ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE SKY SANDS (PTY) LTD SAND MINE MPRDA SECTION 102 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE SAND MINING ON PORTION 17 AND 18 (A PORTION OF PORTION 7) OF THE FARM PANFONTEIN 437IR AND PORTION 1 OF THE FARM VISCHGAT 467IR, GAUTENG PROVINCE DMR REF. NO: GP/30/5/1/2/2 (214) ENVASS REF. NO: 197-14_15 Submitted to: Department of Mineral Resources Gauteng Region 1 Document Control, Quality Control and Disclaimer DOCUMENT CONTROL MPRDA Section 102 Environmental Management Programme for the extension of the sand Document Title mine on Portion 17 and 18 (a portion of Portion 7) of the Farm Panfontein 437 IR and Portion 1 of the Farm Vischgat 476 IR, Gauteng, Province. Report Number MPRDA-EMP-197-14_15 Version 0.1 Date May 2015 Person: Mr Gary Conrad Submitted to Position: Project Specialist Email: [email protected] 1X Sky Sands (Pty) Ltd Distribution 1X Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd 6X Gauteng Department of Mineral Resources QUALITY CONTROL Originated By Reviewed By Approved By Name Monica Niehof Retha Weir Corrie Retief Environmental Designation Quality Reviewer Manager Authorisations Consultant Signature Date 2015/04/20 2015/05/04 2015/05/08 DISCLAIMER A Copyright ENVASS. All Rights Reserved - This documentation is considered the intellectual property of ENVASS. Unauthorised reproduction or distribution of this documentation or any portion of it may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under law. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................. 1 REGULATION 50 (A) ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE BASELINE ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................... 1 1.1 CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON SITE RELATIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 LOCALITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .................................................................................................................................. 2 1.1.3 TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.4 HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.1.5 SURFACE WATER ......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.6 GROUNDWATER ......................................................................................................................................... 11 1.1.7 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 1.1.8 BIODIVERSITY ............................................................................................................................................. 18 1.1.9 FLORA .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 1.1.10 FAUNA .......................................................................................................................................................... 25 1.1.11 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE ..................................................................................................................... 26 1.1.12 VISUAL QUALITY ......................................................................................................................................... 28 1.1.13 HERITAGE RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 29 1.1.14 NOISE AND VIBRATION .............................................................................................................................. 34 1.1.15 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................ 34 1.2 CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF EACH OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS BOTH ON THE SITE APPLIED FOR AND IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WHICH MAY REQUIRE PROTECTION OR REMEDIATION .............................................................................................................. 35 1.2.1 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................................................................................................ 35 1.2.2 WATERCOURSES AND WETLANDS .......................................................................................................... 35 1.2.3 GROUNDWATER ......................................................................................................................................... 36 1.2.4 BIODIVERSITY AND FAUNA AND FLORA .................................................................................................. 36 1.2.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 37 1.2.6 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................ 37 1.3 CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC LAND USES, CULTURAL AND HERITAGE ASPECTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE SITE AND NEIGHBOURING PROPERTIES/FARMS IN RESPECT OF WHICH THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF OTHER PARTIES TO BE AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED MINING OPERATION. ............................................... 37 1.3.1 LAND USE .................................................................................................................................................... 37 1.3.2 HERITAGE .................................................................................................................................................... 38 1.3.3 INFRASTRUCTURE ..................................................................................................................................... 39 i 1.4 ANNOTATED MAP SHOWING THE SPATIAL LOCALITY AND AERIAL EXTENT OF ALL ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL/HERITAGE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND LAND USE FEATURES IDENTIFIED ON SITE AND ON THE NEIGHBOURING PROPERTIES AND FARMS ................................. 40 1.5 CONFIRMATION THAT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IN THE FORM OF SPECIALIST STUDIES ARE ATTACHED AS APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 40 2. THE PROPOSED MINING OPERATION ...................................................................................................... 40 2.1 THE MINERAL TO BE MINED ...................................................................................................................... 40 2.2 THE MINING METHOD TO BE EMPLOYED AT THE LEVEL OF OPENCAST, UNDERGROUND, STOPING, STOOPING, TOTAL EXTRACTION, BOARD AND PILLAR, BLOCK CAVING, SHRINKING, DREDGING, PUMPING, MONITORING, ETC. AND PROVIDE A CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE INTENDED MAGNITUDE THEREOF, IN TERMS OF VOLUMES, DEPTH AND AERIAL EXTENT ............ 41 2.3 LIST OF THE MAIN MINING ACTIONS, ACTIVITIES, OR PROCESSES, SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ACCESS ROADS, SHAFTS, PITS, WORKSHOPS AND STORES, PROCESSING PLANT, RESIDUE DEPOSITION SITES, TOPSOIL STORAGE SITES, STOCKPILES, WASTE DUMPS, ACCESS ROADS DAMS, AND ANY OTHER BASIC MINE DESIGN FEATURES........................ 42 2.3.1 EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE MINE INCLUDE INTER ALIA: ...................................................... 42 2.3.2 THE MAIN MINING ACTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 43 2.3.3 PROCESSING ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................................................... 46 2.3.4 DISPATCH ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................................ 50 2.3.5 SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES – ON-SITE ....................................................................................................... 51 2.3.6 SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES – OFF-SITE ...................................................................................................... 52 2.3.7 SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES - GENERAL ...................................................................................................... 53 2.3.8 REHABILITATION AND MINE CLOSURE .................................................................................................... 54 2.3.9 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 55 3. PLAN SHOWING THE LOCATION AND AERIAL EXTENT OF THE AFORESAID MAIN MINING ACTIONS, ACTIVITIES, OR PROCESSES AS REQUIRED