BA and Empr for the Proposed Surface Pipeline and Associated Infrastructure Anglogold Ashanti (Pty) Ltd
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REPORT BA and EMPr for the Proposed Surface Pipeline and Associated Infrastructure AngloGold Ashanti (Pty) Ltd Submitted to: Department of Mineral Resources Submitted by: Golder Associates Africa (Pty) Ltd. Building 1, Maxwell Office Park, Magwa Crescent West, Waterfall City, Midrand, 1685, South Africa P.O. Box 6001, Halfway House, 1685 +27 11 254 4800 19121900-328397-9 March 2020 March 2020 19121900-328397-9 Distribution List 1 x copy Department of Mineral Resources 1 x copy AngloGold Ashanti (Pty) Ltd 1 x electronic copy e-projects library [email protected] 1 x electronic copy Golder project folder i March 2020 19121900-328397-9 Table of Contents 1.0 DETAILS OF APPLICANT ......................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 DETAILS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER (EAP) ..................................... 1 2.1 Details of the EAP ............................................................................................................................. 1 2.2 Expertise of the EAP ......................................................................................................................... 1 2.2.1 Qualifications of the EAP .............................................................................................................. 1 2.2.2 Summary of the EAP’s past experience ....................................................................................... 2 3.0 PROJECT INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 3 3.1 Location of the activity ....................................................................................................................... 3 3.2 Locality map ...................................................................................................................................... 3 3.3 Description of the scope of the proposed overall activity .................................................................. 6 3.4 Listed and specified activities ............................................................................................................ 9 3.5 Description of the activities to be undertaken ................................................................................. 10 3.6 Policy and Legislative Context ........................................................................................................ 11 3.7 Need and desirability of the proposed activities .............................................................................. 14 3.8 Motivation for the overall preferred site, activities and technology alternative ............................... 15 4 FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS FOLLOWED TO REACH THE PROPOSED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE WITHIN THE SITE .......................................................................................................... 15 4.1 Details of the development footprint alternatives considered ......................................................... 15 4.1.1 Location of activity....................................................................................................................... 15 4.1.2 Type of activity to be undertaken ................................................................................................ 15 4.1.3 The design or layout of the activity ............................................................................................. 15 4.1.4 The technology to be used in the activity .................................................................................. 16 4.1.5 The operational aspects of the activity........................................................................................ 16 4.1.6 The option of not implementing the activity. ............................................................................... 16 5 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ..................................................................................................... 16 5.1 Objectives of public participation..................................................................................................... 16 5.2 Identification of interested and affected parties (I&APs) ................................................................. 17 5.3 Register of I&APs ............................................................................................................................ 17 ii March 2020 19121900-328397-9 5.4 Public participation process undertaken to date ............................................................................. 18 5.4.1 Announcement of the Proposed Project ..................................................................................... 18 5.4.2 Draft Basic Assessment and EMPr Report ................................................................................. 18 5.4.3 Final BA/EMPr Report ................................................................................................................. 19 5.4.4 Summary of Issues Raised by I&APs ......................................................................................... 19 6 ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALTERNATIVES ................................... 19 6.1 Baseline Environment ..................................................................................................................... 19 6.1.1 Type of environment affected by the proposed activity .............................................................. 19 6.1.1.1 Meteorological aspects ............................................................................................................... 19 6.1.1.1.1 Meteorology ............................................................................................................................. 19 6.1.1.1.2 Temperature............................................................................................................................. 21 6.1.1.1.3 Precipitation & Evaporation ...................................................................................................... 21 6.1.1.2 Topography ................................................................................................................................. 22 6.1.1.3 Geology ....................................................................................................................................... 22 6.1.1.4 Groundwater ............................................................................................................................... 24 6.1.1.5 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................. 26 6.1.1.6 Floodlines .................................................................................................................................... 27 6.1.1.7 Biodiversity .................................................................................................................................. 27 6.1.1.7.1 Terrestrial Ecology ...................................................................................................................... 27 6.1.1.7.2 Flora ............................................................................................................................................ 27 6.1.1.7.3 Fauna .......................................................................................................................................... 28 6.1.1.7.4 Wetland ....................................................................................................................................... 33 6.1.1.7.5 Aquatic ........................................................................................................................................ 37 6.1.1.8 Socio Economic .......................................................................................................................... 40 6.1.1.9 Soil, Land Capability and Land Use ............................................................................................ 41 6.1.1.10 Noise ........................................................................................................................................... 41 6.1.1.11 Visual .......................................................................................................................................... 41 6.1.1.12 Heritage ....................................................................................................................................... 41 6.1.1.13 Palaeontology ............................................................................................................................. 42 6.1.2 Description of current land uses ................................................................................................. 42 6.1.3 Environmental and current land use map ................................................................................... 42 iii March 2020 19121900-328397-9 7 IMPACTS AND RISKS IDENTIFIED, INCLUDING THE NATURE, SIGNIFICANCE, CONSEQUENCE, EXTENT, DURATION AND PROBABILITY ............................................................................................. 43 7.1 Methodology used in determining and ranking the nature, significance, consequences, extent, duration and probability of potential environmental impacts and risks ........................................... 43 7.2 The positive and negative impacts that the proposed activity (in terms of the initial site layout) and alternatives