CALODEX (PTY) LTD DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT 23 JUNE 2021 PUBLIC DRAFT BASIC ASSESSMENT CALODEX (PTY) LTD TYPE OF DOCUMENT (VERSION) DRAFT PROJECT NO.: 41102967 DATE: JUNE 2021 WSP 1ST FLOOR, PHAROS HOUSE 70 BUCKINGHAM TERRACE, WESTVILLE DURBAN, 3629 SOUTH AFRICA T: +27 31 240 8804 F: +27 31 240 8801 WSP.COM QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUE/REVISION FIRST ISSUE REVISION 1 REVISION 2 REVISION 3 Remarks Draft BAR for Public Review Date June 2021 Prepared by Babalwa Mqokeli Mqokeli, Babalwa Signature (ZABM04722) 2021.06.23 22:16:27 +02'00' Checked by Ashlea Strong Digitally signed by Strong, Ashlea (ZAAS02685) DN: cn=Strong, Ashlea (ZAAS02685), ou=Active, Signature [email protected] Date: 2021.06.24 07:39:15 +02'00' Authorised by Ashlea Strong Digitally signed by Strong, Ashlea (ZAAS02685) DN: cn=Strong, Ashlea Signature (ZAAS02685), ou=Active, [email protected] Date: 2021.06.24 07:39:41 +02'00' Project number 41102967 Report number 01 File reference W:\000 NEW Projects\41102967 - Calodex Solar PV EIA WSP is an ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 and OHSAS18001:2007 certified company SIGNATURES PREPARED BY Mqokeli, Babalwa (ZABM04722) 2021.06.23 22:18:02 +02'00' Babalwa Mqokeli, Consultant REVIEWED BY Digitally signed by Strong, Ashlea (ZAAS02685) DN: cn=Strong, Ashlea (ZAAS02685), ou=Active, [email protected] Date: 2021.06.24 07:40:04 +02'00' Ashlea Strong, Principal Consultant Purpose and basis of preparation of this Report. This Draft Basic Assessment Report has been prepared by WSP Group Africa (Pty) Ltd (WSP) on behalf and at the request of Calodex (Pty) Ltd, to provide the Client an understanding of the potential impacts associated with the proposed Solar PV facility. Unless otherwise agreed by us in writing, we do not accept responsibility or legal liability to any person other than the Client for the contents of, or any omissions from, this Report. To prepare this Report, we have reviewed only the documents and information provided to us by the Client or any third parties directed to provide information and documents to us by the Client. We have not reviewed any other documents in relation to this Report and except where otherwise indicated in the Report. PRODUCTION TEAM CLIENT Director Milenko Rajak WSP Environmental Consultant Babalwa Mqokeli Principal Consultant Ashlea Strong SPECIALISTS Biodiversity Specialist R. Greffrath The Biodiversity Company Avifauna Specialist T. Clarke & L. Steyn The Biodiversity Company Visual Specialist L du Plessis - LOGIS Heritage Specialist Prof A.C. van Vollenhoven Archaetnos Culture & Cultural Palaeontology Specialist H. Fourie Soils and Agriculture Specialist T. Vather WSP Hydropedology Specialist T. Vather - WSP TABLE OF 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1 1.1 Background........................................................... 1 CONTENTS 1.2 The Purpose of the BA Process ........................... 1 1.3 Details of the Environmental Assessment Practitioner ........................................................... 1 1.4 Basic Assessment Report Structure.................... 2 1.5 Project Location .................................................... 5 1.6 Assumptions and Limitations .............................. 1 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......................... 2 2.1 Project Overview ................................................... 2 2.2 Project Development Phases ............................... 3 2.3 Service Provision .................................................. 4 2.4 Project Justification (Need and Desirability) ....... 4 3 GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK ................. 6 3.1 National Legislation .............................................. 6 3.2 Provincial/Local Planning Legislation ............... 13 4 ALTERNATIVES ...................................... 14 4.1 Site Alternatives .................................................. 14 4.2 Land Use Alternatives ........................................ 14 4.3 Layout Alternatives............................................. 15 4.4 Technology Alternatives .................................... 15 4.5 No-Go Alternative ............................................... 16 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE BASELINE ENVIRONMENT ....................................... 18 5.1 Climate ................................................................ 18 5.2 Geology and Soils............................................... 19 5.3 Topography and Landscape .............................. 20 5.4 Surface Water ..................................................... 21 5.5 Biodiversity ......................................................... 22 CALODEX SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITY WSP Project No. 41102967 June 2021 CALODEX (PTY) LTD 5.6 Cultural Heritage ................................................. 25 5.7 Socio-Economic Environment ........................... 27 6 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ......................................... 29 6.1 Methodology ....................................................... 