Faunal Specialist Study for the Proposed Coza Iron Ore Mine Project in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality in the Northern Cape Province
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FAUNAL SPECIALIST STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED COZA IRON ORE MINE PROJECT IN THE TSANTSABANE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN THE NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE Environmental Impact Assessment Report January 2014 Compiled for: Compiled by: Synergistics Environmental Services Beryl Wilson (Pty) Ltd Zoologist & Field Biologist P.O. Box 68821 McGregor Museum Bryanston (Department of Sport, Arts & Culture) 2091 P.O. Box 316 Kimberley Tel: +27 (0)11 326 4158 8300 Fax: +27 (0)11 326 4118 Tel: +27 (0)53 839 2727 Contacts: Fax: +27(0)53 842 1433 Rudi de Jager [email protected] Zuma Khumalo [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A faunal specialist study has been undertaken to assess the potential impacts on local fauna associated with the development of COZA Iron Ore Project, a proposed greenfields mining project located on Farm Driehoekspan 435 (Remaining Extent) and Doornpan 445 (Portion 1) in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality in the Northern Cape Province. A site visit was undertaken at the end of March 2013. A scoping report was submitted in April 2013. The approach taken for this study was to identify any fauna of conservation concern that could potentially occur in the ear-marked and immediately surrounding area that may use the site for some purpose. Literature sources, museum records and databases containing distribution records for all species were consulted to compile a list of species of conservation concern that have a likelihood of occurring on the site. Species with a distribution range that included the site were evaluated to determine whether the site was likely to contain these species. This information was then ground- truthed during a site inspection. Current literature, conservation assessments, museum records and information from various past surveys in the region by the specialist, together with the site visit indicated an approximate total of 266 bird, 56 mammal, 45 reptile and 11 amphibian and uncalculated arachnid naturally-occurring species to have been recorded in the region. After analysis, an approximate total of 14 bird, 14 mammal, two reptile, one amphibian and about 10 arachnid species of potential conservation significance are thought to potentially occur in the general area. Of these, only seven species are likely to occur either transiently or permanently in the immediate area as a result of extensive and ongoing habitat transformation by local mining activities. Nine potential impacts of the project are identified and discussed. Mitigation measures are suggested for the various phases of the project. Although the factors identified and discussed could negatively impact on faunal species and biodiversity in general, the investigated area is not unique in terms of species diversity and eco-status within the region as a whole, and is already significantly altered by similar or associated industries. Development of these specific sites will not have significant impact on the overall distribution, the survival or dynamics of the encountered fauna. Environmental Impact Assessment - Faunal Specialist Study for the proposed COZA Iron Ore Mine Project in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality, Northern Cape Province Compiled by B. Wilson – Zoologist and Field Biologist, McGregor Museum, Kimberley Date: January 2014 3 FAUNAL SPECIALIST STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED COZA IRON ORE MINE PROJECT IN THE TSANTSABANE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN THE NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Description Page 1 INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 Background 6 1.2 Specialist 6 1.3 Scope and Limitations 6 1.3.1 Scope of Work 6 1.3.2 Approach 7 1.3.3 Limitations 8 1.4 Methodology 8 1.4.1 Project Location Sensitivity Analysis 9 1.4.2 Gap Analysis 10 1.4.3 Assessment Criteria for Potential Environmental Impacts 10 1.4.4 Biodiversity Offset Criteria 10 2 AREA DESCRIPTION 12 2.1 Location and Surrounds 12 2.2 Regional Climate 12 2.3 Regional Vegetation 13 2.4 Current Land Use 13 2.5 Proposed Iron Ore Project 14 2.5.1 Farm Doornpan 445 (Portion 1) 14 2.5.2 Farm Driehoekspan 435 (Remaining Extent) 17 2.6 Faunal Species 20 2.6.1 Species of Conservation Concern 21 3 IMPACTS ON FAUNAL SPECIES 23 3.1 Loss of Terrestrial Habitat 23 3.2 Loss of Ephemeral Habitat 25 3.3 Disturbance and Displacement of Fauna 27 3.4 Faunal Interactions with Mining Activities, Servitudes and Personnel 28 3.5 Impact on Surrounding Habitat and Species 30 3.6 Increase in Environmental Degradation 31 3.7 Loss of Red Data Species 32 Environmental Impact Assessment - Faunal Specialist Study for the proposed COZA Iron Ore Mine Project in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality, Northern Cape Province Compiled by B. Wilson – Zoologist and Field Biologist, McGregor Museum, Kimberley Date: January 2014 4 3.8 Introduction / Spread of Alien Species 32 3.9 Loss of Species Diversity 33 4 MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS 35 4.1 Management Proposals 