Draft EIA/EMPr Report: Application for Mining Right, EA

ERICURE (PTY) LTD-COAL – EIA/EMPR

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April 2021

ERICURE (PTY) LTD- 10094MR

Draft EIA/EMPr Report: Application for Mining Right, EA, WML and Wula for Coal Mine near the town of Dannhauser in KZN.

Project Name: DCP-Mining Right 20210425

Submitted to: Department of Mineral Resources Ericure (Pty) Ltd


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Executive Summary

Ericure (Pty) Ltd, a company based in South Africa, with offices in Alberton, South Africa, acquired prospecting

rights for coal on seven farms near Dannhauser in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province. Sufficient coal reserves to support

coal mining at an opencast pit, and a coal beneficiation plant have been demonstrated and applications have

been made for a mining right (MR), environmental authorisation (EA), a waste management licence (WML)

and a water use licence (WUL), in the name of Ericure (Pty) Ltd. An environmental impact assessment (EIA)

(EIA) has been undertaken to support the applications and a draft environmental management programme

(EMPr) has been developed to provide guidance on managing the impacts. The main findings of the EIA are

summarised below.

Geology

The project area is underlain by Klip River Coalfield, which hosts the coal deposits of the Dundee Operations,

bears similarity to the neighbouring Utrecht and Vryheid coalfields. Only two economical seams are present,

namely the Top Seam (Alfred) and Bottom Seam (Gus). The Klip River coalfield is hosted in the Vryheid

Formations of the Ecca Group.

The Bottom Seam (Gus) in the Klip River coalfield is high in sulphur and phosphorus. The sulphur usually

ranges from 1.3% to 1.8%. The Top Seam (Alfred) has a smaller bright coal proportion than the Bottom Seam

(Gus). The rank of both the Bottom Seam (Gus) and the Top Seam (Alfred) ranges from bituminous to

anthracite with generally high sulphur and phosphorus content. Good coking coal has been produced in the

Klip River Coalfield. In general, the Klip River coalfield contains bright coal with the rank ranging from

bituminous to anthracite in the central portions of the coalfield. The Bottom Seam (Gus) has a thickness of

between 1.3 m in the north to 0.5 m in the south. The Top Seam (Alfred) is better developed than the Bottom

Seam (Gus) and has a thickness of between 3.3 m in the north and 1.5 m in the south. There are 9 dolerite

sills, four of which are major sills (Zuinguin, Utrecht, Ingogo and Talana), which dip gently to the south and

have caused major displacements of up to 137 m. Dykes that strike in a NW-SE, NE-SW direction are common

and are associated with minor displacements.

The opencast mining operations will permanently remove the economically viable coal deposit and associated

waste rock from the mining footprints, which constitutes a significant, permanent and irreversible impact on

the local subsurface geology. No mitigation is possible or required.

Climate

Ericure Project is located within the summer rainfall region of South Africa, receiving more than 80% of the

annual rainfall from October to March, the most of which occurs in January.

The rainfall generally occurs in the form of convectional thunderstorms and is usually accompanied by

lightning, heavy rain, strong winds and sometimes hail. The rainfall events are highly localized and can vary

markedly over short distances. The mean annual precipitation (MAP) for the area ranges from 630 – 1 000

mm. The gross annual A-pan evaporation for the region, measured at Carolina, is 1 831mm. Temperatures

can vary between 32ºC (maximum) to 3.6ºC (minimum) in the summer and 21.6ºC (maximum) to -7.4ºC

(minimum) in the winter. The annual prevailing wind direction, during the day, summer and winter months is

north-westerly, while during the equinoctial period (March - May) and during night time the prevailing winds

are from the east.

Air Quality

Limited monitored ambient air quality data exists for the KZN Province and for the Dannhauser area in

particular. A qualitative characterisation of the baseline ambient air quality was based on literature sources

and the typical emissions from primary sources identified in the area. Based on the National Land Cover

Dataset (2013/14), and Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Air Quality Monitoring Plan (AQMP) (2013), primary emission

sources are likely to include the following: agricultural activities, domestic fuel burning, veld fires and vehicles

travelling on unpaved roads.


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Current air quality in the vicinity of the proposed mine is good with regard to concentrations of all criteria

pollutants. As noted, dispersion modelling indicated that the proposed mining and coal processing operations

would not have a significant cumulative effect on the year-round regional air quality or the dust fall at off-site

locations.

