DEA Reference Number: To be announced

Transcription

1 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND INCLUSION OF THE METAL CONCENTRATORS (METCON) REFINERY FACILITY IN THE JEWELLERY MANUFACTURING PRECINT (JMP) WITHIN THE OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORTIA) PRECINCT, KEMPTON PARK, GAUTENG PROVINCE DEA Reference Number: To be announced INTRODUCTION The Gauteng Industrial Development Zone (hereafter referred to as the GIDZ ) are proposing to develop and include the Metal Concentrators SA (Pty) Ltd (hereafter referred to as MetCon ) Refinery facility in the Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct (JMP) within the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) Precinct, Kempton Park, Gauteng Province (hereafter referred to as the proposed development ). In terms of EIA Regulations 2014, promulgated in terms of Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (Act No. 107 of 1998), which came into effect on 8 December 2014, and as amended on 7 April 2017, the proposed development will require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process to be undertaken in order to obtain Environmental Authorisation (EA) from the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). The proposed development also triggers sub-category 4.17 and 4.2 of Section 21 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (NEM:AQA) (Act No. 39 of 2004) and therefore requires an Atmospheric Emissions Licence (AEL). Accordingly, the GIDZ has appointed Marang Environmental and Associates (Pty) Ltd (hereafter referred to as Marang ) as the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP), to undertake the required EIA process for the above-mentioned proposed development. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT The purpose of this Background Information Document (BID) is to inform Interested and/or Affected Parties (I&APs) about the EIA process being conducted for the proposed development. In addition, this BID will provide I&APs with the opportunity to: Better understand the proposed development in order to provide comments and raise issues of concern; Understand the EIA process in order to participate effectively; Make suggestions to enhance the proposed development; Comment on the specialist studies that will be conducted; and Contribute local knowledge.

2 BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT The GIDZ, as appointed by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), have been given the mandate to develop the JMP within the ORTIA Precinct. The JMP aims to increase employment opportunities and foreign direct investment in the jewellery manufacturing sector. A Basic Assessment (BA) process was undertaken in 2009 to obtain EA for the development of the original JMP site. The BA was carried out in terms of the 2006 EIA Regulations. The GDED were subsequently issued with an approved EA (GDARD Ref No. GAUT002/09-10/N0021) for the original JMP development by the Provincial Authority, namely the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), on 25 July The EA covers an area of approximately 6.5ha. The EA was then amended in May 2018 and included a change in the licence holder details from the GDED to the GIDZ. This amendment was subsequently granted by the DEA and the amended EA was issued on 11 May 2018 (DEA Ref No. 14/12/16/3/3/1/7/94/AM1). Construction on the JMP site (6.5ha as approved in the EA) commenced in 2013 and is still currently underway. PROJECT TECHNICAL DETAILS The total size of the JMP site is approximately 7.5 hectares (ha). The proposed MetCon facility will occupy an area of approximately 0.24ha within the existing JMP site and will specialise in extracting metals through a chemical treatment refining process. As such, the proposed MetCon facility has been identified as a key facility to be incorporated into the JMP site. The GIDZ also wish to include an additional area of approximately 1ha, along the north-western boundary of the proposed JMP site. The additional area will be used for parking (vehicles) in the future. However, construction of the proposed MetCon facility and abovementioned additional 1ha area has not yet commenced. This will only commence once the necessary authorisations / approvals have been obtained. PROJECT LOCATION The proposed development will be located in the existing JMP site (located on the Remainder of Portion 69 of the Farm Witkoppie No. 64 IR), within the ORTIA Precinct in Kempton Park, Gauteng Province. It should further be noted that the proposed development site is located adjacent to the suburb of Bonaero Park, as shown in the map below.

3 Figure 1: Locality Map

4 EIA PROCESS WHAT IS AN EIA? An EIA is a process of collecting, organising, analysing, interpreting and communicating information relevant to a proposed development to identify potential environmental impacts. EIAs are used by planning authorities/developers to obtain an independent and objective view of the potential environmental (biophysical and social) impacts that could arise during the construction and operation of the proposed development. This information provides the Competent / Decision-Making Authority with a sound basis for their decision-making regarding the issuing of an EA. The EIA process that will be followed is illustrated in Figure 2 below. Figure 2: Typical EIA Process

