APPENDIX D: ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT PUBLIC MEETINGS

Transcription

1 APPENDIX D: ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT PUBLIC MEETINGS

2 ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONVENED WITH INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES AT THE CITY HALL, PORT ELIZABETH AT 18H00 ON THE 24 TH APRIL 2002 PROJECT TEAM PRESENT Ms Sandy Wren Mr Mazizi Msutu Ms Lumka Betela Mr Wandile Junundu Mr Paul Lochner Ms Frauke Munster Mr Warren Brooks Mr Jean-Luc Faudou ATTENDANCE REGISTER 68 people registered their attendance at this meeting. The attendance register is available on request. AGENDA The following agenda was presented for the meeting: Welcome and introductions (Mazizi Msutu) Objectives of the meeting and meeting procedure (Mazizi Msutu) Background information on the project (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the EIA process (Paul Lochner) Project information (Jean-Luc Faudou) Public participation process (Mazizi Msutu) Clarity on input (facilitated by Mazizi Msutu) Issues and concerns from the floor (facilitated by Mazizi Msutu) Summary and closure (Mazizi Msutu) Note: Presentations have been placed on the CSIR s website for the Pechiney EIA, which is accessible at INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME Mr. Mazizi Msutu opened the meeting and welcomed all present. Mr. Mazizi Msutu introduced himself and his colleagues Ms. Sandy Wren, Ms. Lumka Betela and Mr. Wandile Junundu as the independent consultants with Sandy and Mazizi Consulting cc, appointed to facilitate the public participation process as part of the Scoping Phase for the Pechiney Aluminium Smelter project. The representatives from Aluminium Pechiney and CSIR then introduced themselves. ISSUES AND CONCERNS The following is the list of issues and concerns raised by participants at the meeting: 1. Land Acquisition Is the land available where the proposed plant will be built and how do you know if it is available? When will Pechiney acquire the land? Will Pechiney buy the land or lease it? 2. EIA Process - Independence What is an independent consultant and is the CSIR an independent body? What does not having vested interests in the project mean? Will CSIR not receive further work from Pechiney? Does getting further work from the same client not mean having vested interests? Appendix D, page 1

3 3. EIA Process CSIR Structure Is the CSIR a public or private sector institution? Who are CSIR s shareholders? Is CSIR profit or non-profit driven? 4. EIA Process Project Status Is this proposal initiated by the Coega Development Corporation or Government? Whose initiative is this project proposal? 5. EIA Process Time Frame Why does the EIA Process take such a long time? The EIA Process will take about a year, is this necessary? 6. Project Schedule How long will it take for the project to reach full capacity from the date of commissioning? What will be the life span of the project? 7. Required Skills How many technical jobs will be required by the project? How many of those jobs will be for people from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan? What will be the ratio of foreign technical expertise to local employees when the project is up and running? Concern was expressed about the possible importation of skills and subsequent benefits accruing to people from outside the Metro. 8. Training How much technical expertise will the plant require and is that readily available in the Metro? Does the Metro have enough training facilities to meet the training needs? Will there be training to prepare people for the said technical skills? 9. Waste Products What are they going to do with waste products, will they be recycled and what will be disposed? Will hazardous waste be produced? How and where will this be disposed of? Will Pechiney consider giving their waste to companies who might want to use it as raw materials for something else? What quantities of waste are likely to be produced in order to produce one tonne of finished product? 10. Emissions Will the plant have chimneys, as none appear in the visualization diagrams presented? Will there be emissions produced? If so, what type and in what quantities? 11. Impact on Water What will be the potential pollution of water? Will the plant require potable or recycled water? What are likely to be the quantities of water to be used by the plant? Does the Metro have the required capacity to meet the water demands of the plant? What will be the potential impacts to underground water? 12. Short Listing of the Site How is the short listing of the site for this plant going to impact on SA people? What will be the forward and backward links into the country? What exactly is meant when talking about Argentina and Australia? 13. Health Risk Impact Concern was expressed about the potential health impact on the community residing nearby, eg. Motherwell. Appendix D, page 2

