Botanical Specialist Report for Kleinfontein Kalkmyn, Kouga Municipality, Eastern Cape
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Botanical Specialist Report for Kleinfontein Kalkmyn, Kouga Municipality, Eastern Cape Clayton Weatherall-Thomas 1 Lelane, 14 Cathcart Rd, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, 6070 E-mail [email protected] 18 April 2019 Cell. 083 401 8091 Table of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Details of Specialist and Declaration of Interest ...................................................... 1 Project Description .................................................................................................. 1 Terms of Reference ................................................................................................ 3 Assumptions and Limitations .................................................................................. 4 2 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 4 3 Study Site Description .................................................................................................... 8 National Context ..................................................................................................... 8 3.1.1 National Vegetation Assessment ..................................................................... 8 3.1.2 Threatened Ecosystems ................................................................................ 10 3.1.3 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Project .................................. 10 Regional Context .................................................................................................. 12 3.2.1 Eastern Cape Biodiversity Conservation Plan (ECBCP) (2007) ..................... 12 4 Ecological Assessment ................................................................................................ 13 Vegetation Community Composition ..................................................................... 13 Threatened and Protected Species ....................................................................... 17 Alien Invasive Plants ............................................................................................. 17 Sensitivity Assessment ......................................................................................... 18 5 Impact Assessment ...................................................................................................... 19 Direct loss of natural vegetation due to clearing .................................................... 19 Direct loss of Species of Conservation Concern and Threatened or Protected Species ........................................................................................................................... 19 Loss of habitat of SCCs and ToPS ........................................................................ 20 Increased Environmental Risks ............................................................................. 21 Loss of Ecological Connectivity ............................................................................. 21 Disturbance of the surface resulting in increased risk of AIPs ............................... 22 Rehabilitation of the mining right area and clearance of Alien Invasive Plants ...... 22 I 6 Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 23 3. References .................................................................................................................. 25 Appendix 1 CV of Specialist ................................................................................................ 26 Employment History .................................................................................................. 26 o Environmental Assessment Practitioner .............................................................. 26 o Student Demonstrator (Part-time, ad hoc basis) .................................................. 26 o Herbarium Assistant .............................................................................................. 26 o Botanical Specialist ................................................................................................ 26 o Conservation Officer .............................................................................................. 26 o NMBMOSS Co-ordinator ........................................................................................ 26 Appendix 2 Declaration of Interest ...................................................................................... 29 SPECIALIST INFORMATION ..................................................................................................... 32 1. DECLARATION BY THE SPECIALIST .................................................................................. 32 2. UNDERTAKING UNDER OATH/ AFFIRMATION ..................................................................... 33 Appendix 3 List of Plant Species found at the proposed Driftsands Mining Mining Right Area, NMBM and their conservation significance ............................................................................ 1 Table of Figures Figure 1 Dominant vegetation types at the proposed mining site, according to Mucina and Rutherford (2006), including Threatened Ecosystems. .......................................................... 9 Figure 2 Kleinfontein Kalkmyn is situated in a Phase2FEPA, as well as a Fish Sanctuary. 12 Figure 3 Proposed mining site in relation to Critical Biodiversity Areas identified by ECBCP (2007). ................................................................................................................................ 13 Figure 4 Vegetation types of Kleinfontein Kalkmyn Mining Right Area. ............................... 15 Figure 5 Sensitivity Map of Kleinfontein Kalkmyn Mining Right area. .................................. 18 II ACRONYMS ACME ALGOA CONSULTING MINING ENGINEERS AIP ALIEN INVASIVE PLANTS BID BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT CBA CRITICAL BIODIVERSITY AREA ECECB EASTERN CAPE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION BILL OF 2003 NFA NATIONAL FORESTS ACT 84 OF 1998 NFEPA NATIONAL FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM PRIORITY AREA NMBM NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY POSA PLANTS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA SANBI SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE SCC SPECIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN TOPS THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES III 1 Introduction This report was prepared for Algoa Consulting Mining Engineers (ACME), who was appointed by ELC Perm 1 to obtain Environmental Authorisation (EA) from the competent authority, the DMR, for a mining right application in the Kouga Municipality, Eastern Cape. The aim of the report was to do a botanical assessment of the proposed site. The site assessment took place on 8 October, 2018. The site is large and only a representative portion was sampled; the author of this report cannot be held liable for any plant species missing, as time and budget constraints only allowed one site visit. Details of Specialist and Declaration of Interest Name of specialist: Clayton Richard Weatherall-Thomas Qualifications and Expertise: Please see cv attached as Appendix 1 Declaration of Interest: Please see Appendix 2 Project Description The project description is extracted from the Scoping Report supplied by ACME. ELC Perm 2 (Pty) Ltd, trading as Kleinfontein Kalkmyn, has submitted an application for a mining right (EC30/5/1/2/2/1044MR) of an area of 201,5 ha for the mining of limestone, sand, stone aggregate and gravel, dolomitic limestone and dolomite on Portion 36 and 37 of the Farm Kleinfontein 172, situated within the Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The proposed minerals to be mined are destined for the local agricultural and road construction sectors, and will support the economy of the Kouga municipality. There is opportunity to transport minerals to the Port of Ngqura and export to other markets. Vegetation will be cleared in the areas designated for mining, and used for mulch for rehabilitation. Topsoil, where present, will be removed to a depth of at least 30 cm and stored in stockpiles for future rehabilitation. The minerals to be mined are all found on or near to the surface and only opencast open pit mining methods with blasting are to be deployed. Blasting will take place according to the schedule dictated by secured offtake agreements. Presently it would be 4 times a year. It will be done in accordance with standards to prevent damage to any neighbouring buildings and structures. Where overburden is present, it will be transported to nearby old quarries for rehabilitation. 1 The excavated minerals will be placed onto dump trucks, and transported directly to the processing plant. The crusher and processing plant is situated outside of the mining right area and is owned and operated by a different company. The processed minerals will be stockpiled outside of the mining right area as well. The majority of the site will be fenced, particularly along the public road that crosses the site, and access will be controlled. These fences would display sign boards towards the outside of the mine permit area to warn any person of the prohibition of unauthorised entry. Chains will be used to block access along existing roads within the mining right, and signs will be erected in all three local languages (Xhosa, Afrikaans and English) warning the public of possible dangers of entering the site. The site would be accessed via an existing entrance that serviced the previous mining operation on site. The existing operational site