36 4.2 Preconstruction and Construction Phases 37 4.3 Operational Phase 38 4.4 Biodiversity Offset Considerations 39 5 CONCLUSION 41 6 REFERENCES 42 APPENDIX 1: COMPLETE FAUNAL SPECIE LISTS FOR THE COZA IRON ORE MINE PROJECT SITES AND SURROUNDING AREAS 46 Birds 46 Mammals 52 Reptiles 54 Amphibians 55 Selected Arachnids 55 APPENDIX 2: THREATENED OR CONSERVATION-WORTHY FAUNAL SPECIES WITH A DISTRIBUTION THAT INCLUDES THE COZA IRON ORE MINE PROJECT SITES AND SURROUNDING AREA 56 Birds 56 Mammals 58 Reptiles 60 Amphibians 60 Selected Arachnids 60 Environmental Impact Assessment - Faunal Specialist Study for the proposed COZA Iron Ore Mine Project in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality, Northern Cape Province Compiled by B. Wilson – Zoologist and Field Biologist, McGregor Museum, Kimberley Date: January 2014 5 TABLES Table 1. Project location sensitivity analysis Table 2. Faunal composition in the COZA Iron Ore Mine Project areas and surrounds Table 3. Summary of conservation statuses in the faunal groups found at COZA Iron Ore Project sites and surrounding areas Table 4. Estimated species richness for the COZA Iron Ore Project area and surrounds Table 5. Assessment and Rating of Frequency FIGURES Figure 1. Locality map of COZA Iron Ore Project location (provided by Synergistics) Figure 2. Google Earth image of entire area surveyed (orange lines) with various features indicated Figure 3. Google Earth image showing Doornpan 445 (red shading), with the access road (indicated with a thin white line), the proposed infrastructure (indicated with blue outline) and the pit (indicated with red outline). Other features include the remaining extent (RE) of Doornpan (yellow shading), a man-made reservoir, hill (Koppie1) and a natural wetland (blue shading) are also indicated. Figure 4. The peak of the hill which is the site of the proposed Doornpan mining pit Figure 5. A reservoir and associated structures used to meet stock animal water requirements Figure 6. The ephemeral wetland pan that lies to the south west of the hill/intended pit location Figure 7. Google Earth image showing Driehoekspan (green shading), with the access road (indicated with a thin white line), the proposed infrastructure (indicated with blue outline) and the pit (indicated with red outline). Other features include the small wetland (inset) and a nearby hill area (Koppie2) Figure 8. Valley area below the main hill (Koppie2) on Driehoekspan that forms part of the proposed COZA Iron Ore mining project pit Figure 9. Google Earth image of the proposed mining areas with the path of the ephemeral streams indicated by pale blue lines Figure 10. Focus areas for land-based protected area expansion (large, intact and unfragmented areas of high importance, suitable for the creation or expansion of large protected areas) Figure 11. A bird walk-in cage trap noted on Doornpan at the Dam locality Figure 12. A raptor-unfriendly reservoir (Dam) on Doornpan Figure 13. Simple methods to make a raptor-friendly reservoir Environmental Impact Assessment - Faunal Specialist Study for the proposed COZA Iron Ore Mine Project in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality, Northern Cape Province Compiled by B. Wilson – Zoologist and Field Biologist, McGregor Museum, Kimberley Date: January 2014 6 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background COZA Mining (Pty) Ltd (COZA) intends submitting mining right applications to develop a new opencast iron ore mine, the COZA Iron Ore Mine. This will be a greenfields mining project located on Farm Driehoekspan 435 (Remaining Extent) and Doornpan 445 (Portion 1) in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality in the Northern Cape Province. Synergistics Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd has been appointed to undertake the Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. As stipulated by Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act, Act No. 107 of 1998, various specialist studies have to be conducted. Following on from the draft Scoping Reports in April 2014, Beryl Wilson, head of the Zoology Department at McGregor Museum, Kimberley, was appointed to conduct a specialist study to cater for the requirements of Section 32 of Regulation 543 of NEMA. The study investigated the potential impacts that the proposed mining project could have on the birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as well as selected arachnid species in the immediate area and surroundings. 1.2 Specialist The author of this specialist report is the appointed Zoology Head of Department at the McGregor Museum in Kimberley with 27 years of experience in the field, and who has previously complied 12 surveys in the region for similar and associated projects over a 14 year period (Anderson & Wilson 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006a, 2006b and 2006c; Wilson 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) and 30 other environmental impact assessments in the Northern Cape region during the past 13 years. I, Beryl Wilson, work independently of the organization or environmental consultants commissioning this specialist input. The opinions expressed within the report are based on my understanding of the developments as they have been presented to me, as well as the observations made during field surveys.