draft scoping report - zitholele - tabor... · the tabor substation needs to be upgraded and...

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DEA REF NO: 12/12/20/1776

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April 2010 Scoping Phase

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ZITHOLELE CON SU LTING

PPUURRPPOOSSEE OOFF TTHHIISS DDOOCCUUMMEENNTT The Polo kwane area has experienced g ood e conom ic growth, due to urb an gro wth, electrification , m ining and indu st rialization and Eskom ha s to suppo rt thi s growth in the Limpopo by strengthening the tran smi ssio n ne two rk that will also add ext ra powe r supply op tion s to th e So uth Af rican elect ricity grid.

In 2007 Eskom com missioned an En viro nmental Im pact Assessme nt (EIA ) fo r the p ropo se d const ruction of a 275 kV transmi ssion po wer line between the Tabor sub sta tion nea r Polo kwane and the Spencer sub station (85 km north-we st of the Tabo r substation) n ea r Dui wel skl oof in Limpopo.

The servitudes for two 275 kV transm ission po wer l ine s between Spencer a nd Tabor we re acquire d by Eskom in 1996. Su bseque ntly one of the two transm issi on po wer l ine s wa s con st ru cted, lea ving a va cant se rvitude a djacen t to the existing line. En vironm ental Auth ori sation fo r the con st ru ction of the ne w 275 kV t ran smi ssion powe r l ine was granted in 2 008 and work com menced in 2009.

The Tabo r substation need s to be upg rad ed a nd expanded to carry the increa sed load of th e ne w transmi ssio n po wer l ine, whi ch requires an EIA to be unde rta ken. Additionally, in orde r for the Tabor sub sta tion to be e xtended, a 132 kV po we r l ine (the Tabo r-Loui s Tricha rdt 1 p o we r l ine) to the no rth we st of the su bstation h a s to be deviate d to wa rds the we st of the sub station a s it is located within the footprint of the propo sed exp an sion of the sub station. Su ch a po wer l ine deviation mu st also obtain Environmental Autho ri sa tion prior to moving the p ylon.

This expansi on and de viation sho uld be underta ke n whilst maintaining th e integ rity of the surrounding en vironm ent and p rese rving a wo rkable relation ship with th e local comm unities. In a ddition, all legal proce sse s ha ve to be a dhe red to so as to o btain the required Envi ronmental Autho ri sation.

Eskom Tra n sm i ssion has ap pointed Zitholele Co nsulting (Pty) Ltd, a n independe nt compan y, to conduct an Envi ronm ental Impact Asse ssm ent (EIA) to e valuate the potential environmental and social im pacts of th e p ropo sed proje ct. The En viro nmental Assessme nt P ractitioner (EAP) i s M rs Jacqui Hex.

The first pha se of an EIA i s the Scoping Pha se. Thi s i s th e pha se d uring which public issue s, con ce rn s and sugg e stions are ide ntified so that they can b e e valuate d by the E IA te ch nical sp eciali sts du ring the n ext pha se (the Im pact Asse ssm ent Pha se ) of the EIA .

Acco rding to the EIA Regulations, Inte re sted and Affecte d Parties (I&APs) mu st have the o ppo rtunity to comm ent on the propo sed p roje ct an d verify that all the issu e s raise d du ring the Scoping Ph a se have been re cord ed. Thi s i s the m ain purpo se of this Dra ft Sco ping Re po rt (DSR), which i s available for comm ent for the period 30 April to 28 M ay 2 010. Comm ents recei ved will be con side re d in the Final Scoping Report (SR) which will be subm itted to the lead auth orit y, the National De partment of En viro nm ental Affai rs (DEA) for app ro val to p ro ce ed with the EIA.

I&APs will also ha ve an opp ortunity to com ment on the finding s of the EIA, which will be pre sented in a Draft Envi ronm ental Impa ct Repo rt (EIR). Afte r public review, the Dra ft EIR will be u pdate d and subm itted to the DEA fo r a deci sion about the project.

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• The background and de scription to the pro po sed project • An overview of th e EIA p ro cess, including the pu blic participation p roce ss • A description of the exi sting en viro nment in the project area • The pote ntial environmental issue s an d im pacts which ha ve al read y been identified • The te rm s of referen ce for the spe cialist studie s • A list of comments raise d to date.

AANN EEIIAA CCOONNSSIISSTTSS OO FF SSEEVVEERRAALL PP HHAASSEESS Scoping Phase

To identify issues, to focus the EIA

Impact Assessment Phase

Detailed studies of poten tial imp acts, po sitive and negati ve

Environmental Impact Report

Consolidate finding s of imp act assessment studies

Decision-making Phase

Proponent an d authorities use EI A findings to decide if project goes ahead

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 1.1 Who is the proponent? ..................................................................... 1 1.2 Increased Electricity Supply Plan ..................................................... 1 1.3 Tabor Substation and power line deviation Project............................ 1 1.4 Context of This Report ..................................................................... 2 1.5 Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioner (EAP) Details........... 2 1.6 Objectives of Scoping ...................................................................... 3

2 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................... 4 2.1 The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of

1996)............................................................................................... 4 2.2 National Environmental Management Act (No 107 of 1998) .............. 4 2.3 Environment Conservation Act (Act No 73 of 1989) .......................... 7 2.4 Additional Acts and Frameworks ...................................................... 7 2.5 Eskom Planning Processes.............................................................10

3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ....................................................................... 11 3.1 Project Description..........................................................................11 3.2 How Power Grids Work...................................................................11 3.3 Proposed Upgrade of the Existing Tabor Substation ........................13 3.4 Proposed Deviation of the 132 kV Tabor – Louis Trichardt

Power Line .....................................................................................17 3.5 Majors Project Phases ....................................................................20

4 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED............................................................. 23 4.1 Upgrade of the Tabor Substation ....................................................23 4.2 Deviation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line .................25

5 RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 28 5.1 Climate...........................................................................................28 5.2 Geology and Soils ..........................................................................29 5.3 Topography ....................................................................................31 5.4 Surface Water ................................................................................34 5.5 Land Use........................................................................................36 5.6 Floral Biodiversity ...........................................................................38 5.7 Infrastructure ..................................................................................40 5.8 Cultural and historical resources .....................................................40

6 SCOPING PROCESS .............................................................................. 42 6.1 Technical Process ..........................................................................42 6.2 Public Participation Process ............................................................42

7 ISSUES IDENTIFIED FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT ............................. 49

8 PLAN OF STUDY FOR EIA ..................................................................... 52 8.1 Technical Process ..........................................................................52 8.2 Public Participation .........................................................................55

9 CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD................................................... 58

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3-1: Power distribution from Power Plant to household user. ...................................11

Figure 3-2: Typical transmission power line. .......................................................................12

Figure 3-3: Example of a transformer, incoming power from the transmission grid, a set of switches for the incoming power and distribution bus plus three voltage regulators. ............12

Figure 3-4: Distribution bus and low voltage distribution power lines. ..................................13

Figure 3-5: Location of the proposed extension of the Tabor Substation. ............................15

Figure 3-6: Examples of substation infrastructure / components. ........................................16

Figure 3-7: Self-supporting suspension tower.....................................................................18

Figure 3-8: Self-supporting strain tower..............................................................................18

Figure 3-9: Cross rope suspension tower. ..........................................................................19

Figure 3-10: Compact cross rope suspension tower. ..........................................................19

Figure 3-11: Guyed-V suspension tower. ...........................................................................20

Figure 4-1: Locality of the Tabor Substation and proposed extension footprint. ...................24

Figure 4-2: Locality of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt corridor alternatives. .....................26

Figure 4-3: Locality of all the project alternatives. ...............................................................27

Figure 5-1: Regional Geology of the area...........................................................................30

Figure 5-2: Topography of the area....................................................................................32

Figure 5-3: Ridges found in the area. .................................................................................33

Figure 5-4: Surface water and drainage features of the area. .............................................35

Figure 5-5: Land use map for the area. ..............................................................................37

Figure 5-6: Vegetation of the area......................................................................................39

Figure 5-7: Infrastructure in the area. .................................................................................41

Figure 6-1: Technical and public participation process and activities that comprise the Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed Tabor Substation Project. ..................44

Figure 6-2: Background Information Documents were distributed in the area. .....................45

Figure 6-3: Site notice boards were put up in the study area...............................................46

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3-1: Primary milestones of the Tabor Project. ...........................................................22

Table 5-1: Long Term Temperature Data for Polokwane (1962-1990). ................................28

Table 6-1: Advertisements placed during the announcement phase. ..................................46

Table 6-2: Stakeholder meeting that was advertised and held as part of the public review period of the Draft Scoping Report. ....................................................................................47

Table 6-3: List of public places where the Draft Scoping Report is available. ......................48

Table 7-1: Potential Environmental Impacts to be investigated in the EIA Phase.................49

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A: EAP CV

Appendix B: EIA Application Form

Appendix C: Landowner Consent Forms

Appendix D: Newspaper Advertisements and Site Notices

Appendix E: Project Location Map

Appendix F: I&AP Database

Appendix G: Issues and Response Report

Appendix H: Background Information Document

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ABBREVIATIONS

DEA .................................................................................................. Department of Environmental Affairs

DME .................................................................................................... Department o f Minerals and Energy

DWA ................................................................................................................ Department of Water Affairs

EA .....................................................................................................................Environmental Authorisation

EAP................................................................................................Env ironmental Assessment Pract itioner

ECA .............................................................................................................. Environment Conservat ion Act

EIA......................................................................................................... Environmental Impact Assessment

EIR ...................................................................................................................Env ironmental Impact Report EMP ..........................................................................................................Env ironmental Management Plan

GNR..............................................................................................................Government Not ice Regulat ion

HIA .................................................................................................................... Heritage Impact Assessment HDI .................................................................................................Historically Disadvantaged Individuals

I&APs............................................................................................................Interested and Affected Parties

IEM ................................................................................................ Integrated Environmental Management

IEP ............................................................................................................................... Integrated Energy Plan

ISEP ..............................................................................................Integrated Strateg ic Electricity Planning

kV........................................................................................................................................................ Kilo Volts

LDEDET...................Limpopo Department o f Economic Development, Env ironment and Tourism Lt ..................................................................................................................................................................Lit res

Mamsl................................................................................................................ metres above mean sea level

MLt .................................................................................................................................................. Mega Litres MVA...................................................................................................................................Mega Volt Ampere

NEMA ..................................................................................... National Env ironmental Management Act

NEMWA......................................................................National Env ironmental Management Waste Act

NERSA ................................................................................. National Energy Regulator of South Africa NIRP ........................................................................................................National Integrated Resource Plan

NSBA ........................................................................................ National Spatial Biod iversity Assessment

PoS ................................................................................................................................................ Plan of Study SAHRA................................................................................... South African Heritage Resources Agency

SANBI.................................................................................South African Nat ional Biodiversity Institute

SIA ......................................................................................................................... Social Impact Assessment SR...............................................................................................................................................Scoping Report

ToR .................................................................................................................................... Terms of Reference

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11 IINNTTRROO DDUUCCTTIIOO NN

1.1 Who is the proponent?

Es kom Holdings is the South African ut ility that generates, transmits and distributes electricity. Es kom supplies ~95% of the country's elect ricity , and ~60% of the total electricity consumed on the African continent. Es kom play a major role in accelerat ing growth in the South African economy by providing a high-quality supply of elect ricity .