Topography

The area where Ericure proposes to establish its mining operation and supporting infrastructure is flat, lies at

an average elevation of 1379 mamsl and slopes very gently from west to east at a rate of 1:155 and from south

to north at a rate of 1:330. The area is on a water divide, with drainage lines running northwards and south-

south-eastwards from the perimeter of the area.

Soil, land use and land capability

The land type memoirs and associated maps indicate that the site lies within the Ae266, Fc483 and Fa646

land types. The Fc483 land type occupies 50% and Ae266 (26%) of the project infrastructure area.

The surface operations will disturb the soil and change the current land use on an area of about 311.19 ha.

The impact will be cumulative to the existing anthropological impacts on originally pristine land in the area,

which are limited to small areas used for farmsteads, cattle grazing and roads. However, the project’s impacts

are reversible. Proper application of the mitigation measures listed in above will enable restoration of the land

to a condition fit for grazing farming. Backfilling the water collection channels and the basin of the pollution

control dam and ripping, top-soiling, fertilising and re-vegetating the compacted areas will restore the soil

function in the project area, excepting for the opencast areas and the areas occupied by the TSF and WRDs

to a large extent, and leave the area in a condition suitable for game farming and/or cattle grazing.

Ecology

Three farms comprise the area over which Ericure (Pty) Ltd holds prospecting rights and has applied for a

mining right, hereafter collectively referred to as the study area. The study area covers approximately

1615.61ha, and extends on an east-west orientation with the town of Dannhauser located further west of the

study area.

The study area is located within the Income sandy grassland and Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland

vegetation types of the Grassland biome (Mucina & Rutherford 2006), including Wetlands (Azonal Vegetation)

of temperate Alluvial Vegetation occurring North of the farms Avalon 14869 HT and Ngisana 13992 HT as well

as the southern portion of the farm Avalon 14869 HT.

The southern portion of the farm Ngisana 13992 HT and the western portion of the farm Avalon 14869 HT and

Mooidoornhoek 3722 HT lies within the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland vegetation types in the area

dominated by Hilly and rolling landscapes supporting tall tussock grassland usually dominated by Themeda

triandra and Hyparrhenia hirta. Open Acacia sieberiana var. woodii savannoid woodlands encroach up the

valleys, usually on disturbed (strongly eroded) sites.

The mine infrastructure in the study area is located within the Income sandy grassland vegetation types

covering very flat extensive areas with generally shallow, poorly drained, sandy soils supporting low, tussock-

dominated sourveld forming a mosaic with wooded grasslands (with Acacia sieberiana var woodii) and on well-

drained sites with the trees A. karroo, A. nilotica, A. caffra and Diospyros lycoides. On disturbed sites A.

sieberiana var woodii can form sparse woodlands. Aristida congesta, Cynodon dactylon and Microchloa caffra

are common on shallow soils (Camp,1999b).

In terms of listed species, Oribi Ourebia ourebi (Endangered), Blue Duiker Philantomba monticola (Vulnerable),

Serval Leptailurus serval (Near Threatened), African Striped Weasel Poecilogale albinucha (Near Threatened)

and Leopard Panthera pardus (Vulnerable) are species of conservation concern that occur in the wider area.

However, of these only the African Striped Weasel and possibly the Blue Duiker are likely to be present as the

area is too disturbed or no longer suitable for the other species due to habitat changes and fragmentation. The

intact grasslands would originally have contained Serval and Oribi but the extent of intact grassland is not


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sufficient to support viable populations of these species and it is also likely that hunting pressure on these

species would have extirpated them from the area some time ago. There are some relatively intact and

inaccessible forests remaining at the site especially in the east and these potentially support remnant Blue

Duiker populations.

Disturbance of flora and fauna over an area of at least 311.19 ha for a period of about 20 years will have a

high impact on the biodiversity and ecological function of the affected area and current migration patterns of

fauna for the duration of the project. With proper application of the mitigation and rehabilitation measures

described above, the impact can be reversed over time.

Surface Water

Surface water study was undertaken to characterise the hydrology of the proposed mining area and its

surroundings and to provide input for the water use licence application (WULA). Information generated during

fieldwork has being incorporated in this report and will also form part of the EIA Report. The proposed coal

mine site is located within the Quaternary catchment in the KwaZulu Natal Province. A Mzinyashana tributary

runs South of the proposed project area in a south-easterly direction until it joins the Buffels River, which flows

in a north-easterly direction. There are several non-perennial rivers on the proposed coal mine site.