5 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS In terms of EIA Regulations 2014, promulgated in terms of Chapter 5 of the NEMA (Act No. 107 of 1998), which came into effect on 8 December 2014 (and as amended on 7 April 2017), certain aspects of the proposed development are considered listed activities within Listing Notice 2 (GN R. 325) of the 2014 EIA Regulations which may have an impact on the environment and therefore require EA from the DEA prior to the commencement of such activities. Additionally, as mentioned, the proposed development also triggers sub-category 4.17 and 4.2 of Section 21 of the NEM:AQA (Act No. 39 of 2004) and therefore requires an AEL. The ultimate purpose of the EIA process is to identify environmental issues and impacts associated with the proposed activity and to assess the significance of these impacts. The following specialist studies will inform this process: Soil and Land Capability; Heritage; Noise; Freshwater Resource; Air Quality; and Visual. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS Public participation is the foundation of any EIA process. The key objective of the public participation process is to ensure that all Interested and/or Affected parties (I&APs) / Stakeholders are afforded the opportunity to participate in the process. The main objective of public participation process during the EIA phase will be to provide I&APs with sufficient and relevant information and to conduct a transparent consultation process on an on-going basis, in order to ensure effective participation throughout the EIA process. As part of this public participation process you will also be provided with the opportunity to comment on the environmental findings as per the EIA reports (Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment Reports), which will be made available for public review and comment during the EIA process. It is important that relevant I&APs / Stakeholders are identified and involved in the public participation process from the start of the proposed development. As a registered I&AP, you will receive personal notifications (via , post, fax, and/or sms (where applicable)), notifying you of all documents available for comment, the comment periods and any upcoming meetings. Public notification of the EIA process will include the following: Advertisements will be placed in a local newspaper (namely the Daily Sun); Distribution of a Background Information Document (BID); Site notices will be placed on the development site; and All relevant documentation will be made available on the Marang website.

6 In addition, the relevant reports will be made available for public review and comment. and public/focus group meetings will be held. RESPONSIBILITIES OF I&AP In terms of the EIA Regulations 2014 (as amended), your responsibilities as an I&AP are the following: Participate in the EIA and BA processes, register yourself on the project database; Inform any other parties (neighbours, friends, colleagues, etc.) who may be interested and/or affected by the proposed project about the EIA and BA processes and encourage them to become involved; and Ensure that any comments regarding the proposed project is submitted within the legislated timeframes which will be communicated to you. RESPONSIBILITIES OF INDEPENDENT EAP In terms of the 2014 EIA Regulations (as amended), our responsibilities in the public consultation process include: Ensuring that enough information regarding the proposed development is made available to you, either through the BID or providing information as and when requested; Ensuring that you understand the proposed project to be able to comment informatively, and to enable you to submit any concern in an informed manner; and Ensuring that the following actions are taken upon receiving any comments/queries/issues: o The contact details provided by you will be entered into the project database; o You will be sent all further information releases; and o If you send us queries or comments, we will respond in writing (either via or within the comments and response report). HOW TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT If you wish to register as an I&AP, you can do so by the following methods: Respond (by phone, fax, post or ) to the invitation advertised in the printed media (namely the Daily Sun); Attend the meetings to be held throughout the course of the project. Should you register as an I&AP, you will automatically receive an invitation to these meetings; Contact us (by phone, fax, post or ) with any queries, comments or requests for further project information; and Submit comments on the Draft and Final Scoping Reports (FSRs and DSRs) and the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report (DEIAr) within the review periods that will be stipulated. If you consider yourself an I&AP for this proposed development, we urge you to make use of the opportunities created by the public participation process to become actively involved in the process and provide comment or concerns which affect and/or interest you, or about which you would like more information. Your input into this process forms a key part of the environmental studies and we would like to hear from you to obtain your views on the proposed project.

7 PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL RELEVANT PUBLIC DOCUMENTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE MARANG WEBSITE. We look forward to your contributions Marang Environmental and Associates (Pty) Ltd Contact: Sindiso Lubisi or Stephan Jacobs P.O. Box 1369, BROMHOF, 2154 Tel: (011) Fax: Website: LIST OF ACRONYMS / ABBREVIATIONS AEL Atmospheric Emissions Licence BID Background Information Document DEA Department of Environmental Affairs EA Environmental Authorisation EAP Environmental Assessment Practitioner EIA Environmental Impact Assessment GDARD Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development GDED Gauteng Department of Economic Development GIDZ Gauteng Industrial Development Zone Ha Hectares I&AP Interested and/or Affected Party JMP Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct MetCon Metal Concentrators SA (Pty) Ltd NEMA National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) NEM:AQA National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act No. 39 of 2004) ORTIA OR Tambo International Airport