1.2 Increased Electricity Supply Plan

For many years Es kom has operated in an environment of surp lus capacity, this situation has changed in the past few years due to the resulting in an insufficient reserve margin .

The decision to expand Eskom’s electricity capacity was based on national policy and informed by on-going strategic planning undertaken by the National Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and Es kom. Through Eskom’s elect ricity long term planning process, the Integrated Strateg ic Electricity Planning (ISEP) process, Eskom identified long-term options fo r the supply and demand sides of electricity prov ision in South Africa.

The latest ISEP (ISEP 11, 2008) has identified the need for increased base load electricity supply by the year 2014, while peaking generation is being attended to in the shorter term. The NERSA is the regulato ry authority responsible for the electricity supply industry in South Africa.

The Polokwane area has experienced good economic growth, due to urban growth, electrificat ion, mining and industrialization and Eskom has to support this growth in the Limpopo by strengthen ing the transmission network that will also add ext ra power supply options to the South African elect ricity grid.

1.3 Tabor Substation and pow er line deviation Project

In 2007 Eskom commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed construction of a 275kV transmission power line between the Tabor substation near Polokwane and the Spencer substation (85 km north-west of the Tabor substation) near Duiwelskloof in Limpopo.

The servitudes for two 275kV transmission power lines between Spencer and Tabor were acquired by Es kom in 1996. Subsequently one of the two transmission power lines was constructed, leaving a vacant servitude adjacent to the existing line. Environmental Authorisation for the construction of the new 275kV transmission power line was granted in 2008 and work commenced in 2009.

The Tabor substation needs to be upgraded and expanded to carry the increased load of the new transmission power line, which requires an EIA to be undertaken. Additionally, in order for the Tabor substation to be extended, a 132 kV power line (the Tabor-Louis Trichardt 1 power line) to the north west of the substation has to be deviated towards the west of the substation as it is located with in the

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footprint of the proposed expansion of the substation. Such a power line deviation must also obtain Environmental Authorisation p rio r to moving the pylon.

This expansion and deviation should be undertaken whilst maintain ing the integrity of the surround ing environment and preserv ing a workab le relationship with the local communities. In addit ion, all legal processes have to be adhered to so as to obtain the required Environmental Authorisation.

1.4 Context of This Report

This report is the Draft Scoping Report (SR), a key component of the env ironmental authorisat ion process for the proposed upgrade of the Tabor Substation and deviation of the Tabor – Louis Trichardt 132kV power line near Polokwane, Limpopo Prov ince.

1.5 Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioner (EAP) Details

Es kom appointed Zitho lele Consulting to undertake the EIA for the proposed upgrade of the Tabor Substation and 132kV Tabor – Louis Trichardt power line deviation, in accordance with the EIA Regulat ions promulgated in April 2006 in terms of the National Env ironmental Management Act ([NEMA] No 107 of 1998) which became effect ive on 1 July 2006.

Zitho lele Consult ing is an empowerment company formed to provide specialist consulting services primarily to the public sector in the fields of W ater Engineering, Integrated Water Resource Management, Environmental and Waste Services, Communicat ion (public participat ion and awareness creation) and Livelihoods and Economic Development.

Zitho lele Consulting has no vested interest in the proposed project and hereby declares its independence as required by the EIA Regulations.

In terms of the NEMA EIA regulations, the proponent must appoint an EAP to undertake the environmental assessment of an activity regulated in terms of the aforement ioned Act. The details of the EAP representative are listed below.

Name: Jacqui Hex

Company Represented: Zitho lele Consult ing (Pty) Ltd.

Address: P O Box 6002, Halfway House, 1685

Telephone: 011 207 2078

Fax: 086 676 9950

E-mail: jacqu [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Jacqui Hex, MSc (Env. Man.) (cum laude), BSc Hons (Geog), BSc Natural & Environmental Sciences

Mrs. Jacqui Hex joined Zitholele Consulting (Pty) Ltd in the January 2007 as an environmental scientist. She forms part of the Environment and Waste management sector of the Environment and W aste division of the company. She was awarded the top masters student award at the University of Johannesburg in 2006. She has also attended a course on Environmental Auditing, Environmental Impact Assessments and International Association in Public Part icipation. She has an in depth knowledge on EIA’s, env ironmental law, strateg ic environmental assessment, integrated environmental management, social impact assessments, environmental auditing, environmental economics, environmental management frameworks and waste management. A curricu lum vitae of the EAP is provided in Appendix A.

1.6 Objectives of Scoping

This report addresses the requirements for Scop ing and the Plan o f Study (PoS) for the EIA as outlined in the NEMA regulat ions. The aim of this Draft Scoping Report (SR) is to:

• Provide info rmation to the authorities as well as interested and affected parties on the proposed project;

• Provide information regarding alternat ives that have been considered;

• Indicate how interested and affected parties have been and are still being afforded the opportunity to contribute to the project , verify that the issues they raised to date have been considered, and comment on the findings of the impact assessments;

• Describe the baseline receiving environment;

• Define the Terms o f Reference (ToR) fo r specialist studies to be undertaken in the Impact Assessment Phase of the EIA; and

• Present the findings of the Scoping Phase in a manner that facilitates decision-making by the relevant authorities

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22 LLEEGG AALL RREEQQUUIIRREEMM EENNTTSS

Environmental legis lation in South Africa was promulgated w ith the aim of, at the very least, minimising and at the most preventing environmental degradation. The fo llowing Acts and Regulat ions are applicab le to the Tabor Substation Project:

2.1 The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996)

Section 24 of the Constitution states that: Everyone has the right

(a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and

(b) to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that-

prevent pollut ion and eco log ical degradation;

promote conservat ion; and

secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources, while promot ing justifiable economic and social development

The current environmental laws in South Africa concentrate on protecting, promoting, and fu lfilling the Nation’s social, economic and environmental rights; while encourag ing public part icipation, implement ing cultu ral and traditional knowledge and benefit ing prev iously disadvantaged communit ies.

2.2 National Environmental Management Act (No 107 of 1998)

The EIA for this proposed project will be conducted in terms of the EIA Regulations that were promulgated in terms of Section 24 (5) of the NEMA. The National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is the competent authority responsible for issuing env ironmental authorisation for the proposed project. The Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Env ironment and Tourism (LDEDET), the South African Resource Heritage Agency (SAHRA), and the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) are key commenting authorit ies.

2.2.1 En vironmental Impact Assessment Regulations: 385 -387 of 21 April 2006

A full EIA is applicable to all pro jects likely to have significant environmental impacts due to their nature or extent, act ivities associated w ith potentially h igh levels of environmental degradation, or activ ities fo r which the impacts cannot be easily pred icted. In comparison a Basic Assessment is required fo r projects with less significant impacts or impacts that can easily be mit igated. The difference between the processes relates to the nature of the proposed development in terms of its potential impact on the env ironment, and this is reflected in the level of detail that informat ion is collected in as well as the level of interaction with I&APs.

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In terms of Government Notice Regulat ion (GNR) 387, activ ity 1(l), a full Env ironmental Impact Assessment comprising both Scoping and Impact Assessment, is necessary for the proposed upgrade of the Tabor Substation. This main act iv ity is listed as fo llows:

Activity 1(l): The construction o f facilities or infrastructure, including associated structures or infrastructure, for: The transmission and distribution o f above g round electricity with a capacity of 120 kilovo lts or more.

De via tion of Ta bor – Louis Trichardt 132 k V power l ine

Additional act ivities that are being applied for under Regulation GNR 387 are listed below:

Activity 12: The transformation o r removal of ind igenous vegetation of 3 hectares o r more, or of any size where the t ransformat ion or removal would occur within a crit ically endangered ecosystem listed in terms of section 52 of the NEMA.

The removal of ve geta tion for the footprint of the e xtended Tabor s ubs tation a nd py lon

footings.

Ac tivity 23: The decommissioning o f exist ing facilit ies or infrastructure, other than facilities or infrastructure that commenced under an environmental authorisation issued In terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulat ion, 2006 made under sect ion 24(5) of the act

De via tion of Ta bor – Louis Trichardt 132 k V power l ine, removal of pylons.

The following act ivities in accordance with Regulat ion GNR 386 (Basic Assessment activities) are also included in the EIA application, to prov ide fo r supporting infrastructure associated with the proposed extension of the Tabor substation and / o r proposed 132kV power line deviat ion :

Activity 7 The above ground storage o f a dangerous good, including pet rol, d iesel, liquid petroleum gas or paraffin , in containers with a combined capacity of more than 30 m3 (300 000 lt) but less than 1 000 m3 (1 Mlt ) at any one location or site.

