Draft Scoping Report for Maphutha Witkop
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2018 DRAFT SCOPING REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 170KM 1X400kV MAPHUTHA-WITKOP POWERLINE WITHIN THE SEKHUKHUNE AND CAPRICO RN DISTRICT MUNICIPALITIES IN THE LIMPOPO PROVINCE APRIL 2018 Draft Scoping Report: Proposed Maphutha-Witkop 400kV Powerline Prepared For: Eskom Holdings SOC Limited Att: Sebenzile Vilakazi Tel: 011 800 4902 Email: [email protected] Prepared By: Nsovo Environmental Consulting Cell: 071 602 2369 Fax: 086 602 8821 Tel: 011 041 3689 “From the world we live to the world we seek” Email: [email protected] Date of Submission: 05 April 2018 DOC CONTROL Draft Scoping Report 06 November 2017 Version 1 Draft Scoping Report 27 November 2017 Version 2 Draft Scoping Report 18 January 2018 Version 3 Draft Scoping Report 05 April 2018 Version 4 Eskom Holding SOC Ltd April 2018 2 Draft Scoping Report: Proposed Maphutha-Witkop 400kV Powerline “From the world we live to the world we seek ” DOCUMENT CONTROL PROJECT TITLE: Draft Scoping Report for the proposed 400kV Maphutha-Witkop powerline within the Sekhukhune and Capricorn District Municipalities, Limpopo Province. QUALITY CONTROL: Report: Compiled By: Peer Reviewed By: Draft Scoping Report Masala Mahumela Munyadziwa Rikhotso _________________________ _______________________ Khuliso Mudau Mbavhalelo Ngobeni __________________________ ______________________ Eskom Holding SOC Ltd April 2018 3 Draft Scoping Report: Proposed Maphutha-Witkop 400kV Powerline TABLE OF CONTENT CONTENT PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT......................................................................... 13 2. DETAILS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER ............................................. 14 3. DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITY AND THE PROPERTY ON WHICH THE ACTIVITY IS TO BE UNDERTAKEN AND LOCATION OF ACTIVITY ON THE PROPERTY ............................................................................ 15 3.1 LOCALITY OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ......................................................................................... 15 3.1.1 Province and Provincial boundaries ......................................................................................... 17 3.1.2 Municipal Wards .................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.3 Affected Farms ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.2 SURROUNDING LAND USES ............................................................................................................... 18 3.2.1 Residential ............................................................................................................................ 18 3.2.2 Commercial and Industrial ....................................................................................................... 19 3.2.3 Mining activities within the study area ....................................................................................... 20 3.3 SURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE ............................................................................................................ 20 3.3.1 Road Network ........................................................................................................................ 20 3.3.2 Power lines and associated Infrastructure ................................................................................. 21 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE SCOPE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES .............................................................. 21 4.1 BACKGROUND AND THE PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................ 21 4.2 ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT ................................................................................ 21 4.2.1 Corridor walk-down ................................................................................................................ 21 4.2.2 Access roads ......................................................................................................................... 22 4.2.3 Vegetation clearance .............................................................................................................. 22 4.2.4 construction of powerline ........................................................................................................ 22 4.2.5 Steelworks structures ............................................................................................................. 22 4.2.6 Stringing ................................................................................................................................ 22 4.2.7 Completion of construction work .............................................................................................. 23 4.3 LISTED ACTIVITIES APPLICABLE TO THE PROJECT ....................................................................... 23 5. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND GUIDELINES.......................................................................... 25 6. DESCRIPTION OF THE NEED AND DESIRABILITY OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY ........................... 29 Eskom Holding SOC Ltd April 2018 4 Draft Scoping Report: Proposed Maphutha-Witkop 400kV Powerline 6.1 MOTIVATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................ 29 6.2 BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT .............................................................................................................. 30 6.2.1 Supporting Strategies ............................................................................................................. 31 7. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS FOLLOWED TO REACH THE PROPOSED PREFERRED ACTIVITY, SITE AND LOCATION WITHIN THE SITE ........................................................................................... 31 7.1 DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ...................................................................................... 32 7.1.1 Technical Alternatives ............................................................................................................. 32 7.1.2 Structural alternatives ............................................................................................................. 33 7.1.3 Route Alternatives .................................................................................................................. 35 7.2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ................................................................................................... 44 7.2.1 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLES .................................................................................. 45 7.2.2 APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 46 7.2.3 Identification of interested and affected parties .......................................................................... 46 7.2.4 Public participation database ................................................................................................... 46 7.2.5 Site notices ............................................................................................................................ 47 7.2.6 Distribution of notices to surrounding land owners / occupiers .................................................... 47 7.2.7 Placement of advertisement in the local newspaper ................................................................... 47 7.2.8 Placement of draft scoping report for comments ........................................................................ 47 7.2.9 Public Meetings ..................................................................................................................... 48 7.3 A SUMMARY OF ISSUES RAISED BY INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES ............................. 48 7.4 CIRCULATION OF THE AMENDED DRAFT REPORT FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT ..................... 48 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALTERNATIVES FOCUSING ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL, PHYSICAL, BIOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ASPECTS .................................................................................................................................... 48 8.1.1 Socio-economic description ..................................................................................................... 49 8.1.2 Climatic condition of the proposed area .................................................................................... 53 8.1.3 Geology within the study area ................................................................................................. 53 8.1.4 topography of the study area ................................................................................................... 55 8.1.5 Surface Water within the area ................................................................................................. 55 8.1.6 Sites of Archaeological and Cultural Significance ...................................................................... 57 8.1.7 Air quality and pollution ........................................................................................................... 59 8.1.8 vegetation structure and composition ....................................................................................... 60 8.1.9 Topography ........................................................................................................................... 60 Eskom Holding SOC Ltd April 2018 5 Draft Scoping Report: Proposed Maphutha-Witkop 400kV Powerline 8.1.10 Agriculture ............................................................................................................................