Informed by the mine plan layout, baseline hydrology, specifications for the conceptual stormwater

management measures, and the water process flow, the potential impacts of the proposed activities on surface

water receptors as well as the sensitivity of the surface water resources are discussed in this section and

presented along with a summary of mitigation measures and monitoring requirements.

Impacts are assessed cumulatively where possible, in that the assessment takes into account the currently

impacted environment. The surface water impacts associated with the proposed Ericure Project are assessed

according to the three main stages of the project, namely the construction, operation and closure phases, for

the major activities within those phases.

The proposed mining project includes various mitigation measures recommended in the SWMP, water quality

and floodlines. Theoretically, without these measures, the impacts on the environment would be much higher,

although the mine would almost certainly not be allowed to proceed without achieving compliance with current

best practice and relevant industry guidelines presented in this and other reports.

The potential unmitigated impacts (worst-case scenario), and residual impacts of the project after considering

the design mitigation measures proposed within this report are qualitatively assessed in this section.

Without proper application of the mitigation measures described in section above, the proposed project has

the potential to contaminate down-gradient watercourses with particulates, acid and salts, which would be

cumulative to any existing pollution of industrial, municipal and agricultural origin.

Noise and Vibration

The following can be stated when considering the sounds heard as well as the results of the noise

measurements:

Measurement Location TDCLTSL01: Maritz Homestead

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (24 dBA) and daytime (31 dBA) are low indicating that the

area has a high potential to be quiet.

Most of the night-time 10-minute LAeq,f measurements fall within the rural noise district rating level, with

most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements falling in the rural to sub-urban noise district

rating level.

The arithmetic average (for the LAeq,f values) for the day- and night-time sound levels is typical of a

rural noise district.


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Equivalent night-time 8-hour LAeq,f values indicate a quiet environment with equivalent sound levels

between that of a rural and sub-urban noise district.

Equivalent, the arithmetic mean and most singular 10-minute night-time sound levels (LAeq,f values)

indicate an area that complies with the International Finance Corporation’s noise limits for residential

use.

Measurement Location: Ferreira Homestead

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (22.5 dBA) and daytime (29 dBA) are low indicating that the

area has a high potential to be quiet.


most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements similarly falling in the rural noise district rating

level.







use.

Measurement Location TDCLTSL03: Manyati Homestead

There were several activities taking place during the daytime that influenced the sound levels at this location:

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (32 dBA) and daytime (33.5 dBA) are high indicating a

constant noise source in the vicinity of the ML. This noise source was not identified during the site visit.

Not-withstanding the constant noise-source, acoustic energy from this noise source is low and did not

significantly impact on the sound levels. Most of the night-time 10-minute LAeq,f measurements fall

within the rural noise district rating level, with most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements

falling in the rural noise district rating level.



Equivalent night-time 8-hour LAeq,f values indicate an environment with equivalent sound levels typical

of an urban noise district.

The arithmetic mean and most singular 10-minute night-time sound levels (LAeq,f values) indicate an

area that complies with the International Finance Corporation’s noise limits for residential use (at night).

Measurement Location TDCLTSL04: Sikhakhani Homestead

There were several activities taking place during the daytime that influenced the sound levels at this location:

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (22 dBA) and daytime (30 dBA) are low indicating that the

area have a high potential to be quiet.


most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements falling in the rural noise district rating level.




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use.

Considering the sound levels measured in the vicinity of the proposed project, the zone sound level would be

typical of a rural noise district. The proposed project should therefore not change the rating level with more

than 7 dB, setting a noise limit of:

42 dBA at night; and

52 dBA during the day.

A blast in an opencast mine typically causes ground vibration, air over-pressure, and fly rock. Ground vibration

is expressed as peak particle velocity (PPV), measured in millimetres per second (mm/s) and air over-pressure

is measured in decibels (dB).

The following criteria, based on international standards, are designed to ensure adequate protection of

sensitive land uses, while permitting the mining operations to be conducted in a practical manner. The criteria

are presented as 95 percentile limits for human comfort in occupied buildings and to minimise the risk of

cosmetic and structural damage to buildings from long term effects of vibration. Lower limits apply to the night-

time period. Critical impacts occur when air blast noise exceeds 140 dBL, generally accepted as the safe

threshold for hearing.