Activity 14 The construction of masts of any material or type and of any height, including those used for telecommunication broadcasting and radio transmission, but excluding –Masts of 15 metres and lower exclusively used

{i} By rad io amateurs; or

{ii} For light ing purposes

{iii} Flag poles; and

{iv} Lightning conductor po les.

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Activity 15 The construction of a road that is wider than 4 metres or that has a reserve wider than 6 metres, excluding roads that fall within the ambit of another listed activity or which are access roads of less than 30 metres long

The NEMA can be regarded as the most important piece of general environmental legislat ion. It provides a framework for environmental law reform and covers three areas, namely:

• Land, planning and development;

• Natural and cultural resources, use and conservat ion; and

• Pollut ion contro l and waste management.

The law is based on the concept of sustainable development. The objective of the NEMA is to provide for co-operative environmental governance through a series of principles relating to:

• The procedures for state decision-making on the env ironment; and

• The institutions of state which make those decisions.

The NEMA principles serve as:

• A general framework for environmental p lann ing;

• Guidelines according to which the state must exercise its environmental funct ions; and

• A guide to the interpretat ion o f NEMA itself and of any other law relat ing to the env ironment.

2.2.2 What are the NEMA principles?

Some of the most important principles contained in NEMA are that:

• Environmental management must put people and their needs first;

• Development must be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable;

• There should be equal access to environmental resources, benefits and services to meet basic human needs;

• Government should promote public part icipation when making decisions about the environment;

• Communit ies must be g iven env ironmental education;

• Workers have the right to refuse to do work that is harmfu l to their health or to the environment;

• Decisions must be taken in an open and transparent manner and there must be access to info rmation;

• The ro le of youth and women in environmental management must be recognised;

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• The person or company who pollutes the env ironment must pay to clean it up;

• The environment is held in trust by the state fo r the benefit of all South Africans; and

• The utmost caution should be used when permission fo r new developments is granted.

2.3 Environment Conservation Act (Act No 73 of 1989)

The Environment Conservation Act (ECA) is a law that relates specifically to the environment. A lthough most of this Act has been replaced by the NEMA there are still some important sections that remain in operation. These sections relate to:

• Protected natural environments;

• Littering;

• Special nature reserves;

• Waste management;

• Limited development areas;

• Regulations on noise, v ibration and shock; and

• EIA.

2.4 Additional Acts and Frameworks

In addition to the ECA and NEMA, the fo llowing Acts have some bearing on the p roposed activit ies:

National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998)

The water Act guides the management of water in South Africa as a common resource. The Act aims to regulate the use of water and activit ies which may impact on water resources through the categorisation of ‘listed water uses’ encompassing water ext raction, flow attenuation within catchments as well as the potential contamination o f water resources, where Department of Water Affairs (DWA) is the admin istering body in this regard. Should the proposed act ivit ies associated w ith the proposed substation extension or power line deviation impact on water resources e.g. cross through rivers, the applicant would be responsible to obtain a permit from DWA.

The National Heritage Resources Act (No. 25 of 1999)

The National Heritage Resources, 1999 (Act No. 25 o f 1999) legislates the necessity for cu ltural and heritage impact assessment in areas earmarked for development, which exceed 0.5 ha. The Act makes provision for the potent ial destruction to exist ing sites, pending the archaeo logist’s recommendations through permitting procedures. Permits are administered by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). Should the proposed activities impact on heritage resources, application to SAHRA would be requ ired to obtain the necessary permits.. The requ irements of the National

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Heritage Resources Act have thus been addressed as an element of the EIA process, specifically by the inclusion o f a Heritage Assessment.

National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004)

The purpose of the Biodiversity Act is to provide for the management and conservation of South Africa’s biod iversity with in the framework of the NEMA and the protection of species and ecosystems that warrant national protection. As part of its implementation strategy, the National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment was developed. Should protected species and ecosystems be impacted on by the p roposed substation upgrade or power line dev iat ion, th is Act may be applicable and the necessary measures should be taken for implementat ion.

National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment

The National Spat ial Biodiversity Assessment (NSBA) classifies areas as worthy of protect ion based on their biophysical characteristics, which are ranked accord ing to prio rity levels.

Protected species – Provincial Ordinances

Prov incial ordinances were developed to protect particu lar p lant species within specific provinces. The protect ion of these species is enforced through permitting requ irements associated with prov incial lists of protected species. Permits are admin istered by the p rovincial departments responsible for environmental affairs.

Expropriation Act (No. 63 of 1975)

Es kom has a policy of “willing buyer, willing seller”, and therefore endeavours to purchase land where ever possible or necessary. However, the State and State-owned-enterp rises can acquire the rights to use or possess the requisite land through the Expropriation Act (No 63 of 1975). The Expropriat ion Act requires the determination of compensation based on the princip le of market value (i.e. what would the value be in the event of both a willing buyer and a willing seller trad ing the land). There is a suite o f addit ional legislation , which, in conjunction with the Expropriation Act, would be used to determine the compensation value.

Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No 85 of 1993)

This Act makes provisions that address the health and safety of persons working at the proposed substation and power line. The Act addresses amongst others the:

• Safety requirements fo r the operation of plant machinery;

• Protect ion of persons other than persons at work against hazards to health and safety, aris ing out of or in connection with the act ivit ies of persons at work;

• Establishment o f an advisory council for occupat ional health and safety; and

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• Provision for matters connected therewith.

The law states that any person undertaking upgrades or developments for use at work or on any premises shall ensure as far as is reasonably p ract icable that nothing about the manner in which it is erected o r installed makes it unsafe or creates a ris k to health when properly used.

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Integrated Environmental Management Information Series

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) Informat ion Series of 2002 and 2006 comprise 23 information documents. The documents were drafted as sources of information about concepts and approaches to Integrated Environmental Management (IEM). The IEM is a key instrument of NEMA and provides the overarching framework for the integration of environmental assessment and management princip les into environmental decision-making . The aim of the info rmat ion series is to provide general guidance on techn iques, tools and processes for env ironmental assessment and management.

White Paper on the Energy Policy of the Republic of South Africa – 1998

Development within the energy sector in South Africa is guided by the White Paper on the Energy Policy, published by the Department of Minerals and Energy (DM E) in 1998. This White Paper sets out five object ives for the further development of the energy sector. The five ob jectives are as follows:

• Increased access to affo rdable energy services;

• Improved energy governance;

• Stimulating economic development;

• Managing energy-related env ironmental and health impacts; and

• Securing supply through diversity.

Furthermore, the Energy Policy identified the need to undertake an Integrated Energy Plann ing (IEP) process in order to achieve a balance between energy demand and resource availab ility, whilst taking into account health, safety and environmental aspects. In addition, the policy identified the need for the adoption of a National Integrated Resource Planning (NIRP) approach to prov ide a long-term cost-effect ive resource plan for meet ing electricity demand, which is consistent with reliable elect ricity supply and environmental, social and economic policies.

The Tourism Act, 1993 (Act No. 72 of 1993)

Policy and leg islation govern ing tourism in South Africa emphasizes the concepts of responsible tourism and sustainable tourism development. Tourism in South Africa is leg islated in terms of the Tourism Act (Act No. 72 of 1993), which was amended as the Tourism Amendment Act (Act No. 105 of 1996 and the Tourism Second Amendment Act no. 70 of 2000. The 1996 White Paper on

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Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa introduces the concept of “responsible tourism”; i.e. tourism with a responsibility towards the environment , through sustainable use of resources, involvement of local communities, and commitment to safety and security of all concerned. Taking this further, the drive towards “sustainable tourism” development emphasizes the optimisat ion of benefits relat ing to tourism, without compromising future benefits.

2.5 Eskom Planning Processes

The following section, although not legislat ive, p rovide supplementary informat ion on some of Es kom’s plann ing processes.

Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) – 2003

The DME commissioned the IEP to provide a framework in which specific energy po licies, development decisions and energy supply trade-offs can be made on a project-by-project basis. The framework is intended to create a balance in prov id ing low cost electricity for social and economic development, ensuring security of supply and min imizing the associated env ironmental impacts.

National Integrated Resource Plan (NIRP) – 2003/2004

In response to the White Paper’s objective relating to affordable energy serv ices, the Nat ional Elect ricity Regulator (now NERSA) commissioned a NIRP. The objectives of the NIRP are to determine the least-cost supply option for the country, provide in format ion on the opportunities for investment into new power stations and evaluate the security of supply.

The national electricity demand fo recast took a number of facto rs into account. They are:

• A 2.8% average annual economic growth;

• The development and expansion of a number of large energy-intensive industrial pro jects;

• Electrification needs;

• A reduction in electricity-intensive industries over the 20 year planning horizon;

• A reduction in electricity consumers – NIRP ant icipates people switch ing to the direct use of natural gas;

• The supply of electricity to large mining and industrial pro jects in Namibia and Mozambique; and

• Typical demand profiles.

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33 PPRROO JJEECCTT DDEESSCCRRIIPP TTIIOONN

3.1 Project Description

The proposed project is for the upgrade of the existing 275/132kV Tabor Transmission Substation to accommodate the new 400kV and 132kV power lines and the deviation of the existing 132kV Tabor – Louis Trichardt power line near Polokwane in the Limpopo Province. The section below provides a brief description of how a power grid works and where a transmission substation is located in terms of the overall system. Thereafter the various components of a transmission substation are explained and illustrated.

3.2 How Power Grids Work

Figure 3-1 below prov ides an illustration of how a power grid operates and where exactly a transmission substation fits into the network that d istributes power. Elect ricity always commences at the point where power is generated. The majority of elect ricity in South Africa o rig inates at coal fired power stations. Coal fired power stations generate what is known as three-phase AC current. The three-phase AC current leaves the generato r and enters a transmission substation near the power station.

Figure 3-1: Power distribution from Power Plant to household user.