29 6.2 Construction Phase Impact Assessment .......... 31 6.3 Operational Phase Impact Assessment ............. 46 6.4 Cumulative Impact Assessment......................... 54 7 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS ................................................ 55 7.1 Authority Consultation ....................................... 55 7.2 Stakeholder Identification .................................. 55 8 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT............................................ 57 8.1 Specialist Conclusion ......................................... 57 8.2 Summary of Impact Assessment ....................... 59 8.3 Impact Statement ................................................ 62 9 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................ 64 CALODEX SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITY WSP Project No. 41102967 June 2021 CALODEX (PTY) LTD TABLES TABLE 1-1: DETAILS AND EXPERTISE OF THE EAP ...................................... 2 TABLE 1-2: LEGISLATION REQUIREMENTS AS DETAILED IN APPENDIX 1 OF GNR 326 ...................................... 2 TABLE 1-3: LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED DECOMMISSIONING SITE .......... 5 TABLE 2-1: PROJECT COMPONENTS AND RESPECTIVE SPECIFICATIONS . 2 TABLE 1-4: DETERMINATION OF APPLICABLE GNR 327 AND GNR 324 LISTED ACTIVITIES .............. 7 TABLE 5-1: IMPACT ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND SCORING SYSTEM ........... 29 TABLE 6-1: IMPACT SUMMARY ................... 59 FIGURES FIGURE 1-1: LOCALITY MAP FOR THE PROPOSED CALODEX SOLAR PV (WSP, 2021) ........................... 1 FIGURE 3-1: PROJECT LOCATION IN RELATION TO THE EKURHULENI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY URBAN DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY ................................. 9 FIGURE 4-1: PRELIMINARY LAYOUT OF THE SOLAR PV FACILITY ................. 17 FIGURE 5-1: AVERAGE REGIONAL RAINFALL (SOURCE: EN.CLIMATE- DATA.ORG) ............................... 18 FIGURE 5-2: AVERAGE REGIONAL TEMPERATURE (SOURCE: EN.CLIMATE-DATA.ORG) ......... 19 FIGURE 5-3: THE GEOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED PROJECT AREA (WSP, 2021) .................... 20 FIGURE 5-4: TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE AREA (LOGIS, 2021) .................. 21 FIGURE 5-5: AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED PROJECT AREA (WSP, 2021) ............................... 22 FIGURE 5-6: VEGETATION TYPE ASSOCIATED WITH PROPOSED PROJECT SITE (WSP, 2021) ..... 23 FIGURE 5-7: CBA AND ESA IN RELATION TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT SITE (WSP, 2021) ............................... 24 CALODEX SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITY WSP Project No. 41102967 June 2021 CALODEX (PTY) LTD FIGURE 5-8: SAHRIS PALAEONTOLOGY SENSITIVITY MAP ..................... 27 FIGURE 6-1: IMPACT ASSESSMENT MITIGATION HIERARCHY ......... 30 APPENDICES A EAP CURRICULUM VITAE B STAKEHOLDER NOTIFICATION B-1 Pre-Application Meeting Minutes B-2 I&AP Database B-3 Site Notice B-4 Advert C BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING WETLAND ASSESSMENT) D AVIFAUNAL ASSESSMENT E VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT F HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT G PALAEONTOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESMENT H SOILS AND AGRICULTURAL STUDY I HYDROPEDOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT J DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME CALODEX SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FACILITY WSP Project No. 41102967 June 2021 CALODEX (PTY) LTD 1 1.1 Calodex (Pty) Ltd (Calodex) is proposing the development of a 115 megawatt (MW) Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Facility approximately 5km north of Springs in the Gauteng Province. In terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998, as amended) (NEMA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations promulgated in Government Notice (GNR) 326 of 7 April 2017, the proposed project requires a Basic Assessment (BA) process. In order for the proposed project to proceed, it will require an Environmental Authorisation (EA) from the Competent Authority (i.e. the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, (DFFE)). 1.2 The BA process is a simplified version of what may broadly be referred to as the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) process. It applies to activities contained in Listing Notice 1 of the EIA Regulations that are considered to have a relatively lower environmental impact than those contained in Listing Notice 2 (requiring a full Scoping and EIA process). The BA process is an interdisciplinary procedure to ensure that environmental considerations are included in decisions regarding projects that may impact the environment. The process helps identify the possible environmental effects of a proposed activity and how those impacts can be mitigated. In the context of this report, the purpose of the BA process is to inform decision-makers and the public of the environmental