Prepared for: Limpopo Economic Development Agency Contact person: Lance Fenn Tel: (015) 633 4727 Fax: (015) 633 4865 Email: [email protected] MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE DEVELOPMENT LEDET REF:12/1/9/2-V79 FINAL SCOPING REPORT REVISION 03 AUGUST 2019 AUTHORITY REVIEW Prepared by: Delta Built Environment Consultants (Pty) Ltd Contact person: Ronaldo Retief Tel: (012) 368 1850 Fax: (012) 348 4738 Email: [email protected] EIA AND TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT FOR MUSINA-MAKHADO SEZ DOCUMENT CONTROL TITLE: PROPOSED MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE DEVELOPMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING ASSESSMENT REPORT ELECTRONIC FILE P17102_REPORTS_1_REV 03-Final Scoping Assessment Report 2019-06- LOCATION: 05 REPORT STATUS: Final REVISION NUMBER: 03 CLIENT: Limpopo Economic Development Agency 29 Market Street Polokwane, 0699 CONSULTANT: Delta Built Environment Consultants (Pty) Ltd P.O. Box 35703 Menlo Park, 0102 DATE: August 2019 REFERENCE NUMBER: P.17102/R5577 PREPARED BY: Nsovo Mdungazi Environmental Analyst CO-AUTHOR: Gerhard Schoeman Senior Environmental Pr. Sci. Nat. Analyst REVIEWED BY: Ronaldo Retief Pr. Sci. Nat. Pr. Environmental Scientist Pr. EAP (2019/181) APPROVED BY: Ronaldo Retief Pr. Sci. Nat. Pr. Environmental Scientist Pr. EAP (2019/181) DISTRIBUTION LIST: COMPANY NAME & SURNAME Mr Lance Fenn Mr Richard Zitha LEDA Mr Mxolisi Matshamba Ms Miyelani Mkhabelani RECORD OF REVISIONS REV. NO. STATUS DESCRIPTION OF REVISION REV. DATE 00 Draft Issued for comments 06/09/2018 01 Draft Issued for comments 25/01/2019 P17102_REPORTS_1_REV 03-Final Scoping Assessment Report 2019-06-05 Page II of 246 EIA AND TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT FOR MUSINA-MAKHADO SEZ 02 Final Authority Review 08/05/2019 03 Final Authority Review 05/06/2019 P17102_REPORTS_1_REV 03-Final Scoping Assessment Report 2019-06-05 Page III of 246 EIA AND TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT FOR MUSINA-MAKHADO SEZ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Designated by the Department of Trade and Industry in July 2016, the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (SEZ) comprises two sites. The southern site, situated approximately 34 km from the northern site, is a Greenfield site earmarked for the development of energy and a metallurgical cluster for the production of high-grade steel. The southern site, as the subject matter of this report, is located on eight farms overlapping the border between the Makhado and Musina local municipalities, within the Vhembe District Municipality. The essence of the Musina-Makhado SEZ is to create a new heavy industrial hub that forms part of the Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative. The Musina-Makhado SEZ will attract foreign and domestic direct investment to promote industrial development. Other land uses envisaged to complement the energy and metallurgical complex will comprise bulk infrastructure, light industries, intermodal facilities, housing, retail centres, business uses, community facilities, and telecommunication services. In order to establish the SEZ with all its land uses on the site, applications for environmental authorisation and change of land use must be submitted to the relevant competent authorities. The environmental pre-feasibility study of the proposed development at the Makhado site has identified several potential challenges and areas of concern that will require further detailed investigation. Aspects of critical concern that will affect the desirability of the development are the following environmental issues: • Intrusion into the protected area network • Detrimental effect on the biodiversity assets of the region • Resource use conflicts (especially with respect to land and water) • Large-scale land transformation • Potential increase in pollution pathways • Need for social infrastructure investment • Integrating anticipated inflow of labour with existing communities • High water requirements of the development in a water scarce area where much of the existing water resources are required for agriculture and thus food security • The site represents a Greenfields development with a lack of availability of bulk infrastructure that will have to be developed. Specialists were appointed to gather baseline information on the study area in each of their respective fields of expertise; specialists will assess environmental impacts and provide relevant input into the Environmental Impact Assessment. The following specialist studies were recommended: • Soil classification and land capability • Biodiversity Assessment • Wetland and Aquatic Assessment • Noise Impact Assessment • Air Quality Assessment • Climate Impact Assessment P17102_REPORTS_1_REV 03-Final Scoping Assessment Report 2019-06-05 Page IV of 246 EIA AND TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT FOR MUSINA-MAKHADO SEZ • Socio-Economic