This substation uses large transformers to convert the generator's voltage (which is at the thousands of volts level) up to ext remely h igh voltages for long-distance t ransmission on the transmission grid. Typical voltages for long distance transmission are in the range of 155kV to 765kV in order to reduce line losses and are usually made of huge steel pylons / towers as illustrated in Figure 3-2 below. All pylons like this have three wires for the three phases. Many pylons, like the ones shown below, have extra wires running along the top of the pylons. These are ground wires and are there primarily in an attempt to attract lightning.

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Figure 3-2: Typical transmission power line.

For power to be useful in a home or business, it comes off the transmission grid and is stepped-down to the distribution g rid. Th is may happen in several phases. The p lace where the conversion from "transmission" to "distribution" occurs is in a substation. A substation typically does two or three things:

• It has transformers that step transmission voltages (in the tens or hundreds of thousands of volts range) down to d istribut ion voltages (typically 33 kV).

• It has a "bus" that can split the d istribution power off in multip le d irections.

• It often has circu it breakers and switches so that the substation can be disconnected from the transmission grid or separate distribution lines can be disconnected from the substation when necessary.

Figure 3-3 below provides an example o f a large transformer, incoming power from the transmission grid and a set of switches for the incoming power. Toward the right is a distribut ion bus plus three voltage regulators.

Figure 3 -3: Example of a transformer, incoming power from the transmission grid, a set of switches for the incoming power and distribution bus plus three voltage regulators.

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The power goes from the transformer to the distribut ion bus. In this case, the bus distributes power to two separate sets of distribution lines at two d ifferent vo ltages. The smaller transformers attached to the bus are stepping the power down to standard line voltage (usually 7,200 volts) for one set of lines, while power leaves in the other direction at the higher vo ltage of the main t ransformer. The power leaves this substation in two sets of three wires, each headed down the road in a different direct ion (Figure 3-4).

Figure 3-4: Distribution bus and low vol tage distribution power lines.

3.3 Proposed Upgrade of the Existing Tabor Substation

3.3.1 Motivation of upgrade of the Tabor Substation

The Polokwane area has experienced good economic growth, due to urban growth, electrificat ion, mining and industrialization and Eskom has to support this growth in the Limpopo by strengthen ing the transmission network that will also add ext ra power supply options to the South African elect ricity grid. A 275kV Tabor-Spencer and 400kV Tabor-W itkop power line have received environmental authorisation from the DEA in 2007 and 2008 respectively. In order to integrate these additional lines into the Tabor Substation the substation needs to be upgraded and expanded to carry the increased load of the new transmission power line

3.3.2 Substation upgrade infrastructure / components

The following components of the upgrade o f the Tabor Substation are being taken into considerat ion:

• Location of the substation: The substation is located near the Tropic of Capricorn toll plaza adjacent to the N1 national highway near Polokwane in the Limpopo Prov ince (Figure 3-5).

• Size o f the footprint: It is proposed to extend the substation by an additional 300 x 300 metres to the north of the exist ing footprint.

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• Terracing and foundations: The site will be terraced if needed and foundations will be constructed in line w ith substation foundation requ irements.

• Circuit breakers: For disconnection under no-load condit ion for safety, isolation and maintenance

• Feeder bays and circuit breakers: Automatic switching during normal or abnormal conditions

• Earthing switch: To discharge the voltage on dead lines to earth

• Current transformers: To step-down currents for measurement, control & protection

• Voltage transformer: To step-down voltages for measurement, contro l and protection

• Lightning Arrester: To discharge lightning over voltages and switching over voltages to earth.

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ZITHOLELE CONSULTING

Figure 3-5: Location of the proposed extension of the Tabor Substation.

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Foundations Circuit breakers

400kV Isolator 400kV Current transformer

Auto transformer Busbar

Erection of steelwork Figure 3-6: Examples of subs tation infrastructure / components.

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3.4 Proposed Devia tion of the 132 kV Tabor – Louis Trichardt Pow er Line

Motivation for the deviation of the 132kV power line

As mentioned the Tabor substation needs to be upgraded and expanded to carry the increased load of the new transmission power line. Additionally, in order for the Tabor substation to be extended, a 132 kV power line (the Tabor-Louis Trichardt 1 power line) to the north west of the substation has to be deviated towards the west of the substation as it is located within the footprint of the proposed expansion o f the substation.

3.4.1 Pow er line deviation infrastructure / components

The following components of the deviation were taken into considerat ion:

• Locat ion o f the p roposed deviat ion:

• Length of the line to be deviated :

• Tower Designs:

3.4.2 Location of the proposed deviation

The 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line travels in a south westerly direction and enters the Tabor Substation to the north.

3.4.3 Length of the line to be deviated

In order for the Tabor substation to be extended in a northerly d irect ion, between 650 metres and 1.7 kilometres (depending on the alternative chosen) of the existing Tabor-Louis Trichardt line w ill need to me relocated. A 132kV power line requ ires a 36 metre (18 metres on either side) wide servitude. For the purposes of this study a 200 metre wide corridor w ill be assessed per alternat ive in order to allow for slight deviations within the approved corridor once a final line walk has been undertaken .

3.4.4 Tow ers Designs

There are various types of tower designs that have different implications in terms of cost for implementation. The need for select ing a tower type will be determine by the project team that will consider the tower type that is most feasib le and can still be a lower risk in terms of bird collisions. Self supporting suspension tower is the one that will be suitable or viable for proposed Tabor-Louis Trichardt Transmission line, addit ionally these towers are current ly used for the existing power line however should there be bends in the power line route a strain tower w ill be used to support the line.

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Self-supporting suspension tower

Self-supporting tower design is the one that is considered to be suitable for the proposed deviation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line. This was supported by the technical requirements of the proposed deviation as well as considering the needs of the land owners whereby this tower des ign does not require big port ion of land. Furthermore, the existing Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line design is a self-supporting suspension tower and therefore Eskom would like to keep unifo rmity of tower designs within that specific pro ject. Furthermore, b irds are used to existing tower design in the area and therefore chang ing the design might lead to unfamiliar zone for the birds which will lead to collis ion with power line.

In terms of the economic feasib ility of th is tower, it was found that self supporting suspension towers are more costly as compared to other towers. The impetus to opt this tower design though it is expensive is because this tower does not require more land as compared to other ones and it is as well suitable for more bending w ithin short distance.

Figure 3-7: Self-supporting sus pension tower.

Self-supporting strain tower

This tower is more o r less the same with the self-supporting suspension tower however this tower cannot cope with lots of bending and turn ing that will be happen ing on this proposed deviation. Therefore, this tower is not suitable for th is proposed 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt deviat ion.

Figure 3 -8: Self-supporting strain tower.

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Cross rope suspension tower

This tower is more suitable for long distance power lines whereby most part goes straight without lots of bending and turn ing. Th is is more preferred design that is suitable for birds in terms power line impacts on birds. It requ ires a lot of land.

Figure 3 -9: Cross rope sus pension tower.

Compact cross rope suspension tower

This tower is similar to a cross rope suspension tower and is also not suitable for short distances with a lots of bending and turning. Therefore, this tower technically is not feasible for the proposed 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt deviation.

Figure 3-10: Compact cross rope sus pension tower.

Guyed-V suspension tower

This tower is not ideal for the transmission line that will be having a lot of bending and turning within a short distance of the length of the power line. Th is tower design is therefore not suitable for the proposed 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt dev iat ion.

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Figure 3-11: Guyed-V sus pension tower.

3.5 Majors Project Phases

3.5.1 Construction Phase

Construction Footprint

The proposed footprint for the substation extension is approximately 300 x 300 metres. Additionally the servitude required for a 132kV power line is 36 metres (18 metres on either side) and it is estimated to be a length of between 500 metres and two kilometres (depending on the approved alternat ive). Therefore the total construction area required is dependent on the approved alternative. Construction act iv ities will be limited to the footprint of the extension of the substation and the approved power line corridor.

Construction Activities

The construction phase for the project w ill take approximately 18 months and will include the construction of the substation and the deviation o f the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line. The civil construction works i.e . platfo rming , storm water control and foundations is likely to take place first, with the balance of time taken up w ith the fabrication and erection of steelwork. The construction phase will entail the following:

• Removal o f vegetation with in the substation footprint and power line servitude;

• Dismantling of 132kv Tabor –Louis Trichardt pylons / towers within the substation extension footprint;

• Relocat ion of 132 kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt pylons / towers to newly approved servitude;

• Stringing of the deviated 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line;

• Terracing and levelling of the site;

• Installat ion o f foundations fo r infrastructure such as transformers, control building and rad io tower;

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• Construction o f bunds and fire safety walls;

• Compaction and filling with gravel of the areas between foundations;

• Creation of fo rmal drainage and storm water control measures;

• Delivery and installation o f transformers, towers, busbars and associated infrastructure;

• Construction o f cont rol rooms and administrat ive infrastructure;

• Construction o f the perimeter fence and lighting.

The first construction activ ity will be to clear the site of vegetation and to level off and terrace the ground surface for those areas where the heavy electrical transformers and other switchgear w ill stand. After this will follow the concrete and build ing construction fo r foundat ions for the supporting steelwork, t ransformers and other switchgear, storm water drainage p ipes, slabs, bund walls, the control room, small build ings and storage areas that are needed. A ll open areas between the transformer plinths and other switchgear foundations will be covered with about a 150 mm layer of 25 mm crushed stone. Before lay ing the crushed stone, the ground surface is intensively treated to strict specificat ion with insecticide and herbicide to prevent insect activ ity and the growth of weeds and other p lants in the high voltage yard.