4 Will CDC or Pechiney be responsible for any negative health impacts resulting from emissions? In terms of international best practice, are aluminium smelters located close to residential areas? What do the people of Newcastle think of the Tomago smelter? 14. Employment What sort of skills level are expected from the 550 labourers? The purpose of Coega is to employ people from South Africa. 15. Recruitment How will recruitment be conducted? Why are there 550 posts identified for labourers/operators, why not more or less? What will be the production targets per shift? How long will the shifts be? 16. Visual Impact What will be the impact at night, especially near/from Addo National Park? 17. Benefits What other benefits will be derived from the project besides employment? Is Pechiney going to supply their products to SA? How else will South Africa benefit from the development if all the raw materials are imported and the final products exported? 18. Project This is a wonderful project for our area, if it is as clean as you make it out to be. Does this project need the new harbour at Coega? If the harbour is not built, can Pechiney use the existing Port Elizabeth habour? 19. Raw Materials and Machines Where will the machines and building materials come from? Will Pechiney be able to source machines and building materials locally? 20. Proposed Site If this were not an IDZ zone, would Pechiney still be interested in the area? 21. General Is there an example of a Pechiney aluminium smelter overseas and what is the relationship like between Pechiney and the community? South Africa has an example of an aluminium smelter at Richards Bay, we do not have to look overseas. The meeting was closed at 19:30. Appendix D, page 3

5 ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONVENED WITH INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES AT GREAT CENTENARY HALL, NEW BRIGHTON AT 17h30 ON THE 3 RD JUNE 2002 PROJECT TEAM PRESENT Ms Sandy Wren Mr Mazizi Msutu Ms Lumka Betela Mr Wandile Junundu Mr Rob Hounsome Ms Frauke Münster Mr Warren Brooks Mr Jean-Luc Faudou ATTENDANCE REGISTER 206 people registered their attendance at this meeting. The attendance register is available on request. AGENDA The following agenda was presented for the meetings: Welcome and introduction (Mazizi Msutu) Purpose of this meeting and procedure (Mazizi Msutu) Brief project background (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the EIA process (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the Public Participation Process (Mazizi Msutu) - Questions and clarity on input Overview of the poject poposal (Jean-Luc Faudou) - Questions and clarity on input (Mazizi Msutu) Issues and concerns from the floor (Mazizi Msutu) Summary and closure (Mazizi Msutu) ISSUES AND CONCERNS The following is the list of issues and concerns raised by the participants: 1. Project Management Once the smelter is constructed what will happened to the construction workers who were employed during this phase of work? 2. Employment Sustainability At times the number of jobs to be created are either purposefully inflated or hugely underestimated. How confident is Pechiney that the number of jobs proposed will actually be created? Will there be any age restrictions on employment? 3. Health and Safety of Employees At the moment there is a problem with informal cash loans within the townships How secure will employees be from loan sharks that may want entry to the plant? 4. Social Investment Programme What will Pechiney the Social Investment Programme be? 5. Project Benefits Besides jobs and training opportunities what other benefits would be derived from the project? Appendix D, page 4

6 6. Training Will there be training provided so that once the operational phase starts people can be placed at supervisory and management levels? What career opportunities would be offered by the development and in what direction should people study to prepare for this? 7. Employment Sustainability How confident is Pechiney that jobs at the operational phase will be sustainable? To what extent will people be temporary or casual workers? Concerned about the common practice around, where people are kept as temporary workers and never get permanent jobs. Companies do not want to offer benefits and it is easy for them to get rid of temporary workers Would Pechiney employ woman and the disabled? 8. SMME's How will Pechiney make sure that SMME s get to be genuinely involved and participate by means of getting real benefits out of the project? 9. In-migration Nelson Mandela Metro has a high rate of unemployment How would we ensure that local people maximize the benefits of the project and people from outside the Metro do not take jobs? 10. Recruitment Process How would we know when the project commences and when recruitment starts? Would Pechiney make use of labour brokers? Employment agencies and labour brokers charge a percentage on salaries or wages; this practice is not supported. The meeting was closed at 19:30 Appendix D, page 5

