Proposed Construction of the Romansrivier – Ceres 66/132Kv DC Powerline

Client ESKOM Holdings SOC Limited Main Environmental Consultants: SRK Consulting Proposed Construction of the Romansrivier – Ceres 66/132kV DC powerline Basic Assessment Report – Freshwater Ecosystems AUGUST 2017 Draft Report for I&AP Comment Report by Liz Day (PhD; Pr Nat Sci) Freshwater Consulting cc [email protected] The Freshwater Consulting Group 6 Flamingo Crescent Zeekoevlei 7941 E-mail: [email protected] VAT No: 444 024 7122 20 July 2017 DECLARATION OF SPECIALIST INDEPENDENCE I, Elizabeth (Liz) Day as a consultant and founding partner of Freshwater Consulting cc (t/a The Freshwater Consulting Group / FCG), hereby confirm my independence as a specialist and declare that I do not have any interest, be it business, financial, personal or other, in any proposed activity, application or appeal in respect of which SRK Consulting was appointed as the environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), other than fair remuneration for work performed, specifically in connection with the proposed construction of the Eskom Romansrivier – Ceres powerline. ______________________________ Full Name: Elizabeth Day Freshwater Consulting Group [email protected] Title / Position: Dr Qualification(s): BA, BSc, BSc Hons, PhD Experience: 21 years in freshwater ecosystems Relevant work experience in the study area: Liz has worked for the past +20 years, primarily in the Western Cape, and has produced over 300 technical and Environmental Impact Assessment reports, requiring the assessment of rivers and/or wetlands. She has worked in the vicinity of the present study area, having been involved in past long-term monitoring of the Dwars River, Ceres (affected catchment of the present project) as well as in the Situation Assessment of the Doring / Olifants River system, starting just west of the present study area, and in the Central Breede Finescale Planning Assessments of wetlands (downstream of the study area). She has contributed specialist assessments of several other power line and substation designs in the Western Cape, including the proposed Eskom Merino - Bon Chretien powerline and substation (2016), the Blue Downs powerlines in the City of Cape Town and the powerline alignments for each of three alternative sites for Eskom’s the proposed Nuclear Power Stations (Koeberg, Bantamsklip and Thyspunt). Registration(s): Member of IAIA; Member of SAIEES; Registered Professional Natural Scientist by SACNASP (Reg No 400270/08) for fields of Biological Science, Ecological Science and Zoological Science Freshwater Consulting cc trading as “The Freshwater Consulting Group” (FCG) Members: E Day, JL Ewart-Smith, CD Snaddon, HF Dallas, DJ Ollis Reg. No. 2007/064216/23 Proposed Romansrivier to Ceres powerline: Basic Assessment Report for Freshwater Ecosystems EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study considered the effects from an aquatic ecosystem perspective of the proposed design, placement, construction and long-term operation of a new powerline between the existing Romansrivier and Ceres substations, including a number of support structures / poles and requirements for the use of various existing or new roads and tracks to allow access to poles and powerlines. 68 support structures were considered in this assessment, although it is understood that this number may be adjusted during the project detailed design phase. The proposed powerlines and associated infrastructure would pass through and/or in the vicinity of a number of aquatic ecosystems, all of which form part of the Breede River catchment, and which include sections of the upper Breede River itself (known as the Dwars River). Of these, wetland seeps in the vicinity of the Romansrivier substation (poles 8-13) and on the Ceres Peak area (poles 59-66) are considered highly sensitive, and in near-natural condition (PES B and A/B respectively). Other watercourses including sensitive, least-impacted wetland seeps occur elsewhere along the proposed powerline and access road alignment, which would also cross the Dwars River. Degradation of aquatic ecosystems as a result of pole and powerline installations was considered a concern in this assessment, but all impacts could be reduced to Low negative significance through avoidance and/or implementation of careful mitigation strategies. Ironically, it is the proposed design, construction, and in particular the construction phase use of roads to access the poles that would be associated with the greatest levels of impacts to aquatic ecosystems, with road access to poles 64 and 65 on the Ceres Peak area being considered particularly problematic, and associated with Medium negative significance, even after implementation of mitigation measures including engineering designs for the crossing of the main seep channel with a small suspension bridge. Such impact significance reflects the