The steelwork will then be erected. The transformers, circuit breakers, reactors and other high voltage equipment will be delivered to site, erected and then commissioned. Eskom has decades of experience in the construction and operational use o f h igh voltage equipment such as the proposed extension of the Tabor Substation. A ll equipment, commissioning and operat ional procedures and protoco ls are subject to strict specificat ions, which Es kom has had in place fo r many years. Construction is anticipated to begin in March 2011, and it is estimated that it will continue for approximately eighteen months thereafter, before the substation is finally commissioned. The substation is planned to be commissioned at the latest March 2012. During construction, which is when the civil works are being carried out (foundations, storm water drainage, buildings, etc), there should not be more than 50 people present on the site at any one time. Depending on the level and nature of construction activ ity taking place, there w ill be varying numbers of people housed on site in temporary accommodation. No one will be housed on site on a permanent basis during the operational life of the substation. However, there will be ongoing monitoring and control of operations as well as planned and other maintenance work done on an ad hoc basis.

3.5.2 Operation and Maintenance Phase

During operat ions, Eskom requires access to the substation for maintenance activ ities. Maintenance activ ities are specialised and are, therefore, carried out by Eskom employees. During the operational life of the substation, there will be no people housed on site on a permanent basis.

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3.5.3 Decommissioning Phase

The following are assumed:

• The physical removal of the substation infrastructure would entail the reversal of the construction process.

• A rehabilitat ion programme would need to be agreed upon with the landowners (if applicab le) before being implemented.

• The disposal of materials from the decommissioned substation would be at an approved waste disposal facility. Alternatively, recycling opportun ities could be investigated and implemented.

A ll of the aforementioned would be subject to a separate EIA and environmental authorisation at the appropriate time.

3.5.4 Overall Project Schedule

The primary milestones for the Upgrade of the Tabor Substation and the deviation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line (prior and through to post construction) are described in Tab le 3-1 below.

Table 3 -1: Primary milestones of the Tabor Project.

MILES TONES DATE Final Scop ing Report May 2010 Undertake Specialist Studies opin ions June 2010 Draft EIR and EM P June / July 2010 Stakeholder Engagement on EIR / EM P July/August 2010 Finalise EIR and EMP August / September 2010 Submission to Relevant Authorities September 2010 Environmental Authorisation November 2010 Appeal Period To be confirmed in the Impact Assessment Phase Construction (including EM P Auditing) To be confirmed in the Impact Assessment Phase

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44 AALLTTEERRNNAATTIIVVEESS CCOONNSSIIDDEERREEDD

Alternatives being assessed for the upgrade of the Tabor Substation and the deviation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line can be div ided into the following categories:

• Site / Corridor alternat ives;

• Design alternatives; and

• The No-Go (no development) alternative.

These are d iscussed in the sections below.

4.1 Upgrade of the Tabor Substation

4.1.1 Site Alternatives

There are no site alternat ives for the extension of the Tabor Substation as a result of the init ial layout of the existing substation. In order to extend the substation the only alternative is to extend in a northerly d irect ion at an extended footprint of 300 by 300 metres as illustrated in Figure 4-1.

4.1.2 Design Alterna tives

There are two types of substations, namely: Gas-Insulated (GIS) or Air-Insulated Substations (AIS). Most substations are installed as AIS, implying that the bus-bars and equipment terminations are generally open to the air, and utilise insulation propert ies of ambient air fo r insulation to ground.

The existing Tabor substation is an AIS substation and therefore the only means of upgrading or extending the substation is too maintain the AIS design.

4.1.3 The No-Go (no development) Alternative.

The No-Go alternat ive will also be assessed further in the EIA . In the case that the extension of the substation in a northerly direct ion is not suitab le, the Tabor Substation will not be upgraded and the already authorised 400kV Tabor-Witkop power line will not be connected into the Es kom grid. This will result in the Polokwane area being left under severe power supply constraints and frequent black-outs in the area.

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Figure 4-1: Locality of the Tabor Substation and proposed extension footprint.

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4.2 Deviation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line

4.2.1 Corridor Alternative

Deviation - Alternative 1

Alternative 1 exits the existing 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line at the interception of the R36. The alternat ive line heads westward parallel to the R36 fo r approximately 650 metres. Thereafter alternat ive 1 heads south westwards for approximately 1.3 kilometres. Approximately 100 metres before entering the proposed extended substation the power line alternative heads south. This is the longest power line alternat ive (Total length = Approximately 2 kilometres).

Deviation - Alternative 2

Power line alternative 2 exits the existing 132kV power line approximately 500 metres south of alternat ive 1 and heads in a south westerly direct ion for approximately one kilometre. Thereafter the alternat ive heads in a southerly direction fo r 100 metres before entering the proposed extended substation (Total length = 1.1 kilometres).

Deviation Alternative 3

Alternative 3 exits the existing 132 kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line in a westerly direct ion for 400 metres, travelling parallel to an existing gravel road . Thereafter the alternative power line turns southward for 100 metres before entering the proposed extended substation. This is the shortest alternat ive and is the preferred dev iat ion power line alternat ive (Total length = 500 metres).

4.2.2 Design Alterna tive

The design alternatives constitute the various tower designs as discussed in Section 3.4.4 above. The preferred design type is the self supporting

4.2.3 No Go Alternative

The No-Go alternative will also be assessed further in the EIA. In the case that none of the alternat ives is suitable fo r the proposed power line deviation, the recommendat ion would be that the proposed substation extension and power line deviation not be constructed and further alternative alignments, or project solutions be generated.

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Figure 4-2: Locality of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt corridor alternatives.

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Figure 4-3: Locality of all the project alternatives.

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55 RREECCEEIIVVIINNGG EENNVVIIRROONNMM EENNTT

The reg ional environment is described in the section below. For the context of this report the regional environment refers to a 30 km rad ius around the study area.

5.1 Climate

5.1.1 Data Collection

Climate data for Polokwane was obtained from the information desk of the South African Weather Serv ice (see Table 5). The Po lokwane weather station (23° 52' S; 29° 27' E) is the closest station to the study area. Its alt itude is 1230m. The data has been recorded fo r the period 1961 to 1990.

5.1.2 Regional Description

The macroclimat ic patterns of the Savanna Biome region are tight ly linked to the climatic d ifferences between the A tlantic and Indian Ocean coasts of the southern African cont inent. Among the major macroclimatic traits characteris ing the Savanna Biome are: (1) seasonality of precip itat ion (alternation of wet summer and dry winter periods), and (2) sub (tropical) thermal regime with no o r usually low incidences of frost. The reg ion falls within the summer rainfall region of South Africa w ith very dry winters. Mean annual precipitation is approximately 350 to 550 mm with frost fairly infrequent (Mucina and Rutherfo rd, 2006).

Ambient Temperature

The average daily maximum, minimum and mean temperatures are detailed in Table 5-1 below . The highest recorded temperature is 37°C in the summer months of October, while the lowest is minus 4°C in June. On average, the daily minimum temperature varies between – 4°C in winter and 28°C in summer.

Precipitation

Monthly daily rain fall data for the Po lokwane area was obtained. The annual p recipitation regime for the period 1961 to 1990 shows that the mean annual rainfall is about 487 mm, w ith majority of the rainy season taking place between November to April. This rainfall is predominantly in the form of violent thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds.

Table 5 -1: Long Term Temperature Data for Polokwane (1962-1990).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept O ct Nov Dec

TEM

PER

AT

UR

E (C

)

Highest Recorded

36 36 34 34 32 37 27 32 34 37 36 35

Lowest Recorded

10 11 8 4 1 -4 -1 -1 0 5 7 9

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept O ct Nov Dec

M aximum 28 28 27 24 22 20 20 22 25 26 27 27

M inimum 17 17 15 12 8 5 4 7 10 13 15 16

Mean 22.5 22.5 21 18 15 12.5 12 14.5 17.5 19.5 21 25.5

PREC

IPIT

ATI

ON

(mm

) Mean 82 60 52 33 11 5 3 6 17 43 85 81

Average number of

days <=1mm

10 8 8 6 2 1 1 1 2 7 10 11

Highest 24 hour

rainfall

79 61 57 57 39 26 21 37 39 55 53 74

5.2 Geology and Soils

5.2.1 Methodology and Data Sources

The geolog ical analysis was undertaken through the desktop evaluation using a Geographic Informat ion System (GIS) and relevant data sources (April 2009). The geological data was taken from the Environmental Potential Atlas Data from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).


The area is underlain by the gneisses and migmatites of the Hout River Gneiss (Randian Erathem) and the potassium-deficient gneisses of the Goudplaats Gneiss (Swazian Erathem). Sandstones and mudstones of the Matlabas Subgroup (Mokolian Waterberg Group ) are also found. Soils include deep, greyish sands, eutrophic plinth ic catenas, red-yellow apedal freely drained soils with h igh base status, clayey in bottom lands.

None of these geo logies provide any sensitivity to the construction of a substation or pylons/towers. The geolog ies described above are illustrated in Figure 5-1 below.

5.2.3 Sensitivities

No geology or drainage features with in the study area are considered to be sensitive.

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Figure 5-1: Regional Geology of the area

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5.3 Topography


The topography data was obtained from the Surveyor General’s 1:50 000 toposheet data for the region, namely 2329 BD. Contours were combined from the topograph ical mapsheets to form a combined contours layer. Using the Arcview GIS software the contour in format ion was used to develop a digital elevat ion model of the region as shown in Figure 5-2 below.


The topography of the region is slightly to moderately undulating plains sloping generally down to the north, with some hills in the southwest of the Savanna plateau. Some small scattered dams and pans occur in the area with no ridges forming part of the landscape features in the area. The alt itude ranges between 1 052 – 1 240 metres above mean sea level (mamsl). Figure 5-2 p rovides an illustration o f the topography of the site, while Figure 5-3 shows the lack o f ridges in the study area.

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Figure 5-2: Topography of the area.

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Figure 5-3: Ridges found in the area.

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5.4 Surface Water


The surface water data was obtained from the W R90 database from the Water Research Council. The data used included catchments, river alignments and river names. In addit ion water body data was obtained from the CSIR land cover database (1990) to show water bodies and wetlands. This in formation was ground truthed during a site visit.