7 ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONVENED WITH INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES AT RAYMOND MHLABA SPORT CENTRE, MOTHERWELL AT 17h30 ON THE 4 TH JUNE 2002 PROJECT TEAM PRESENT Mr Mazizi Msutu Ms Lumka Betela Mr Wandile Junundu Mr Paul Lochner Ms Frauke Münster Mr Warren Brooks Mr Jean-Luc Faudou ATTENDANCE REGISTER 64 people registered their attendance at this meeting. The attendance register is available on request. AGENDA The following agenda was presented for the meetings: Welcome and introduction (Mazizi Msutu) Purpose of this meeting and procedure (Mazizi Msutu) Brief project background (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the EIA process (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the Public Participation Process (Mazizi Msutu) - Questions and clarity on input Overview of the project poposal (Jean-Luc Faudou) - Questions and clarity on input (Mazizi Msutu) Issues and concerns from the floor (Mazizi Msutu) Summary and closure (Mazizi Msutu) ISSUES AND CONCERNS The following is the list of issues and concerns raised by participants: 1. Health Risk Impacts What are the possible health risks of the project and what will be the likely cumulative impacts? 2. Recycling Will there be any opportunities for recycling goods? How would we be able to harness these opportunities? 3. Impact on Tourism What will be the impact on potential tourism opportunities? There are community tourism projects that are being initiated by the Metro within Motherwell. 4. Impact on Addo Can the Addo Elephant Park and the smelter co-exist? Will the smelter have a negative impact on the expansion of Addo or will the Addo Elephant Park have a negative impact on the smelter? 5. Employment Opportunities What opportunities would there be for young people from Motherwell? What mechanisms is in place for the youth of Motherwell to harness the opportunities that will be offered by the Smelter? Would Pechiney employ old people? What age group will Pechiney target? Appendix D, page 6

8 How would the general recruitment process be conducted? 6. Health and Safety of Employees What precautions would be taken to protect employees against noisy machines within the work environment? Will there be safety clothing and equipment for workers to make use of in the work place? If so, what will these be? 7. Skills Required What skills will be required at the smelter? What would be the minimum standard required and what would be the entry point and technical skills required by the smelter? 8. Project Time Frame What is the life span of this project and when will the project commence? 9. Training Would there be training provided to prepare people for employment at the smelter plant? What training should be people undertake and what skills should they acquire to prepare for employment 10. SMME Will there be any opportunities for small business support services at the Smelter? Will a retired persons small enterprise be considered? If so, what will be the procedures for involvement of small business enterprise, especially in Motherwell? 11. Accommodation Will there be a construction village to accommodate workers during the construction period? 12. Transportation How will people be transported to and from the work place both during construction and the operation There is currently no public transport that goes to Coega 13. CDC Registration Forms Will the CDC database for service providers and job seekers be utilized for the smelter? If someone registers as a service provider would it be possible for the same person to register as a job seeker? The meeting was closed at 20:00 Appendix D, page 7

9 ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONVENED WITH INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES AT VALENTINE HALL, ADDO AT 12H00 ON THE 5 TH JUNE 2002 PROJECT TEAM PRESENT Mr Mazizi Msutu Mr Wandile Junundu Mr Paul Lochner Ms Frauke Münster Mr Warren Brooks Mr Jean-Luc Faudou ATTENDANCE REGISTER 2 people registered their attendance at this meeting. The attendance register is available on request. AGENDA The following agenda was presented for the meetings: Welcome and introduction (Mazizi Msutu) Purpose of this meeting and procedure (Mazizi Msutu) Brief project background (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the EIA process (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the Public Participation Process (Mazizi Msutu) - Questions and clarity on input Overview of the poject poposal (Jean-Luc Faudou) - Questions and clarity on input (Mazizi Msutu) Issues and concerns from the floor (Mazizi Msutu) Summary and closure (Mazizi Msutu) ISSUES AND CONCERNS 1. Air Quality What are the envisaged impacts caused by fluoride on vegetation? What equipment will be used to monitor emissions from the plant? Will there be transparency in the collection of statistics and data for air quality? The cumulative affects of emissions need to be assessed. 2. Impact on the Addo Elephant National Park Would the impacts on the park be investigated? 3. Employment What will be the impact on people presently working on farms in Addo? 4. Impact on Citrus We need guarantees that our farm produce will not be negatively impacted. What will be the potential impacts on the Sunday's River Valley's Produce? Cumulative impacts need to be assessed. As Addo is the area that has agricultural products that are sensitive to fluoride, can we have access to reports regarding this? Should farmers be negatively impacted will compensation be considered? 5. Australian Plant What are the problems experienced in Australia? 6. Importing of Raw Material Where is the raw material coming from? Appendix D, page 8

