Proposed Gemsbok-Kwamhlanga 132Kv Powerline Draft Basic Assessment Report
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ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LIMITED PROPOSED GEMSBOK-KWAMHLANGA 132KV POWERLINE DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT 13 NOVEMBER 2020 DRAFT PROPOSED GEMSBOK- KWAMHLANGA 132KV POWERLINE DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT REPORT ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LIMITED TYPE OF DOCUMENT (VERSION) DRAFT PROJECT NO.: 41102814 DATE: NOVEMBER 2020 WSP BUILDING C KNIGHTSBRIDGE, 33 SLOANE STREET BRYANSTON, 2191 SOUTH AFRICA T: +27 11 3611390 F: +27 11 361 1301 WSP.COM WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd. QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUE/REVISION FIRST ISSUE REVISION 1 REVISION 2 REVISION 3 Remarks Draft BAR Date November 2020 Prepared by Tutayi Chifadza Signature Checked by Ashlea Strong Signature Authorised by Ashlea Strong Signature Project number 41102814 Report number 1 File reference W:\000 NEW Projects\41102814 - Eskom Kwamhlanga Powerline BAR\42 ES\2- REPORTS\01-Draft\02-BAR WSP is an ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 and OHSAS18001:2007 certified company SIGNATURES PREPARED BY Tutayi Chifadza Senior Consultant REVIEWED BY Principal Consultant Ashlea Strong This Draft Basic Assessment Report (Report) for the proposed Gemsbok-KwaMhlanga 132kV Powerline has been prepared by WSP Environmental Proprietary Limited (WSP) on behalf and at the request of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited (Client), as part of the application process for Environmental Authorisation. Unless otherwise agreed by us in writing, we do not accept responsibility or legal liability to any person other than the Client for the contents of, or any omissions from, this Report. To prepare this Report, we have reviewed only the documents and information provided to us by the Client or any third parties directed to provide information and documents to us by the Client. We have not reviewed any other documents in relation to this Report, except where otherwise indicated in the Report. PRODUCTION TEAM ESKOM Environmental Management Officer Palesa Kuaho WSP Senior Consultant / Project Manager Tutayi Chifadza Principal Consultant / Project Director Ashlea Strong SUBCONSULTANTS Heritage Specialist Archaetnos Culture & Cultural Resource Consultants: Anton van Vollenhoven Floodline and Hydrological Assessment The Biodiversity Company: Russel Tate and Michael Ryan Biodiversity and Avifauna Assessment The Biodiversity Company: Lindi Steyn and Martinus Erasmus GLOSSARY ABBREVIATION MEANING ARC-ISCW Agricultural Resource Council – Institute for Soil, Climate and Water AIA Archaeological Impact Assessment BA Basic Assessment BAR Basic Assessment Report CA Competent Authority CBA Critical Biodiversity Area CR Critically Endangered CRR Comment and Response Report DFFE Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment DRDLR Department of Rural Development and Land Reform DWS Department of Water and Sanitation EA Environmental Authorisation EAP Environmental Assessment Practitioner ECO Environmental Control Officer EGI Electricity Grid Infrastructure EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMPr Environmental Management Programme EN Endangered GA General Authorisation HMA Heavily Modified Areas HS Hydraulic Structures I&AP Interested and Affected Party ABBREVIATION MEANING LT Least Threatened MAP Mean Annual Precipitation MAR Mean Annual Runoff MDARDLEA Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs MPAES Mpumalanga Protected Area Expansion Strategy MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MTPA Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency NDM Nkangala District Municipality NEMA National Environmental Management Act NFEPA National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas NHRA National Heritage Resource Act NPAES National Protected Areas Expansion Strategy NWA National Water Act ONA Other Natural Area PES Present Ecological State PPE Personal Protective Equipment SAHRA South African Heritage Resources Agency SCC Species of Conservation Concern SCS Soil Conservation Services SQR Sub Quaternary Reach THLM Themibisile Hani Local Municipality VU Vulnerable WMA Water Management Area PROPOSED GEMSBOK-KWAMHLANGA 132KV POWERLINE WSP Project No. 41102814 November 2020 ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LIMITED Page v ABBREVIATION MEANING WSP WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd WUL Water Use License PROPOSED GEMSBOK-KWAMHLANGA 132KV POWERLINE WSP Project No. 41102814 November 2020 ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LIMITED Page vi TABLE OF 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................... 16 CONTENTS 1.1 Background and Terms of Reference ................ 16 1.2 Purpose of the BA Process ................................ 17 1.3 Details of EAP and Project Proponent ............... 17 1.4 Specialists ........................................................... 18 1.5 Competent and Commenting Authorities .......... 18 1.6 Basic Assessment Report Structure.................. 