The main drainage feature o f the area is the unnamed stream which drains south westwards. Several unnamed tributaries are also found in the area. In addition to the streams several dams can also be found in the region as illustrated in Figure 5-4 below. The streams and their associated dams support a number of faunal and floral species uniquely adapted to these aquatic ecosystems and therefore all surface water bodies are earmarked as sensitive features and should be avo ided as far as possible.

5.4.3 Sensitivities

From Figure 5-4 above, it is clear that the extension of the substation and the deviation power line alternat ives avoid all streams, rivers or dams.

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Figure 5-4: Surface water and drainage features of the area.

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5.5 Land Use


The land use data was obtained from the CSIR Land Cover database and supplemented with visual observations on site.


The land use is dominated by thicket and bushland which is predominant ly utilised for game farms and cattle grazing. From the map below (Figure 5-5) it can be seen that the proposed project does not traverse any water bodies. Water bodies are the only land use regarded as sensitive.

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Figure 5-5: Land use map for the area.

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5.6 Floral Biodiversity


The floral data below is taken from The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Mucina and Rutherford 2006).


According to the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the study area falls within the Savanna Biome. Savannas are trop ical and occupy the greater area o f the southern continents (Huntley & W alker, 1982) and also some parts of the northern continents. The vegetation of the area is classified as Makhado Sweet Bushveld, within the Limpopo Prov ince straddling the Tropic of Capricorn and occurs on the plains south of the Soutpansberg, east of the Waterberg and on the apron the surrounding the Blouberg ad Leratauple Mountains, and north of the Po lokwane Plateau and west of the escarpment, with extensions to Mokopane to the south and to the north near Vivo.

The study area comprises of the Makhado Sweet Bushveld as classified by Mucina and Rutherfo rd1 . This vegetation unit is described in more detail below.

Makhado Sweet Bushveld

Makhado Sweet Bushveld occurs in the western area of the Soutpansberg, around Blouberg and up to the Limpopo. As a result of the relatively low rainfall, g rasses are sparse and trees do not g row tall. The vegetation is varied with a mixture of Colospermum mopane, Combretum imberbe, Acacia nigrescens, Boscia albitrunca and Sesamothamnus lugardii. In these areas a strong Kalahari element is seen in the prot ruding red sands.

The woody element includes Combretum apiculatum, Commiphora pyracanthoides, Acacia tortilis and various Grewia species. The herbaceous layer includes the gramenoid species; Eragrostis rigidior, Panicum maximum, P. coloratum and Urochloa mosambicensis and various fo rbs species.

This vegetation type is poorly conserved with approximately 1 % that has been statutorily conserved, some 27 % transformed by cult ivation with some urban and bu ilt up areas also occurring (SANBI & DEA, 2004).

1 The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesot ho and Swaziland, Mucc ina and Rutherf ord 2006.

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Figure 5-6: Vegetation of the area.

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5.7 Infrastructure


Infrastructure was identified using the 1:50 000 topocadastral maps of the area. A site visit to the area was undertaken to verify this info rmation.


Access to the proposed project area is via the N1 national road. The study area is traversed to the west by the private Eskom road. The primary infrastructure within the study area is:

• The N1 national road between Preto ria and Nelspru it (Mpumalanga);

• The private Eskom road between the N1 and the existing Tabor substation;

• The Tropic of Capricorn Toll Plaza located approximately xx metres from the study area;

• Engen One Stop Garage located approximately xx metres from the study area;

• The exist ing Tabor 132/275 Substation;

• The fo llowing power lines traverse the area:

o The 275kV Tabor-Spencer power line;

o The 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line;

o The futu re 400kV Tabor-Witkop power line.

• Several dirt farm roads.

5.7.3 Sensitivities

There are no infrastructure sensit ivit ies in the study area.

5.8 Cultural and historical resources

There are no known heritage resources p resent with in the proposed project area, however the occurrence of cultural and h istorical resources will be investigated during the EIA phase.

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Figure 5-7: Infrastructure in the area.

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66 SSCCOOPPIINNGG PPRROOCCEESSSS

6.1 Technical Process

For the Scoping Phase of this EIA , the following techn ical process has been followed:

6.1.1 Pre-consultation meeting with client and Site Visit

On notificat ion and receipt of the appointment letter from Eskom, a project inception meeting was held on 7 January 2010 between Es kom and the Zitholele Consult ing Project Team at the Tabor Substation. During th is pro ject kick-off meet ing the following was discussed:

• Pro ject Scope and Requirements;

• Pro ject Schedule; and

• Identification of key stakeho lders and role players.

6.1.2 Consultation with authorities, application forms and landow ner consent

The DEA EIA applicat ion form (Appendix B) for the proposed project was submitted to the DEA on 28 January 2010. As a point of departure, the I&AP database developed through other transmission EIA processes in the study area were used for init ial project notification. The list of potentially affected landowners is attached as Appendix C to th is report. During the Scoping Phase the list of landowners will be confirmed and landowner consent forms will be signed.

6.1.3 Draft Scoping Report and Plan of Study for EIA

This Draft Scoping Report (SR) has been p repared w ith informat ion and issues identified during the Scoping Phase activities. The Plan o f Study (PoS) for EIA and the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the envisaged specialist studies are included in Chapter 8 of this report. The Draft SR and PoS fo r EIA will be updated based on comments from key comment ing authorities, public rev iew and comments obtained from I&APs. After the public review period , both the Final Scoping Report and the PoS for EIA will be submitted to the DEA for acceptance and approval.

6.2 Public Participation Process

Public participat ion is an essential and leg islat ive requirement for environmental authorisation. The principles that demand communication w ith society at large are best embodied in the princip les of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998, Chapter 1), South Africa’s overarching environmental law. In addition, Section 24 (5), Regulat ion 56 of GNR 385 under the National Environmental Management Act, guides the public part icipation process that is required for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.

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The public part icipat ion process for the proposed Upgrade of the Tabor Substation and the dev iation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line has been designed to satisfy the requ irements laid down in the above legislat ion and guidelines. Figure 6-1 prov ides an overview of the EIA technical and public part icipat ion processes, and shows how issues and concerns raised by the pub lic are used to inform the technical investigat ions of the EIA at various milestones during the p rocess. This section of the report h igh lights the key elements of the public part icipation process to date.

6.2.1 Objectives of public participation in an EIA

The objectives of public participat ion in an EIA are to provide sufficient and accessible information to I&APs in an ob jective manner sp as to:

• During Scop ing:

Assist the I&APs with identify issues of concern, and providing suggestions for enhanced benefits and alternatives.

Contribute their local knowledge and experience.

Verify that their issues have been considered and to help define the scope of the technical studies to be undertaken during the Impact Assessment.

• During Impact Assessment:

Verify that their issues have been considered either by the EIA Specialist Stud ies, or elsewhere.

Comment on the findings of the EIA, including the measures that have been proposed to enhance positive impacts and reduce or avoid negative ones.

The key objective o f public participat ion is to ensure transparency throughout the process and promote in formed decision making.

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44

Figure 6 -1: Technical and public participation process and activities that comprise the Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed Tabor Substation Project.

FINAL SCOPING REPORT AND EIA PLAN OF STUDY

SUBMIT FINAL EIR AND EMP TO AUTHORITIES

PROGRESS FEEDBACK LETTER

INFORMATION GATHERING

FOCUS GROUP AND ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGSCOLLATE BASELINE INFORMATION

ACCESS FURTHER INFORMATION;REPRIORITISE ISSUES IF NECESSARY

COMMENCE SPECIALIST STUDIES

RE-ASSESS WHERE NECESSARY

PROCEEDINGS(as Issues/Response Report)FINAL EIR AND DRAFT EMP

PRIORITISE ISSUES

FINALISE SPECIALIST STUDIES

INTEGRATE FINDINGS

AUTHORITY DECISION AND CONDITIONS IF POSITIVE AUTHORITY DECISION FEEDBACK

Persona lised letter Ad vertisements

DRAFT EIR, summary draft EIR(Including Issues and Response Report; Specialist Reports)

APPLICATION /REGISTRATION OF EIAAND AUTHORITIES MEETING

PROGRESS FEEDBACK LETTER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF DRAFT SCOPING REPORT

PROGRESS FEEDBACK LETTER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF DRAFT EIR

COMPILE STAKEHOLDER DATABASE

FINALISE EMP AND IMPLEMENT

ANNOUNCE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENTPersonalised letter and Background

Informatio n DocumentMedia release

Advertise-ments

Posters On-si te notices

Pub lic p laces Web

ISSUES AND REPONSE REPORT

END OF SCOPING

DRAFT SCOPING REPORT AND TORS OF SPECIALIST STUDIES(Including Issues and Response Report )

Stakeholder workshops

Publi c places

OPEN HOUSES / PUBLIC MEETINGS

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INTEGRATE FINDINGS











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Pub lic p laces Web


END OF SCOPING



Publi c places


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INTEGRATE FINDINGS



AUTHORITY DECISION FEEDBACKPersona lised letter Ad vertisementsPersona lised letter Ad vertisements









Advertise-ments


Pub lic p laces Web



Advertise-ments


Pub lic p laces Web


END OF SCOPING



Publi c places


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April 2010 45 12587

6.2.2 Identification of interested and affected parties

The identification of stakeholders is ongoing and is refined th roughout the process. As the on-the-ground understanding of affected stakeholders improves through interaction with various stakeholders in the area the database is updated. The identification of key stakeholders and community representatives (land owners and occupiers) for this project is important as their contribut ions are valued. The identification of key stakeholders and was done in collaborat ion with Eskom (through the I&AP database for the EIAs in the area), the local municipalit ies and other organisations in the study area.

The stakeho lders’ details are captu red on Maximiser 9, an electron ic database management software programme that automat ically categorises every mailing to stakeholders, thus providing an ongoing record o f communications - an important requirement by the authorit ies for public part icipation. In addition , comments and contributions received from stakeho lders are recorded, linking each comment to the name of the person who made it.

