DRAFT Ecological Impact Assessment
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DRAFT Ecological Impact Assessment EDENDALE QUARRY, R56, MATATIELE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE. DRAFT ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Prepared for: Prepared by: PORT ELIZABETH Also in Cape Town, East London, Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Maputo (Mozambique) and Romsey (UK) www.cesnet.co.za NOVEMBER 2020 REVISIONS TRACKING TABLE CES Report Revision and Tracking Schedule Document Title: Draft Ecological Impact Assessment Report for the proposed Edendale Quarry, R56, Matatiele Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province. Client Name & The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) Address: Status: Draft Ecological Impact Assessment Issue Date: November 2020 Lead Author: Ms Nicole Wienand Reviewer: Ms Tarryn Martin Study Leader/ Registered Ms Robyn Thomson Environmental Assessment Dr Alan Carter Practitioner – Approval: No. of hard No. electronic Report Distribution Circulated to copies copies DEFF 0 One (1) Report Version DRAFT Ecological Impact Assessment This document has been prepared in accordance with the scope of CES’s appointment and contains intellectual property and proprietary information that is protected by copyright in favour of CES. The document may therefore not be reproduced, used or distributed to any third party without the prior written consent of CES. This document is prepared exclusively for use by CES’s client. CES accepts no liability for any use of this document other than by its client and only for the purposes for which it was prepared. No person other than the client may copy (in whole or in part), use or www.cesnet.co.za rely on the contents of this document, without the prior written permission of CES. The document is subject to all confidentiality, copyright, trade secrets rules and intellectual property law and practices of South Africa. Ecological Impact Assessment Contact Details: Junior Botanical Specialist and Report Writer Name Ms Nicole Wienand Designation Junior Botanical Specialist, CES E-mail [email protected] Contact Details: Report Reviewer and Quality Control Name Ms Tarryn Martin Designation Principal Environmental Consultant E-mail [email protected] Contact Details: Project Manager Name Ms Robyn Thomson Designation Senior Environmental Consultant E-mail [email protected] Contact Details: EAP/Study Leader Name Dr Alan Carter Designation Executive and Principal Environmental Consultant E-mail [email protected] www.cesnet.co.za CES Environmental and Social Advisory Services EDENDALE QUARRY ii Ecological Impact Assessment Contents of the Specialist Report The contents of this specialist report complies with the legislated requirements as described in Appendix 6 of the National Environmental Management Act (No 107 of 1998; NEMA) Regulations of 2014 (as amended) (GN R. 326 of 2017). SPECIALIST REPORT REQUIREMENTS ACCORDING TO APPENDIX 6 SECTION OF GN R. 982 OF 2014, AS AMENDED IN GN R. 326 OF 2017 OF REPORT 1. A specialist report prepared in terms of these Regulations must contain— Chapter 1 (a) details of— and (i) the specialist who prepared the report; and Appendix E (ii) the expertise of that specialist to compile a specialist report including a curriculum vitae; (b) a declaration that the specialist is independent in a form as may be Section 1.2 specified by the competent authority; (c) an indication of the scope of, and the purpose for which, the report Chapter 2 was prepared; (cA) an indication of the quality and age of base data used for the Section 3.1 specialist report; (cB) a description of existing impacts on the site, cumulative impacts Chapter 8 of the proposed development and levels of acceptable change; and Section 9.1 (d) the duration, date and season of the site investigation and the Section 2.3 relevance of the season to the outcome of the assessment; and 3.1 (e) a description of the methodology adopted in preparing the report or carrying out the specialised process inclusive of equipment and Chapter 3 modelling used; (f) details of an assessment of the specific identified sensitivity of the site related to the proposed activity or activities and its associated Chapter7 structures and infrastructure, inclusive of a site plan identifying site alternatives; (g) an identification of any areas to be avoided, including buffers; Section 9.1.3 (h) a map superimposing the activity including the associated Chapter 5; structures and infrastructure on the environmental sensitivities of Chapter 7 the site including areas to be avoided, including buffers; (i) a description of any assumptions made and any uncertainties or Section 2.3 gaps in knowledge; (j) a description of the findings and potential implications of such Chapter 9 findings on the impact of the proposed activity or activities; (k) any mitigation measures for inclusion in the EMPr; Section 8.1 (l) any conditions for inclusion in the environmental authorisation; and Section (m) any monitoring requirements for inclusion in the EMPr or 9.2 environmental authorisation; (n) a reasoned opinion— (i) whether the proposed activity, activities or portions thereof should be authorised; (iA) regarding the acceptability of the proposed activity or activities; and Section 9.3 (ii) if the opinion is that the proposed activity, activities or portions thereof should be authorised, any avoidance, management and mitigation measures that should be included in the EMPr, and where applicable, the closure plan; CES Environmental and Social Advisory Services EDENDALE QUARRY iii Ecological Impact Assessment (o) a description of any consultation process that was undertaken during the course of preparing the specialist report; (p) a summary and copies of any comments received during any Section 2.4 consultation process and where applicable all responses thereto; and (q) any other information requested by the competent authority. N/A (No other information has yet been requested) 2. (2) Where a government notice by the Minister provides for any protocol or minimum information requirement to be applied to a specialist report, the requirements as indicated in such notice will apply. * This report has been prepared in accordance with Appendix 6 of the NEMA EIA Regulations, and not the newly released Protocols for the Specialist Assessment and Minimum Report Content Requirements for Environmental Impacts on Terrestrial Plant and Animal Species (GN R. 1150) gazetted on the 30th October 2020, as the specialist assessment was commissioned prior to September 2020 (please refer to Appendix F for date of the commissioning of this specialist study). This report relates to November 2020. * CES Environmental and Social Advisory Services EDENDALE QUARRY iv Ecological Impact Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PROJECT TEAM ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Details and Expertise of the Specialists .............................................................. 1 1.2 Declaration ................................................................................................................. 1 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Project description and Location ............................................................................. 3 2.2 Site Sensitivity Verification and Minimum Report Content Requirements ..... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.3 Objectives and Terms of Reference ......................................................................... 4 2.4 Assumptions and limitations .................................................................................... 5 2.5 Public consultation.................................................................................................... 5 3. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 7 3.1 The Assessment ........................................................................................................ 7 3.2 Species of conservation concern ............................................................................. 7 3.3 Sampling Protocol ..................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Vegetation Mapping................................................................................................... 8 3.5 Sensitivity Assessment ............................................................................................. 9 3.6 Ecological Impact assessment ............................................................................... 11 3.6.1 Impact rating methodology .............................................................................. 11 4. RELEVANT LEGISLATION ................................................................................. 12 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT .................................. 16 5.1 Climate ..................................................................................................................... 16 5.2 Topography .............................................................................................................. 16 5.3 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................... 17 5.5 Land Cover ............................................................................................................... 19 5.6 Vegetation and Floristics ........................................................................................ 19 5.6.1 National - SANBI Classification