Visual aspects

The potential for a daytime visual impact during the construction phase is expected to be associated mainly

with the erection of infrastructure, such as the ore beneficiation plant on and with the generation of dust due

to the vegetation clearing and excavation activities and vehicles travelling over unpaved surfaces. The night-

time visual impact will be due to security lighting at the construction site and the headlights of vehicles

The operational phase has the potential to create a high visual impact as it will involve earth-moving and night-

time operations on a larger scale than the construction phase and the visual impact will increase annually with

the growth of the opencast pits, WRDs and TSF.

Cultural and heritage resources

The construction phase will have no (SP = 0) impact on the heritage resources in the project-affected area,

but it is always possible that an unknown grave or other buried cultural/archaeological items could be

unearthed when excavations are being undertaken. In such an event the following chance find procedure must

be implemented to mitigate the potential impact from one of high (SP = 80) to one of low (SP = 21) significance:

Cease all work in the immediate vicinity of the find;

Demarcate the area with barrier tape or other highly visible means;

Notify the South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA) immediately;

Commission an archaeologist accredited with the Association for Southern African Professional

Archaeologists (ASAPA) to assess the find and determine appropriate mitigation measures. These may

include obtaining the necessary authorisation from SAHRA to conduct the mitigation measures; and

Prevent access to the find by unqualified persons until the assessment and mitigation processes have

been completed.


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Traffic

A traffic count and a service level evaluation of intersections on the proposed transport route for the mine’s

personnel and product, is currently being undertaken and the finding after completion will be incorporated in

the EIA report.

The road network planning in the area entails realignment of the existing tarred road dissecting the two mining

properties from Dundee with two interchanges of gravel roads in the vicinity of the mine site, one from Buffalo

coal west of the paved road forming a junction or connecting to Dundee and Newcastle and other one to the

south of the site boundary. The mine site will be accessible from Buffalo coal gravel road in Avalon farm for

the Western Pit (Pit1) and also from the D114 gravel road from Dannhauser Joining the Paved road in the

project area and also traversing east towards the Ericure Mining Permit Area.

Manual traffic counts were undertaken during the weekday morning and afternoon peak hour periods (06h30

– 07h30 and 15h45 – 16h45 respectively) at the key intersections. A capacity analysis was carried out using

Sidra Intersection 6, a traffic engineering software package, to determine which intersections already have

capacity problems, if any, and to define geometric upgrades that would be required to restore the intersections

to acceptable performance.

Socio-economics

The total capital expenditure over the first ten years, including replacement capital, is estimated at R 104

million, of which R26 million will be spent within the first five years. In the region of 70% of this amount would

be spent on equipment and materials sourced from outside the Dannhauser Local Municipality. Most of the

work would likely be undertaken by one or more contractors from the larger centres. If they need to hire local

labour, it would probably be a relatively small number.

It is possible that some local residents may be inconvenienced by noise, dust and increased traffic during the

construction period. The influx of contract workers into the area will result in a temporary increase in the local

population, which could place a burden on municipal services and create the potential for friction with local

residents. An influx of work seekers is also possible, but the numbers are likely to be small, as the construction

contractors would be able to source such additional staff as they might need from the local population.

Considering the above potential positive and negative impacts in combination and within the context of the

current, pre-project environmental and social conditions of this report, the overall impact could be negative of

low (SP = 21) significance, which could be changed to one of positive and moderate (SP = +36) significance

by implementing the following mitigation measures.


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Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 PROPONENT AND PRACTITIONER DETAILS ........................................................................................................ 1

2.1 Details of the proponent ................................................................................................................................ 1

2.2 Details of Environmental Assessment Practitioner ....................................................................................... 2

2.2.1 Expertise of environmental assessment practitioners ............................................................................. 2

2.2.1.1 Qualifications ....................................................................................................................................... 2

2.2.1.2 Summary of past experience ............................................................................................................... 3

2.2.1.2.1 Mpho Ramalivhana .......................................................................................................................... 3

2.2.1.2.2 Caroline Munyai ............................................................................................................................... 3

2.3 Description of the property ............................................................................................................................ 3

2.4 Locality map.................................................................................................................................................. 4

2.4.1 Magisterial District and relevant Local Authority ..................................................................................... 6

2.4.2 Landowners and use of immediately adjacent land ................................................................................ 6

2.5 Description and Scope of the Proposed Overall Activity ............................................................................... 8

2.5.1 Mining operations .................................................................................................................................... 8