According to the NEMA EIA Regulat ions under Sect ion 24(5) of NEMA, a register of I&APs must be kept by the public part icipation pract it ioner. Such a reg ister has been compiled and is being kept updated with the details of invo lved I&APs throughout the process (See Appendix F)

6.2.3 Announcement of opportunity to become involved

The opportunity to participate in the EIA was announced in March 2010 as fo llows:

• Distribut ion of a letter of invitat ion to become involved, addressed to individuals and organisations, accompanied by a Background Informat ion Document (BID) containing details of the proposed project , including a map of the pro ject area, and a registration sheet (Figure 6-2 and Appendix H);

Figure 6 -2: Background Information Documents were distributed in the area.

• Advertisements were p laced in the fo llowing newspapers (Appendix D):

BID

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Table 6-1: Advertisements placed during the announcement phase.

NEWSPAPER DATE Capricorn Voice 24 March 2010 Informant 23 March 2010 Northern Review Weekend 25 March 2010 Polokwane Express 24 March 2010 Polokwane Observer 25 March 2010 Seipone 26 March 2010 Bosvelder 25 March 2010 Vhembe Herald 24 March 2010 Limpopo Mirror 19 March 2010 Zoutpansberger 19 March 2010

• Notice boards were positioned at prominent localit ies during March 2010. These notice boards were placed at conspicuous places and at various public p laces (Appendix D). Site notices were placed prominently to inv ite stakeholder participation (Figure 6-3).

Figure 6 -3: Site notice boards were put up in the study area.

6.2.4 Obtaining comment and contributions

The following opportunit ies are available during the Scop ing phase fo r cont ribut ion from the I&APs:

• Completing and return ing the registration/comment sheets on which space is provided for comment .

• Providing comment telephonically or by email to the public part icipation office.

• Attending stakeholder meet ings that were widely advert ised (see table below) and raise comments there.

Issues relevant to the current pro ject configuration will be considered and carried forward into the Impact Assessment phase.

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Table 6 -2: Stakeholder meeting that was advertised and held as part of the public review period of the Draft Scoping Report.

DATE VENUE 13 May 2010 Lalapanzi Hotel

The minutes of the public meetings will be attached to the Final Scoping Report in the form of an Issues and Response Report.

6.2.5 Issues and Response Report and acknowledgements

The issues raised thus far, are captured in an Issues and Response Report Version 1, appended to this Draft SR (Appendix G). Th is report will be updated to include any additional I&AP contribut ions that may be received as the Scop ing phase process proceeds, and as the findings of the EIA become available. The issues and comments raised during the public review period of the Draft Scoping Report will be added to the report as Version 2 of the Issues and Response Report. The contributions made by I&APs are acknowledged in writing.

6.2.6 Draft Scoping Report

The purpose of the Public Part icipat ion Process (PPP) in the Draft SR is to enable I&APs to verify that their contributions have been captured , understood and correctly interp reted, and to raise further issues. At the end of Scoping, the issues identified by the I&APs and by the environmental technical specialists, will be used to define the Terms of Reference for the Specialist Studies that will be conducted during the Impact Assessment Phase of the EIA . A period of four weeks is available for public review of the Draft SR (from 30 April to 28 May 2010).

In addition to media advert isements and site notices that announced the opportun ity to participate in the EIA, the opportun ity fo r public review was announced as fo llows:

• In the Background Information Document (March 2010).

• In advert isements published (see Table 6-1 above and Appendix D) to advert ise the proposed project .

• In a letter sent out on 15 March 2010, and addressed personally to all ind ividuals and organisations on the stakeholder database.

The Draft Scoping Report, including the Issues and Response Report Version 1, has been distributed for comment as follows:

• Left in public venues within the vicinity of the project area. (These are listed in Table 8 below);

• Mailed to key stakeho lders.

• Mailed to I&APs who requested the report.

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• Copies have been made available at the public meet ings

I&APs can comment on the report in various ways, such as complet ing the comment sheet accompanying the report, and submitt ing ind ividual comments in writing or by email.

Table 6 -3: List of public places where the Draft Scoping Report is available.

PLACE CONTACT PERSON TELEPHONE Makhado Public Libra ry, Ma khado Ms Valen cia M udau (015) 519 -30 85 Polokwane City Library Ms Sandra va n Heese (01 5) 290-2166/6 7

6.2.7 Final Scoping Report

The Final Scoping Report will be updated with addit ional issues raised by I&APs and may contain new informat ion that may be generated as a result of this process. The Final SR will be distributed to the Authorities (DEA) and key I&APs, and to those individuals who specifically request a copy. I&APs will be notified o f the availab ility of the report.

In the Impact Assessment Phase of the EIA Specialist Studies w ill be conducted to assess the potential positive and negat ive impacts of the proposed project, and to recommend appropriate measures to enhance positive impacts and avoid or reduce negative ones. Due to the significant number of specialist studies undertaken in the study area, where applicable specialist professional opinions w ill be undertaken in lieu of a detailed study. I&APs will be kept informed of progress with these studies.

6.2.8 Public participation during the Impact Assessment

Public part icipat ion during the impact assessment phase of the EIA will mainly involve a rev iew of the find ings of the EIA, presented in a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the Draft Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and the volumes of Specialist Stud ies.

I&APs will be advised in good t ime of the availability of these reports, how to access them, and the dates and venues of public and other meetings where the contents of the reports will be p resented for comment.

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49

77 IISSSSUUEESS IIDDEENNTTIIFF IIEEDD FF OORR IIMM PPAACCTT AASSSSEESSSSMM EENNTT

The proposed upgrade of the Tabor Substation and deviation o f the 132kV power line pro ject is anticipated to impact on a range o f b iophysical and socio-economic aspects of the environment. The main purposes of the EIA process is to evaluate the significance o f these potential impacts and to determine how they can be min imized or mit igated.

It should be noted that a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will be developed and implemented to regulate and min imize the impacts during the construction and operational phases. The potential environmental impacts identified during the Scop ing Phase, which w ill be investigated fu rther in the EIA phase of the p roject are summarised in Table 7-1 below .

Table 7-1: Potential Environmental Impacts to be investigated in the EIA Phase.

ENVIRONMEN TAL ELEM ENT

POTEN TIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPAC T

Topography and Land Use

Visual En vironment 1.) Extension of the existing Tabor Substation and deviation of

the 132kV power line may alter the visual environment. A decrease in the quality of the v isual env ironment may affect land uses to a small extent due to the already existing infrastructure.

2.) The presence of a larger extended substation throughout operation may decrease the visual environment, to a lesser extent due to the existing impact .

Geo logy, So il and Land Capab ility, and Drainage Features

Geotechnical 1.) Due to the lack of dolomite or sensitive geo logy, no impact is

expected on the geolog ical receiving environment. Drainage Features

1.) Insufficient rehabilitation during and post construction may result in erosion of the landscape. Eroded materials may enter the surface water environment contributing to sedimentation of the local surface water resources.

Soil and Land Capability 1.) Insufficient control measures during the construction phase

may result in erosion, compact ion, and sterilisat ion of soil resources.

2.) A consequence of impacts to the soil resource is a reduction in land capability.

3.) Poor soil amelioration measures during the rehabilitation phase may result in a lack of vegetation establishment. Thus contributing to the failure of rehabilitat ion measures.

Climate Local climate conditions do not appear to be of a significant concern to the project. The project will not contribute to local or g lobal climate change.

Infrastructure Substation 1.) The Tabor Substation is an existing substation that needs to be

April 2010 50 12587




upgraded and therefore th is infrastructure already exists in the area and poses not impact from a new infrastructure perspective.

Power Lines 1.) The 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line is an already

existing infrastructure where a limited number of py lons are required to be deviated / moved. Therefore the presence of this power line is an already existing impact.

Construction Camp 1.) The construction camp, although temporary, may negatively

impact several env ironmental elements as a result of: a. Hydro-carbon storage and hand ling on site; b. Handling, storage, and management of dangerous /

hazardous goods on site i.e . weld ing, paints, cleaning solvents etc;

c. Vegetat ion clearing and site establishment; d. Vehicle maintenance; e. Transportation and handling of construction materials;

and f. Cement batch ing in the batching p lant.

Flo ra Vegetation Clearing 1.) Vegetation clearing at the construction camp, along the power

line servitude, and with in the footprint of the proposed substation extension w ill result in negat ive impacts to the flora on site.

Alien Invasive S pecies 1.) Disturbed areas will be prone to Alien Invasive species

infestation. Fauna The impacts to vegetation will negatively impact on habitat, and

consequently the faunal elements of the receiv ing env ironment. Cu ltural and Historical Resources

Based on currently availab le information no impacts are expected to the cultural and h istorical environment.

Socio-Economic Environment

Traffic 1.) During the construction phase increased heavy vehicle traffic

should be expected. Without management, such increased traffic loads may negatively impact exist ing t raffic flow.

2.) Unmanaged construction vehicles may decrease road safety to other road users.

3.) Uncontrolled movement of construction vehicles may result in unnecessary impacts to the environment through vegetation and habitat destruction .

Noise 1.) Uncontrolled construction activ ities may negatively impact on

April 2010 51 12587




the ambient noise levels in the area. 2.) The site is adjacent to the N1 and therefore the ambient noise

levels are already at an elevated level and therefore no major noise impact is ant icipated .

Employment and Community Related Impacts 1.) The news of employment opportunities may result in an influx

of workers to the area, thereby impact ing existing community networks and perceptions of safety and crime levels.

2.) Unmanaged workers may result in illegal township establishment and increased numbers of info rmal settlements. Such settlements often negatively impact a range o f environmental elements.

3.) The site is located at a great distance from any residential areas and therefore the impact from the influx o f workers and safety is anticipated to be minimal.

Consultation 1.) Unmanaged and insufficient consultation with communities

and land owners often generates negative sentiment towards developments that persist beyond the construction phase of a project .

2.) Insufficient consultation may result in unnecessary impacts to local inhabitants and land owners.