high sensitivity of these near-pristine headwater seeps to even small changes. One of the implications of this assignment of a Medium significance rating to access road construction in this area is that a DWS Risk Assessment would also be likely to assign a Risk rating that is at least Moderate for the same activities. This would thus probably require consideration of the Section 21c and i water uses of the project through a full water use license, although the DWS (in this case, the Breede Gouritz Catchment Management Agency) would need to provide comment on this aspect. Mitigation measures generally focused on design and construction-phase risk reduction, with construction activities in sensitive areas being required to be undertaken outside of the wet season, and the design of all access roads through watercourses being required to include measures to prevent concentration of flows and minimize the risks of erosion. Assuming full implementation of mitigation measures, none of the proposed support pole locations or access roads were considered fatal flaws from an aquatic ecosystem perspective, although the likely cumulative degradation of sensitive seeps in some areas was noted as a concern. Table E1 provides a summary of impact significance ratings as identified and assessed in this report. These have been assessed cumulatively, for the project as a whole, in its different phases. i The Freshwater Consulting Group 2nd Draft Report: September 2017 Proposed Romansrivier to Ceres powerline: Basic Assessment Report for Freshwater Ecosystems Table E1 Summary of assessed cumulative freshwater ecosystem impact ratings, as derived from assessments in this report. See report for detailed assessments informing cumulative ratings. Nature of impact Conseq. Probability Signif. Confid. Status Aquatic ecosystem degradation as a result of High Definite High High Neg access road design and layout With mitigation Medium Definite Medium Medium Neg Construction phase aquatic ecosystem High Definite High High Neg degradation With mitigation Low Definite Low Medium Neg Operational phase aquatic ecosystem High Definite High High Neg degradation With mitigation Medium Definite Medium Medium Neg ii The Freshwater Consulting Group 2nd Draft Report: September 2017 Proposed Romansrivier to Ceres powerline: Basic Assessment Report for Freshwater Ecosystems TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF SPECIALIST INDEPENDENCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1 INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 Background 4 1.2 Terms of reference 4 1.3 Assumptions and limitations 5 1.4 Methodology 5 1.4.1 Activities undertaken as part of this study 5 1.4.2 Definitions 6 1.4.3 Assessment Methodologies 6 1.4.4 Ecoregion status 8 1.5 Study area 8 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT 10 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 18 3.1 Catchment context 18 3.2 Ecoregion context 18 3.3 NFEPA context 21 3.4 Fine-scale Planning context 26 3.5 River ecological importance and sensitivity 26 3.6 Description of affected aquatic ecosystems 26 3.7 Summary of key findings of baseline study 34 4 IMPACT IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT 36 4.1 Impacts associated with support structures / poles and stringing activities 36 4.1.1 Layout and design phase impacts 36 4.1.2 Construction phase impacts 36 4.1.3 Operation phase impacts 41 4.2 Impacts associated with the proposed access routes 50 4.2.1 Direct Layout and design phase impacts of new roads 50 4.2.2 Impacts associated with the construction of new access roads and watercourse ...... crossings 56 4.2.3 Impacts associated with the construction phase use of access roads and ...... watercourse crossings 60 4.2.4 Operation phase impacts 63 4.3 Cumulative project impacts 64 5 IMPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL WATER ACT 66 6 CONCLUSIONS 68 7 REFERENCES 69 APPENDIX A: SPECIALIST IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 70 3 The Freshwater Consulting Group 2nd Draft Report: September 2017 Proposed Romansrivier to Ceres powerline: Basic Assessment Report for Freshwater Ecosystems 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The Witzenberg substation provides support for approximately 3 000 agricultural, commercial and residential customers, and is currently supplied by one 132 kV single circuit powerline only. This line runs over the Witzenberg Mountain Range from the Romansrivier substation to the south. Three 66kV feeders out of the Witzenberg substation supply the Ceres, Gydo and Slangboom substations from where Eskom’s customers draw their electricity. A 66 kV powerline also runs from the Romansrivier substation to Ceres. A portion of this line recently burnt down, cutting the 66 kV electricity supply between Romansrivier and Ceres. Since this fire, the Ceres substation has

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