2.5.2 Coal processing plant ............................................................................................................................ 12

2.5.3 Listed Activities ..................................................................................................................................... 14

2.5.4 Specific activities to be undertaken ....................................................................................................... 16

3.0 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT ................................................................................................................. 17

3.1 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act ................................................................................. 17

3.2 National Environmental Management Act ................................................................................................... 17

3.3 National Water Act ...................................................................................................................................... 17

3.4 National Environmental Management: Waste Act....................................................................................... 19

3.5 National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act ................................................................................ 19

3.6 Need and Desirability of Proposed Activities .............................................................................................. 21

3.7 Period for which environmental authorisation is required ........................................................................... 22

3.8 Process followed to reach preferred site ..................................................................................................... 22

3.8.1 Project Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 22

3.8.1.1 Opencast mining ................................................................................................................................ 22


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3.8.1.2 Underground mining .......................................................................................................................... 22

3.8.1.3 Location of infrastructure ................................................................................................................... 23

3.8.1.4 Postponement of mining project ........................................................................................................ 23

3.8.1.5 No-Project Option .............................................................................................................................. 23

3.8.2 Public Participation Process .................................................................................................................. 23

3.8.2.1 Objectives of Public Participation....................................................................................................... 23

3.8.2.2 Identification of I&APs ........................................................................................................................ 24

3.8.2.3 Register of I&APs .............................................................................................................................. 25

3.8.2.4 Public participation during Scoping .................................................................................................... 25

3.8.2.4.1 Announcement of the proposed project .......................................................................................... 25

3.8.2.5 Public participation during the Impact Assessment Phase ................................................................ 26

3.9 Lead Authority’s decision ............................................................................................................................ 27

4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE BASELINE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ....... 27

4.1 Geology ...................................................................................................................................................... 27

4.1.1 Regional Geology.................................................................................................................................. 29

4.1.2 Local Geology ....................................................................................................................................... 29

4.2 Climate ....................................................................................................................................................... 30

4.3 Wind Field ................................................................................................................................................... 32

4.4 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................... 34

4.4.1 Land use and sensitive receptors ......................................................................................................... 36

4.5 Topography................................................................................................................................................. 38

4.6 Soil, Land Use and Land Capability ............................................................................................................ 40

4.6.1 Soils ...................................................................................................................................................... 40

4.6.1.1 Land types ......................................................................................................................................... 40

4.6.1.2 Dominant soils ................................................................................................................................... 40

4.6.1.3 Soil erodibility .................................................................................................................................... 41

4.6.2 Pre-mining Land Capability ................................................................................................................... 44

4.6.3 Agricultural potential.............................................................................................................................. 44

4.7 Land use ..................................................................................................................................................... 46

4.7.1 Approach ............................................................................................................................................... 46

4.7.2 Land use classification .......................................................................................................................... 46

4.8 Ecology ....................................................................................................................................................... 49


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4.8.1 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................................. 49

4.8.2 Fauna .................................................................................................................................................... 50

4.8.2.1 Mammals ........................................................................................................................................... 50

4.8.2.2 Avifauna ............................................................................................................................................. 51

4.8.2.3 Herpetofauna ..................................................................................................................................... 51

4.8.2.4 Arthropods ......................................................................................................................................... 51

4.8.3 Flora ...................................................................................................................................................... 53

4.8.4 Ecological Integrity ................................................................................................................................ 53

4.8.5 Conservation Importance ...................................................................................................................... 53

4.9 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................................. 53

4.9.1 Hydrology .............................................................................................................................................. 55

4.9.2 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................................ 55

4.9.3 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs) .................................................................... 55

4.9.4 Potential Impacts................................................................................................................................... 55

4.10 Groundwater ............................................................................................................................................... 56

4.10.1 Regional Geohydrology ......................................................................................................................... 56

4.10.2 Groundwater Potential .......................................................................................................................... 56

4.10.3 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................................ 57

4.10.3.1 Surface Water .................................................................................................................................... 57

4.10.3.2 Ground Water .................................................................................................................................... 57

4.11 Noise .......................................................................................................................................................... 58

4.11.1 Effects of Season on Sound Level ........................................................................................................ 60

4.11.1.1 Effects of wind speeds on vegetation and sound level ...................................................................... 60

4.11.1.2 Effects of wind speeds on sound propagation ................................................................................... 60