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52

88 PPLLAANN OOFF SSTTUUDDYY FF OORR EEIIAA

8.1 Technical Process

8.1.1 Prepare Specialist Investigations

The scoping phase investigations have reviewed some potent ial environmental impacts associated with the proposed development. From the assessment, which was informed by authorit ies input, interested and affected parties and various professionals, a shortlist of some potentially sign ificant environmental impacts were identified for specialist opinions during the Impact Assessment phase. At this stage it is important to note that several specialist studies have recently been undertaken in the area. Informat ion from these studies will be used to formulate specialist opin ions for this project. The specialist opin ions to be conducted during the EIA-phase of this project will consist of the following studies:

• Heritage and Archaeological Assessment;

• Soils and Land Capability Assessment (includ ing agricu ltural potential);

• Social Impact Assessment;

• Ecology (Fauna and Flora)

• Avi-fauna Assessment; and

• Visual Assessment.

The findings of these opin ions as well as prev ious specialist studies undertaken in the area will be reflected in the EIA Report. The proposed Terms of Reference (ToR) for each of these specialist opinion is indicated in Sect ion 8.1.2 below.

8.1.2 Specialist Studies: Terms of Reference (ToR)

ToR: Heritage and Archaeological

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) professions opinion will be conducted to comply with Section 38 o f the National Heritage Resources Act (No 25 of 1999). Specific objectives of this study will be:

• Desktop study (consulting heritage data banks and appropriate literature);

• Literature rev iew of previous HIAs conducted in the study area;

• Determine whether any of the types and ranges of heritage resources as outlined in Section 3 of the Act (No 25 o f 1999) do occur in the pro ject area;

• Determine what the nature, the extent and the significance of these remains are;

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• Determine whether any heritage resources (including graves) will be affected by the development pro ject; and

• If any heritage resources are to be affected by the development pro ject mit igat ion measures (Phase II studies) has to be undertaken and management proposals have to be set for heritage resources which may continue to exist unaffected in or near the project area.

• Compile a professional op inion memorandum which would:

o Identify the potential impacts of construction and operat ion o f the proposed development on such resources, w ith and without mit igation;

o Offer an opinion on a the project in terms of this specialist field; and

o Prov ide mitigat ion measures to ameliorate any negat ive impacts on areas of heritage significance.

ToR: Soils and Land Capability (including agricultural potential)

A soil and land capab ility professional opin ion will be conducted for the Tabor p ro ject. The object ives of this study will be:

• Review existing informat ion available;

• An aerial photographic study to assess the accessibility, vegetat ion cover, drainage lines, slope aspects and percentage outcrop o f each of the three routes;

• A map will be compiled, indicat ing the features observed; and

• Assess the potential impacts and their sign ificance on the agricultural potential;

• Propose mit igat ion measures to reduce or mit igate potential impacts;

• A short professional opin ion memorandum will be compiled based on the results of the literatu re review.

ToR: Social Impact Assessment

A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) professional opinion is requ ired fo r the proposed project. The following is required :

• Undertaking o f a rev iew of previous studies undertaken in the study area;

• Identify relevant social aspects and predict the anticipated social as well as socio-economic changes and impacts associated with the proposed project;

• Assess positive and negative social impacts includ ing ident ification of v iable mitigat ion measures and project related benefits; and

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• Compile a Social Impact Assessment professional opin ion indicating findings and recommendat ions.

ToR: Ecology and Avi-fauna

An ecological and avifauna p rofessional opin ion will be conducted for the proposed project. The objectives o f th is study will be:

• Review existing ecological and avi-fauna reports for the study area and determine the occurrence of any red data and vulnerable species;

• Provide mit igation measures to prevent and/or mitigate any environmental impacts that may occur due to the proposed pro ject;

• Compile an eco logical and avi-fauna professional opinion memorandum, ind icat ing findings, recommendat ions and maps indicating sensit ive and/or no-go areas.

ToR: Visual Assessment

A Visual Assessment professional opinion will be conducted on the proposed project. Specific objectives o f th is study will be:

• Desktop study (consulting exist ing and appropriate literatu re);

• Assess the visual impact o f the p roposed development;

• Suggest any recommendation / mit igation measures that can be done to decrease the impacts of the proposed development;

• Compile a visual assessment professional opinion , ind icat ing findings, fatal flaws, recommendat ions and maps indicating sensit ive and/or no-go areas.

8.1.3 Impact Analysis

The significance (quantification) of potential env ironmental impacts identified during scoping and identified during the specialist investigations will be determined using a ranking scale, based on the following:

• Occurrence

Probability of occurrence (how likely is it that the impact may occur?), and

Duration of occurrence (how long may it last?)

• Severity

Magnitude (severity) of impact (w ill the impact be of h igh, moderate or low severity?), and

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Scale/extent of impact (w ill the impact affect the national, regional or local env ironment, or only that of the site?)

Each of these factors has been assessed for each potential impact using the fo llowing ranking scales:

Probability: 5 – Definite/don’t know 4 – Highly probable 3 – Medium probability 2 – Low probability 1 – Improbable 0 – None

Duration: 5 – Permanent 4 - Long-term (ceases with the operational life) 3 - Medium-term (5-15 years) 2 - Short-term (0-5 years) 1 – Immediate

Scale: 5 – In ternational 4 – National 3 – Regional 2 – Local 1 – Site only 0 – None

Magnitude: 10 - Very high/don’t know 8 – High 6 – Moderate 4 – Low 2 – Minor

The environmental significance of each potential impact was assessed using the following fo rmula:

Significance Points (SP) = (Magnitude + Duration + Scale) x Probability

The maximum value is 100 Sign ificance Points (SP). Potential environmental impacts were rated as high, moderate or low significance on the following basis:

• More than 60 significance po ints ind icates high environmental significance.

• Between 30 and 60 significance points ind icates moderate env ironmental sign ificance.

• Less than 30 significance points indicates low environmental sign ificance.

8.1.4 Draft EIA Report and EMP

Find ings and/or recommendations of the specialist studies will be integrated into a report that w ill be updated as comments are received from I&APs. The Final EIA report together with a d raft construction and operat ion EMP will be submitted to DEA for env ironmental authorisation.

8.2 Public Participation

The public part icipation process for the EIA will involve the following proposed steps:

• Announcement of the availability and public rev iew of the draft Env ironmental Impact Report;

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• Announcement of the availab ility of the final Env ironmental Impact Report; and

• Notificat ion of the authorit ies’ decision with regard to Environmental Authorisation.

Informat ion about each step is provided below.

8.2.1 Announcing the availability of the Draft EIR and EMP

At this point, specialist assessments would have been conducted and the Draft EIR and EMP would be ready for pub lic rev iew. A letter will be circu lated to all reg istered I&APs, informing them of progress made with the study and that the Draft EIR and EMP are available for comment. The report will be d istributed to public places and also presented at a stakeholder workshop / open house.

8.2.2 Public review of Draft EIR and EMP

The EIA Guidelines specify that stakeholders must have the opportunity to verify that their issues have been captured and assessed before the EIA Report will be approved. The findings of the specialist assessments will be integrated into the Draft EIR. The report will be written in a way accessible to stakeholders in terms of language level and general coherence. The Draft EIR will have a comprehensive pro ject descript ion, motivation, and descript ion of alternatives considered and also the find ings of the assessment and recommended mit igat ion measures. It will further include the Issues and Responses Report, which will list every issue raised, with an indicat ion of where the issue was dealt with in the EIR. The findings of the assessment and recommended mit igation measures will also be incorporated into the EIR.

As part of the process to review the Draft EIR and EMP, stakeho lder workshops with an open house component will be arranged to afford stakeholders the opportunity to obtain first-hand in formation from the project team members and also to d iscuss their issues and concerns.

Contributions at this meeting will be considered in the Final EIR. It is proposed that the same public places be used as in the scoping phase and also that stakeholder meeting be conducted at the same venues as during scoping.

8.2.3 Announcing the availability of the Final EIR and EMP

After comments from I&APs have been incorporated , all stakeho lders on the database will receive a personalised letter to report on where we are in the process, to thank those who commented to date and to inform them that the Final EIR and EMP have been submitted to the lead authority for consideration.

8.2.4 Announce authorities’ decision on Environmental Authorisation

Based on the contributions by the stakeholders, the decis ion of the authorit ies may be advert ised through the fo llowing methods:

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• Personalised letters to individuals and organisations on the mailing list;

• Advert in local or regional newspapers.

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58

99 CCOONNCCLLUUSSIIOONN AANNDD WWAAYY FF OORRWWAARRDD

Es kom appointed Zitho lele Consulting to undertake the EIA for the proposed extension of the Tabor Substation and deviation of the 132kV Tabor-Louis Trichardt power line. This Scoping study is being undertaken with the aim of investigating potential impacts both positive and negative on the biophysical environment and identifying issues, concerns and queries from I&APs. The Scoping report documents the process followed, the findings and recommendations of the Scoping study, and the proposed Plan of Study for the EIA Phase to follow.

The way forward recommended by this study is as follows:

• The report is to be made available fo r public review of four weeks;

• All issues and comments received during the public comment period will be documented and responded to in the Issues and Response Report (version 2);

• All issues and comments received from the public w ill be considered and integrated in the Final Scoping Report and submitted to the relevant authority for approval prior to proceed ing with the EIA phase of the project;

• Upon approval o f the Scoping Report all part icipating stakeholders are to be notified of the conditions of the relevant authority for p roceeding with the EIA;

• Amend the Plan of Study as requ ired by condit ions recommended by the relevant authority;

• Execute the Plan of Study for the EIA phase of the p roject;

ZITHO LELE CONSULTING (PTY) LTD

Jacqui Hex Konrad Kruger Z: \PRO JE CTS\12587 – EIA - E XT OF TABOR SUBSTA TIO N\REPO RTS\SCOPING\DRAFT SCOPING REPO RT\12587 - D SR KK RE VIEW.DOCX