Kumba Resources Namibia
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ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES OF BANNERMAN MINING RESOURCES (NAMIBIA) (PTY) LTD ON EXCLUSIVE PROSPECTING LICENCE 3345 AUGUST 2020 Compiled for: Bannerman Mining Resources (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd P.O. Box 2854 Swakopmund Compiled by: A. Speiser Environmental Consultants cc / SLR Namibia (Pty) Ltd P O Box 40386 Windhoek EO /EMP for Bannerman Mining Resources exploration activities on EPL 3345 0 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 3 2 LOCATION OF EXCLUSIVE PROSPECTING LICENCE ............................................ 4 2.1 Historical exploration areas ....................................................................................... 5 3 EXPLORATION AND REHABILITATION ................................................................... 8 3.1 Day to day activities ................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Rehabilitation of Moon landscape and viewpoints................................................... 9 4 PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (EMP) ................... 10 5 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................... 11 5.1 Permits ...................................................................................................................... 12 6 ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW ............................................................................... 12 6.1 Climate ...................................................................................................................... 13 6.1.1 Regional Precipitation and Evaporation ................................................................. 13 6.1.2 Fog ........................................................................................................................ 13 6.1.3 Ambient Air Temperature ....................................................................................... 13 6.1.4 Solar Radiation ...................................................................................................... 14 6.1.5 Relative Humidity ................................................................................................... 15 6.1.6 Regional Wind ....................................................................................................... 15 6.1.7 Data from Bannerman’s on-site weather station ..................................................... 15 6.2 Landscape ................................................................................................................. 16 6.3 Geology ..................................................................................................................... 16 6.4 Hydrology .................................................................................................................. 17 6.4.1 Surface Water ........................................................................................................ 17 6.4.2 Groundwater .......................................................................................................... 17 6.5 Biodiversity ............................................................................................................... 19 6.5.1 Habitats associated with EPL 3345 ........................................................................ 19 6.7 Archaeology and Cultural History ........................................................................... 23 6.7.1 Regional Setting .................................................................................................... 23 6.7.2 Local Setting .......................................................................................................... 23 6.7.3 Bannerman’s EPL 3345 ......................................................................................... 23 6.8 Namib Naukluft Park and Dorob National Park ....................................................... 25 6.8.1 Administration ........................................................................................................ 25 6.8.2 Current visitor services in the northwestern part of the Namib Naukluft Park and Dorob National Park .......................................................................................................... 25 6.9 Socio-Economic ........................................................................................................ 25 7 EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES .................................................................................... 27 7.1 Non-invasive exploration activities – Phase 1 ........................................................ 27 7.2 Invasive exploration activities – Phase 2 ................................................................ 28 7.4 Workforce .................................................................................................................. 30 7.5 Water ......................................................................................................................... 30 7.6 Environmental Monitoring and Rehabilitation ........................................................ 30 7.7 Radiation safety Measures ....................................................................................... 31 9 AFFECTED PARTIES ............................................................................................... 31 EO /EMP for Bannerman Mining Resources exploration activities on EPL 3345 1 10 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ARISING FROM PHASE 1 AND 2 OF THE EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES AND PROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................................................ 32 11 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................... 41 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 42 Appendix 1: Environmental Clearance Appendix 2: Permit – ‘Drill chip disposal at the Old Husab Mine’ Appendix 3: Details of the EPL as granted by the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Appendix 4: Rehabilitation Procedures 001 - 003 Figure 1: Regional overview of EPL 3345 and MDRL 3345 location ........................................ 6 Figure 2: Exploration target areas on EPL 3345 ...................................................................... 7 Figure 3: Illegal tracks at the moon landscape area along the D1991. ................................... 10 Figure 4: Climatic data for the Erongo Region ....................................................................... 14 Figure 5: Topography of the Study Area ................................................................................ 16 Figure 6: Location of monitoring boreholes. ........................................................................... 18 Figure 7: Conservation Areas in Namibia, showing the Proposed Namib-Skeleton Coast National Park and its Linkages with Conservation Areas in South Africa and Angola ............ 19 Figure 8: Habitat Zones found in EPL 3345 ........................................................................... 20 Figure 9: EPL 3345 and MDRL 3345 showing the Sites found during the Survey .................. 24 Figure 10: RC and Diamond holes drilled between 2007 and 2020 ....................................... 29 Table 1: Details of Mineral Deposit Retention Licence holder .................................................. 4 Table 2: Corner coordinates for EPL 3345 .............................................................................. 5 Table 3: List of legislation relevant to uranium mining in Namibia .......................................... 11 Table 4: List of permits already awarded to Bannerman ........................................................ 12 Table 5: Vegetation and Fauna Zones ................................................................................... 21 Table 6: General Aspects ...................................................................................................... 32 Table 7: Potential impacts arising from non-invasive exploration activities during Phase 1 .... 34 Table 8: Potential impacts arising from exploration activities during Phase 2 – drilling .......... 34 Photo 1: Examples of rehabilitation activities ........................................................................... 9 Photo 2: Area where illegal tracks have been removed with an example of the signs erected in the park to discourage further illegal off-road driving. ............................................................ 10 EO /EMP for Bannerman Mining Resources exploration activities on EPL 3345 2 AUGUST 2020 ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES OF BANNERMAN MINING RESOURCES (NAMIBIA) (PTY) LTD ON EXCLUSIVE PROSPECTING LICENCE 3345 1 INTRODUCTION Bannerman Mining Resources (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd (previously Turgi Investments (Pty) Ltd) are the holder of the nuclear fuel mineral rights to the Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL) 3345 and Mineral Deposit Retention Licence (MDRL) 3345 (see Figure 1). A. Speiser Environmental Consultants cc (ASEC) was commissioned in 2006 to compile an Environmental Overview (EO) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the proposed prospecting / exploration activities on EPL 3345. The EO and EMP were consequently submitted to DEA and DWP and the Environmental Clearance was granted on the 28 July 2006 (Appendix