19 2 GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK ............... 22 3 BASIC ASSESSMENT PROCESS ........... 25 3.1 Procedural Framework ....................................... 25 3.2 Application .......................................................... 25 3.3 Baseline Environmental Assessment ................ 26 3.4 Impact Assessment Methodology ...................... 26 3.5 Stakeholder Egnagement Process ..................... 30 3.6 Assumptions and Limitations ............................ 32 4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ....................... 35 4.1 Location of the Proposed Project ...................... 35 4.2 Layout and Description ...................................... 42 4.3 Needs and Desirability of the Project ................ 44 5 BASELINE ENVIRONMENT .................... 45 5.1 Climate ................................................................ 45 5.2 Geology and Soils............................................... 49 5.3 Surface Water ..................................................... 53 5.4 Air Quality ........................................................... 58 5.5 Noise ................................................................... 58 5.6 Biodiversity ......................................................... 58 5.7 Heritage and Palaeontology ............................... 75 5.8 Traffic .................................................................. 81 PROPOSED GEMSBOK-KWAMHLANGA 132KV POWERLINE WSP Project No. 41102814 November 2020 ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LIMITED 5.9 Socio-Economic .................................................. 81 6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT .......................... 83 6.1 Air Quality ........................................................... 83 6.2 Noise Emissions ................................................. 84 6.3 Soil Erosion and Contamination ........................ 85 6.4 Surface Water ..................................................... 87 6.5 Groundwater ....................................................... 89 6.6 Biodiversity ......................................................... 90 6.7 Avifauna .............................................................. 96 6.8 Traffic .................................................................. 98 6.9 Health and Safety ................................................ 99 6.10 Waste Management .......................................... 101 6.11 Socio-Economic ................................................ 102 6.12 Heritage ............................................................. 102 6.13 Palaeontological ............................................... 103 6.14 No-Go Alternative ............................................. 103 7 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.......................................... 104 7.1 Environmental Sensitivities ............................. 104 7.2 Specialist Conclusions ......................................... 1 7.3 Impact Summary ................................................... 2 7.4 Impact Statement .................................................. 4 8 CONCLUSION ........................................... 5 PROPOSED GEMSBOK-KWAMHLANGA 132KV POWERLINE WSP Project No. 41102814 November 2020 ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LIMITED TABLES TABLE 1-1: DETAILS OF THE EAP ............... 17 TABLE 1-2: DETAILS OF PROPONENT ....... 17 TABLE 1-3: DETAILS OF SPECIALISTS ....... 18 TABLE 1-4: COMPETENT AND COMMENTING AUTHORITIES ........................... 18 TABLE 1-5: LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AS DETAILED IN APPENDIX 1 OF GNR 326 OF THE 2014 EIA REGULATIONS, AS AMENDED . 19 TABLE 2-1: APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND POLICIES ................................... 22 TABLE 3-1: NATURE OR TYPE OF IMPACT 27 TABLE 3-2: PHYSICAL EXTENT RATING OF IMPACT ...................................... 27 TABLE 3-3: DURATION RATING OF IMPACT ...................................... 27 TABLE 3-4: REVERSIBILITY OF IMPACT ..... 28 TABLE 3-5: MAGNITUDE RATING OF IMPACT ...................................... 28 TABLE 3-6: PROBABILITY RATING OF IMPACT ...................................... 28 TABLE 3-7: SYMBOLS REFERENCE............ 29 TABLE 3-8: SIGNIFICANCE RATINGS .......... 29 TABLE 3-9: SITE NOTICE LOCATIONS ........ 31 TABLE 4-1: CADASTRAL INFORMATION OF THE SITE ................................... 36 TABLE 4-2: COORDINATES OF THE POWERLINE .............................. 37 TABLE 4-3: WASTE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS ................................... 43 TABLE 5-1: SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICES HYDROLOGIC SOIL CLASS INTERPRETATION (SANRAL 2013) .......................................... 51 TABLE 5-2: TREES, SHRUBS AND WEEDS IN PROJECT AREA ........................ 69 TABLE 5-3: MAMMAL SPECIES IN PROJECT AREA AND CONSERVATION STATUS ..................................... 70 TABLE 6-1: CONSTRUCTION IMPACT ON GENERATION OF DUST AND PM.............................................. 83 TABLE 6-2: CONSTRUCTION IMPACT ON NOISE ........................................ 84 TABLE