Environmental Impact Assessment Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WOLVERTON CITRUS DEVELOPMENT SUNDAYS RIVER VALLEY LOCAL MUNICIPALITY EASTERN CAPE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT DEDEAT REFERENCE NUMBER: EC06/C/LN2/15/06-2020 Prepared by: www.habitatlink.co.za JANUARY 2021 Wolverton Citrus Development – Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report Report Details Environmental Impact Assessment Report: Wolverton Citrus Development, Sundays Report Title River Valley Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Report Status Final Report Report Date January 2021 DEDEAT Ref EC06/C/LN2/15/06-2020 Number The Environmental Impact Assessment Report forms part of a series of reports and information documents that are being provided during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed citrus development on Portion 1 of the Farm Nooitgedacht No. 119. As per Appendix 3 of the 2014 EIA Regulations (as amended in 2017), “the objective of the environmental impact assessment process is to, through a consultative process– (a) determine the policy and legislative context within which the activity is located and document how the proposed activity complies with and responds to the policy and legislative context; (b) describe the need and desirability of the proposed activity, including the need and desirability of the activity in the context of the development footprint on the approved site as contemplated in the accepted scoping report; (c) identify the location of the development footprint within the approved site as contemplated in the accepted scoping report based on an impact and risk assessment process inclusive of cumulative impacts and a ranking process of all the identified development footprint alternatives focusing on the geographical, physical, biological, social, economic, heritage and cultural aspects of the environment; Purpose of this (d) determine the– Report (i) nature, significance, consequence, extent, duration and probability of the impacts occurring to inform identified preferred alternatives; and (ii) degree to which these impacts— (aa) can be reversed; (bb) may cause irreplaceable loss of resources, and (cc) can be avoided, managed or mitigated; (e) identify the most ideal location for the activity within the development footprint of the approved site as contemplated in the accepted scoping report based on the lowest level of environmental sensitivity identified during the assessment; (f) identify, assess, and rank the impacts the activity will impose on the development footprint on the approved site as contemplated in the accepted scoping report through the life of the activity; (g) identify suitable measures to avoid, manage or mitigate identified impacts; and (h) identify residual risks that need to be managed and monitored. The primary objective of this Scoping Report is thus to present an overview of the project, including key issues, as well as to confirm the preferred alternative that requires assessment in the EIA phase and to outline the plan for the undertaking of this assessment. Report Writer Roberto Almanza Report Reviewer Christelle du Plessis Prepared For Rolust Sondagsrivierplase CC Habitat Link Consulting (Pty) Ltd Prepared By PO Box 63879, Greenacres, 6057 www.habitatlink.co.za Important Note: All changes from the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report are indicated with green, bolded text ii Wolverton Citrus Development – Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report Document Checklist The requirements for the content of the environmental impact assessment report have been met in terms of Appendix 3 of the 2014 EIA Regulations (as amended in 2017). The table below indicates where the relevant information can be found within this report: 2014 EIA Regulation Relevant Section Information Requirement (Appendix 3) of this Report An environmental impact assessment report must contain the information that 3 (1) is necessary for the competent authority to consider and come to a decision on the application, and must include— (i) the EAP who prepared the report; and Section 1.4. (a) details of— Section 1.4 and (ii) the expertise of the EAP, including a curriculum vitae; Appendix A. (b) the location of the (i) the 21 digit Surveyor General code of each cadastral development footprint of land parcel; Section 2.1, the activity on the (ii) where available, the physical address and farm name; Table 2.1. approved site as and contemplated in the (iii) where the required information in items (i) and (ii) is Section 2.1, accepted scoping report, not available, the coordinates of the boundary of the Figure 2.2. including: property or properties; (c) a plan which locates the (i) a linear activity, a description and coordinates of the proposed activity or corridor in which the proposed activity or activities is activities applied for as to be undertaken; well as the associated Appendix B. structures and (ii) on land where the property has not been defined, the infrastructure at an coordinates within which the activity is to be appropriate scale, or, if it undertaken; is— (i) all listed and specified activities triggered and being Section 3.2.2, (d) a description of the applied for; and Table 3.2 scope of the proposed (ii) a description of the associated structures and activity, including— Section 2.2. infrastructure related to the development; a description of the policy and legislative context within which the development is located and an explanation of Section 3.1 to (e) how the proposed development complies with and 3.4. responds to the legislation and policy context; a motivation for the need and desirability for the proposed development, including the need and desirability of the Section 4.1 to (f) activity in the context of the preferred development 4.3. footprint within the approved site as contemplated in the accepted scoping report; a motivation for the preferred development footprint (g) within the approved site as contemplated in the accepted Section 5.4. scoping report; (i) details of the development footprint alternatives (h) a full description of the Section 5.2. considered; process followed to reach (ii) details of the public participation process undertaken the proposed Section 8.1 to in terms of regulation 41 of the Regulations, including development footprint 8.5. copies of the supporting documents and inputs; within the approved site as (iii) a summary of the issues raised by interested and contemplated in the affected parties, and an indication of the manner in Section 8.2.3 and accepted scoping report, which the issues were incorporated, or the reasons for Section 8.3.2. including: not including them; iii Wolverton Citrus Development – Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report 2014 EIA Regulation Relevant Section Information Requirement (Appendix 3) of this Report An environmental impact assessment report must contain the information that 3 (1) is necessary for the competent authority to consider and come to a decision on the application, and must include— (iv) the environmental attributes associated with the development footprint alternatives focusing on the Section 6.1 to geographical, physical, biological, social, economic, 6.4. heritage and cultural aspects; (v) the impacts and risks which have informed the identification of each alternative, including the nature, significance, consequence, extent, duration and probability of such identified impacts, including the Section 9.2 and degree to which these impacts— Table 9.4 - 9.5. (aa) can be reversed; (bb) may cause irreplaceable loss of resources; and (cc) can be avoided, managed or mitigated; (vi) the methodology used in determining and ranking the nature, significance, consequences, extent, duration Section 9.1. and probability of potential environmental impacts and risks; (vii) positive and negative impacts that the proposed activity and alternatives will have on the environment and on the community that may be affected focusing Section 9.2. on the geographical, physical, biological, social, economic, heritage and cultural aspects; (viii) the possible mitigation measures that could be applied Section 9.2 and and level of residual risk; Table 9.4 – 9.5 (ix) if no alternative development footprints for the activity were investigated, the motivation for not Section 5.2.1. considering such; and (x) a concluding statement indicating the location of the preferred alternative development footprint within Section 5.4. the approved site as contemplated in the accepted scoping report; (i) a full description of the process undertaken to identify, assess and rank (i) a description of all environmental issues and risks that the impacts the activity were identified during the environmental impact and associated structures assessment process; and and infrastructure will Section 9.2 and impose on the preferred Table 9.4 – 9.5. development footprint on the approved site as (ii) an assessment of the significance of each issue and risk contemplated in the and an indication of the extent to which the issue and accepted scoping report risk could be avoided or addressed by the adoption of through the life of the mitigation measures; activity, including— (i) cumulative impacts; (ii) the nature, significance and consequences of the (j) an assessment of each impact and risk; identified potentially Section 9.2 and (iii) the extent and duration of the impact and risk; significant impact and risk, Table 9.4 – 9.5. (iv) the probability of the impact and risk occurring; including— (v) the degree to which the impact and risk can be reversed; iv Wolverton Citrus Development – Final Environmental Impact Assessment