10 7. Project Proposal How big is the plant going to be? Will it be bigger than the one in Australia? The project should be sustainable and be able to support future generations 8. Waste What waste products will produced by the smelter? Where will waste be disposed? 9. General Issues The Media badly portrays concerns raised by farmers as opposed to concerns about the development The organisation wants to feel very happy and comfortable with the information and that the development will not to have negative impacts Weary about European companies who only look in Africa for what they can exploit or maximise for their own gains Appendix D, page 9

11 ISSUES AND CONCERNS RAISED AT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONVENED WITH INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES AT BABS MADLAKANE COMMUNITY HALL, UITENHAGE AT 17h30 ON THE 5 TH JUNE 2002 PROJECT TEAM PRESENT Mr Mazizi Msutu Ms Lumka Betela Mr Wandile Junundu Mr Paul Lochner Ms Frauke Münster Mr Warren Brooks ATTENDANCE REGISTER 334 people registered their attendance at this meeting. The attendance register is available on request. AGENDA The following agenda was presented for the meetings: Welcome and introduction (Mazizi Msutu) Purpose of this meeting and procedure (Mazizi Msutu) Brief project background (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the EIA process (Mazizi Msutu) Overview of the Public Participation Process (Mazizi Msutu) - Questions and clarity on input Overview of the poject poposal (Warren Brooks) - Questions and clarity on input (Mazizi Msutu) Issues and concerns from the floor (Mazizi Msutu) Summary and closure (Mazizi Msutu) ISSUES AND CONCERNS The following is the list of issues and concerns raised by the participants: 1. Project Benefits At the operational phase what benefits would be derived from the project? Besides employment opportunities what other benefits will there be? 2. Labour Legislation What sort of benefits can workers expect and what rights would they have? Are we not looking at a multinational company that would ignore local labour legislation, e.g. that would not offer medical aid, housing subsidy etc? 3. Employment Companies seem to have a specific preference in terms of age, from Once you are 40 or above you are liability and no more an asset, would that be the case here? Access to education has been very limited in the past, how would Pechiney accommodate those have not got a matric due to the history of South African? What sort of opportunities is there for those who have not reached matric? How would the development take into account people who studied a technical trade but have no work experience How would Pechiney ensure the fair and equitability distribution of job opportunities across various areas? Appendix D, page 10

12 4. Training For those who have got matric and above, what training opportunities are there? So that are able to enhance the opportunities that will be provided by the smelter 5. Nepotism and Corruption How would Pechiney ensure a fair recruitment process that would be free from corruption and nepotism? What sort of mechanisms are in place to ensure that family members, relatives and close friends of those who are well connected to the project are not going to benefit more? 6. In-migration What measures have Pechiney got in place to accommodate the influx of job seekers from outside the country? What mechanisms are in place to make sure that citizens of the Nelson Mandela metro derive as many benefits from the project compared to those from outside the metro? 7. Transportation How would Pechiney accommodate transportation during construction as well as at the post construction phase from those who are from the Metro and Outside the Metro? Will there be opportunities for truck and bakkie owners who would like to offer a service to Pechiney 8. Public Participation Attendance Register Does it mean anything from the employment point of view? Does it put someone in front of the list of job seekers? The meeting was closed at 20:00 Appendix D, page 11