town (Energy, Environment and Spatial Planning Division) Ms Pat Titmuss Email: [email protected] 5. West Coast District Municipality Ms. Doretha Kotze – Town & Regional Planner Email: [email protected] 2AFRICA/GERA (EAST) SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM SOUTH AFRICA – DUYNEFONTEIN LANDING DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT iv MTN (PTY) LTD 6. CapeNature (Theewaterskloof, Overstrand & Stellenbosch) Mr Rhett Smart Email: [email protected] 7. Department of Human Settlements, Water & Sanitation Mr Warren Dreyer Email: [email protected] 8. Department of Human Settlements, Water & Sanitation Mr D Daniels Email: [email protected] 9. Department of Public Works Mr Basson Geldenhuys Email: [email protected] 10. Dr Ane Oosthuizen National Marine Co-ordinator; SANParks Email: [email protected] 11. Mr Frans Van Rooyen Park Manager, SANParks, Table Mountain National Park [email protected] 2AFRICA/GERA (EAST) SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM SOUTH AFRICA – DUYNEFONTEIN LANDING DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT v MTN (PTY) LTD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction Submarine telecommunication cables are important for international telecommunication networks as they transport almost 100% of the trans-oceanic Internet traffic throughout the world. It is widely recognised that access to affordable international bandwidth is key to economic development in every country. As such, the improvement in Africa’s information technology infrastructure via telecommunication cables will remove one of the current key inhibitors to development in Africa and support economic growth and opportunities on the continent. Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has been contracted to supply and install the proposed 2AFRICA/GERA (East) Marine Fibre-Optic Cable System with the end point landing on Van Riebeeckstrand at Duynefontein, located approximately 30 km north of Cape Town on the West Coast of South Africa. This is to be operated by Mobile Telephone Network (Pty) Ltd (MTN) as the South African landing partner. The project requires environmental authorisation from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE1) in terms of the 2014 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations (as amended), published under the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA) (as amended). ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants (ACER) has been appointed as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to assist with the application for environmental authorisation as well as other environmental permitting/licensing requirements (including a Sea Shore Lease from Cape Nature). This Draft EIA Report (DEIAR) and accompanying Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) have been prepared in accordance with the 2014 EIA Regulations. Project Location and Scope The project involves the installation and operation of the 2AFRICA/GERA (East) Cable System (Duynefontein landing), which comprises marine and terrestrial components. The section of the Cable System which forms part of this environmental assessment includes the main trunk line which enters South Africa’s EEZ from Mozambique’s EEZ in the north, runs southward along the East Coast of South Africa and lands on Van Riebeeckstrand at Duynefontein on the West Coast of South Africa. Once landing on Van Riebeeckstrand, the proposed cable will traverse the beach and link into the existing ACE Cable System beach anchor block, thereafter, being accommodated within existing underground ducts which run inland to the existing ACE Cable Landing Station (CLS) owned by MTN. Two alternative landing points have been considered. Alternative 1 uses the existing ACE beach anchor block and BMH and Alternative 2 requires construction of a new BMH and short section of new underground trenching, before linking into the existing ACE infrasructure. Relevant GPS co-ordinates (approximate) are provided below. Project activities are described further under the technical description. 1 Previously named Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF). 2AFRICA/GERA (EAST) SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM SOUTH AFRICA – DUYNEFONTEIN LANDING DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT vi MTN (PTY) LTD GPS Co-ordinates of the proposed 2AFRICA/GERA (East) Cable System (Duynefontein landing) infrastructure (approximate) Location Latitude (S) Longitude (E) Start of trunk cable at Mozambique/SA EEZ boundary 27°13'5.10"S 34°57'31.44"E Mid-point of marine cable 35°30'27.33"S 25°53'12.60"E ACE Cable System BMH at Van Riebeeckstrand, 33°41'39.96"S 18°26'23.22"E Duynefontein (Alternative 1) ACE Cable system beach anchor block 33°41'39.97"S 18°26'20.75"E Sea Earth Plate at Van Riebeeckstrand, Duynefontein 33°41'42.96"S 18°26'16.44"E ACE Cable Landing Station 33°41'35.81"S 18°26'58.57"E Approximate length of marine cable 2800 km Legal Requirements There are many legal requirements (International, National, Provincial and Local Government spheres) to which the project proponent must adhere for the proposed 2AFRICA/GERA (East) Cable System (Duynefontein landing). These were detailed in the Final Scoping Report (ACER, 2021) and a summary of applicable legislation and guidelines is provided in Chapter 2 of this report. In terms of the 2014 EIA Regulations (as amended 2017) the project potentially triggers activities in Listing Notices 1, 2 and 3, as shown in Table 2 of this report. The application for environmental authorisation therefore requires a full Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. Technical Description The main trunk of the 2AFRICA/GERA (East) Cable System will enter South Africa’s EEZ from Mozambique on Africa’s east coast. Thereafter, the cable system follows a course south and west around the South African coast, before tracking north-east from a point approximately 100 km west of Cape Point to re-enter the EEZ and territorial waters before making landfall at Duynefontein. Marine fibre-optic cables range in diameter from 17mm to 50mm. They are essentially inert, as any heat emissions, electric or electro-magnetic associated with the cable are of negligible magnitude. Cables are laid on the seabed surface in deep water and buried under the seabed where possible in shallower waters (approximately < 1,500 m depths). The proposed project will include the installation and operation of the following project components: Pre-installation activities including route engineering, route clearance and Pre-Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR). Laying and burial of the cable in the offshore environment within South Africa’s EEZ from the border with Mozambique until it reaches the shore. Laying of the cable across the beach up to the position of the existing ACE Cable System BMH2 (requiring excavations within