Interim Comment in Terms of Section 38(8) of the National Heritage Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999)

Licencing (Operational) for the Deben landfill

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Enquiries: Natasha Higgitt Date: Friday April 15, 2016 Page No: 1 Email: [email protected] CaseID: 9267

Interim Comment In terms of Section 38(8) of the National Heritage Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999)

Attention: Ms Nkhensani Khandlhela GA Environment (Pty) Ltd

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is assisting the Gamagara Local Municipality to licence various waste facilities within its jurisdiction. The Deben landfill is one of the landfill sites that will require an operational licence from the Northern Cape Department of Environment, Nature and Conservation. The DEA has thus appointed GA Environment (Pty) Ltd. as independent Environmental Consultants, to undertake the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process as part of the Waste Management Licence Application Processes. The Gamagara District Municipality proposes to formally license the existing Deben landfill site for the disposal of waste from the community. The Gamagara Local Municipality is currently using approximately 11 hectares to actively dispose waste coming from Dibeng, Kathu ,Sesheng, Dingleton and surrounding areas. The municipality is now considering extending the site to allow for additional space as the current active disposal airspace has reached capacity. It is not exactly known when the Deben landfill commenced with the operation. It must be noted that the landfill has been operating illegally/without a waste licence. The Deben landfill was designed and commissioned prior to the establishment of the Minimum Requirements for Waste Disposal by Landfill (DWAF, 1998 2nd Edition) and the promulgation of the National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA hereafter), 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008). Deben (also known as Dibeng) is a small town located in the Northern Cape and is about 24km west of Khathu and about 240km north east of Upington. Dibeng is a town in John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, situated on the banks of the dry Gamagara River. The Deben landfill is located on Erf 1, Dibeng and on the western outskirts of the Deben town and is about 25 km from Kathu, a mining town located to the south east of Deben. The Licensing of the landfill will ensure that the Gamagara Local Municipality adheres to the requirements of the NEM:WA and that the existing landfill site that the disposal of waste is undertaken in accordance with the environmental requirements. The licensing of the landfill will ensure that the final condition of the site is environmentally acceptable and that there will be no adverse long term effects on the surrounding areas. The Gamagara Local Municipality (with the assistance of the Department of Environmental Affairs) has contracted GA Environmental to conduct a Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the licensing and expansion of the Deben landfill site. The landfill is located on ERF 1 Dibeng, on the western outskirts of

Licencing (Operational) for the Deben landfill

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Enquiries: Natasha Higgitt Date: Friday April 15, 2016 Page No: 2 Email: [email protected] CaseID: 9267 the town of Deben, and approximately 25km from Kathu (Gamagara Local Municipality, Northern Cape Province).

The current extent of the site covers an area of approximately 11 hectares, with a proposed extension of a further 16 hectares. The expansion of the facility is being proposed in order to facilitate the future operation of the landfill as the current facility is nearing full capacity. The proposed activities at the site will help to bring the site into alignment with the current legislation, namely the minimum requirements for waste disposal by landfill (DWAF 1998 2nd edition) and the National Environmental Waste Act (NEMWA) No. 59 of 2008). The developments proposed for the site include general waste cells designated for the disposal of waste; boundary fence, access gate; waste sorting facility or area for recyclables; other general infrastructure; implementation of erosion protection measures; removal of illegally dumped waste and disposal at a licensed facility; possible measures to restrict public access to prevent further illegal dumping, control of alien vegetation and to establish a monitoring program.

According to the Draft Scoping Report, no heritage resources were identified within the development footprint. However this statement was qualified by adding that although no artefacts were identified on the surface the possibility remains that there may be material underneath the surface which may be encountered during the excavations for the expansion of the Deben landfill site. Interim Comment

The landfill at Deben lies approximately 15km from the highly significant site of Kathu, which has been nominated as a National Heritage Site. Kathu is a highly significant site as it is one of very few sites in which stratified Early Stone Age (ESA) artefacts are related with faunal remains within their primary context. In addition to this, the Middle Stone Age layers at the site are also significant as they are a rare occurrence of Middle Stone Age occupation in the interior of South Africa and are not contained within a rock shelter. The faunal remains also provide one of the best palaeoenvironmental sequences for the Kalahari Basin.

The proposed landfill extension whilst potentially moderately disturbed by vehicular and foot traffic, may contain significant heritage resources and therefore needs to be adequately assessed before the SAHRA APM Unit can make a final comment on the development. Due to the Deben Landfill’s proximity to the Kathu pans and a nearby watercourse (immediately south east of the landfill), the SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites (APM) Unit requires that the following conditions must be adhered to and form part of the EIA:

SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites (APM) Unit recommends that an archaeologist screen the proposed area for expansion during the EIA phase of the project. If any heritage resources are identified within the proposed impact area, they must be subjected to an impact assessment. The

Licencing (Operational) for the Deben landfill

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Enquiries: Natasha Higgitt Date: Friday April 15, 2016 Page No: 3 Email: [email protected] CaseID: 9267

results of the screening site visit and impact assessment must be collated into a report that must be submitted to SAHRA for comments; and A desktop Palaeontology study must be conducted during the EIA phase of the project and submitted to SAHRA for comments. Should you have any further queries, please contact the designated official using the case number quoted above in the case header.

Yours faithfully

______Natasha Higgitt Heritage Officer South African Heritage Resources Agency

______Phillip Hine SAHRA Head Archaeologist (Acting) South African Heritage Resources Agency

ADMIN: Direct URL to case: http://www.sahra.org.za/node/359818 (DENC, Ref: )

Terms & Conditions:

1. This approval does not exonerate the applicant from obtaining local authority approval or any other necessary approval for proposed work.

Licencing (Operational) for the Deben landfill

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Enquiries: Natasha Higgitt Date: Friday April 15, 2016 Page No: 4 Email: [email protected] CaseID: 9267

2. If any heritage resources, including graves or human remains, are encountered they must be reported to SAHRA immediately. 3. SAHRA reserves the right to request additional information as required.