Assessment • Heritage Impact Assessment • Paleontological Impact Assessment • Visual Impact Assessment • Geotechnical Assessment • Flood line Assessment • Cadastral Assessment • Traffic Impact Assessment • Topographical Survey • Engineering Studies • Geo-hydrological Survey • Health Impact Assessment This report summarises the finding and impacts identified during the Consultative Scoping Phase of the said project. A Plan of Study for EIA is included with this report. Report content requirements in terms of Regulation 21 of GN 982 (Appendix 2) REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF REGULATION 21 OF GN 982 SECTION OF REPORT (a) Details of: Page II (i) The EAP who prepared the report Section 12 (ii) The expertise of the EAP, including a curriculum vitae (b) The location of the activity, including – (i) The 21-digit Surveyor General code of each cadastral land parcel Section 4.4 (ii) Where available, the physical address and farm name (iii) Where the required information in items (i) and (ii) is not available, the coordinates of the boundary of the property or properties (c) A plan which located the proposed activity or activities applied for at an appropriate scale, or, if it is – Section 4.3 (i) A linear development, a description and coordinated of the corridor in which the proposed activity or activities is to be undertaken Appendix A (ii) On land where the property has been defined, the coordinates within which the activity is to be undertaken (d) A description of the scope of the proposed activity, including – (i) All listed and specified activities triggered Section 4 & 6 (ii) A description of the activities to be undertaken, including associated structures and infrastructure. (e) A description of the policy and legislative context within which the development is proposed including an identification of all legislation, policies, plans, Section 6 guidelines, spatial tools, municipal development planning frameworks and instruments that are applicable to this activity and are to be considered in the assessment process P17102_REPORTS_1_REV 03-Final Scoping Assessment Report 2019-06-05 Page V of 246 EIA AND TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT FOR MUSINA-MAKHADO SEZ REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF REGULATION 21 OF GN 982 SECTION OF REPORT (f) A motivation for the need and desirability for the proposed development Section 7 including the need and desirability of the activity in the context of the preferred location (h) full description of the process followed to reach the proposed preferred activity, Section 9 site and location within the site, including – (i) details of all the alternatives considered: (ii) details of the public participation process undertaken in terms of regulation 41 of the Regulations, including copies of the supporting documents and Section 8 inputs (iii) a summary of the issues raised by interested and affected parties, and an Section 8.5 indication of the manner in which the issues were incorporated, or the Appendix B reasons for not including them (iv) the environmental attributes associated with the alternatives focusing on Section 5 the geographical, physical, biological, social, economic, heritage and cultural aspects Section 10 (v) the impacts and risks identified for each alternative, including the nature, significance, consequence, extent, duration and probability of the impacts, including the degree to which these impacts – Section 10.4 (aa) can be reserved (bb) may cause irreplaceable loss of resources (cc) can be avoided, managed or mitigated (vi) the methodology used in determining and ranking the nature, significance, Section 11 consequences, extent, duration and probability of potential environmental impacts and risks associated with the alternatives Section 10.3 to (vii) the possible mitigation measures that could be applied and level of residual 10.11 risk Section 10 (viii) the outcome of the site selection matrix (ix) if no alternatives, including alternative locations for the activity were N/A investigated, the motivation for not considering such (x) a concluding statement indicating the preferred alternatives, including Section 10 preferred location of the activity. (i) a plan of study for undertaking the environmental impact assessment process to be undertaken, including (i) a description of the alternatives to be considered and assessed within the preferred site, including the option of not proceeding with the activity Section 11 (ii) a description of the aspects to be assessed as part of the environmental impact assessment process (iii) aspects to be assessed by specialists P17102_REPORTS_1_REV 03-Final Scoping Assessment Report 2019-06-05 Page VI of 246 EIA AND TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT FOR MUSINA-MAKHADO SEZ REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF REGULATION 21 OF GN 982 SECTION OF REPORT (iv) a description of the proposed method of assessing the environmental