4.11.1.3 Effects of temperature on sound propagation .................................................................................... 61

4.11.1.4 Effects of Humidity on sound propagation ......................................................................................... 61

4.11.2 Factors that Influence Ambient Sound Levels at a Dwelling ................................................................. 61

4.11.3 Ambient Sound Level Measurement ..................................................................................................... 62

4.11.3.1 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL01: Maritz Homestead ................................................. 62

4.11.3.2 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL02: Ferreira Homestead .............................................. 67

4.11.3.3 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL03: Manyati Homestead .............................................. 71

4.11.3.4 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL04: Sikhakhani Homestead .......................................... 75


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4.11.4 Ambient Sound Levels – Finding and Summary ................................................................................... 79

4.12 Visual Aspects ............................................................................................................................................ 80

4.12.1 Visual Characteristics of the Project Area ............................................................................................. 80

4.12.2 Value of the Visual Resource ................................................................................................................ 81

4.13 Sites of Archaeological and Cultural Significance ....................................................................................... 84

4.13.1 Pre-historical background ..................................................................................................................... 84

4.13.2 Intangible Heritage ................................................................................................................................ 86

4.13.3 SAHRIS Data Base and Impact Assessment Reports in the project area ............................................. 86

4.13.4 Findings of the heritage study ............................................................................................................... 86

4.14 Traffic .......................................................................................................................................................... 87

4.14.1 Traffic survey ........................................................................................................................................ 87

4.14.1.1 P272 Provincial Road ........................................................................................................................ 88

4.14.1.2 D114 Road ........................................................................................................................................ 88

4.14.1.3 D301 Road ........................................................................................................................................ 88

4.14.1.4 Road-A .............................................................................................................................................. 88

4.14.1.5 Road-B .............................................................................................................................................. 89

4.14.2 Public Transport Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 89

4.14.3 Pedestrian Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 89

4.14.4 Latent Rights ......................................................................................................................................... 89

4.14.5 Traffic Flow Information ......................................................................................................................... 89

4.14.6 Trip Generation ..................................................................................................................................... 93

4.14.6.1 Construction Phase ........................................................................................................................... 93

4.14.6.1.1 Trip Generated by Staff during Construction Phase ....................................................................... 93

4.14.6.1.2 Trip Generated by Construction Delivery Vehicles ......................................................................... 93

4.14.6.1.3 Trips Generated during Construction Phase .................................................................................. 94

4.14.6.2 Production Phase .............................................................................................................................. 94

4.14.6.2.1 Trips Generated by Staff during Production Phase ........................................................................ 94

4.14.6.2.2 Trips Generated by Haulage Vehicles ............................................................................................ 94

4.14.6.2.3 Trips Generated during Production Phase ..................................................................................... 95

4.14.7 Trip Distribution ..................................................................................................................................... 95

4.14.8 Traffic Growth Rate ............................................................................................................................... 96

4.14.9 Capacity Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 96


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4.14.9.1 Background Traffic ............................................................................................................................. 96

4.14.9.1.1 Scenario-1: Year 2020 Background Traffic without Proposed Development .................................. 96

4.14.9.1.2 Scenario-2: Year 2025 Background Traffic without Proposed Development .................................. 96

4.14.9.2 Construction Phase ........................................................................................................................... 97

4.14.9.2.1 Scenario-3: Year 2020 Trips for Construction Phase with Background Traffic ............................... 97

4.14.9.3 Production Phase .............................................................................................................................. 97

4.14.9.3.1 Scenario 4: Year 2020 Background Traffic with Proposed Development ....................................... 97

4.14.9.3.2 Scenario 5: Year 2025 Background Traffic with Proposed Development ....................................... 97

4.14.10 Access And Road Improvements .......................................................................................................... 98

4.14.10.1 P272 Provincial Road and D114 Road .............................................................................................. 98

4.14.10.2 P272 Provincial Road and D301 Road .............................................................................................. 99

4.14.10.3 P272 Provincial Road and Road-A .................................................................................................. 100

4.14.10.4 P272 Provincial Road and Road-B .................................................................................................. 101

4.14.10.5 Intersection Spacing ........................................................................................................................ 102

4.14.11 Public Transport Facilities ................................................................................................................... 103

4.14.12 Non-Motorised Facilities ...................................................................................................................... 103

4.14.13 Parking Provision And Design ............................................................................................................. 103

4.15 Socio-economic ........................................................................................................................................ 104

4.15.1 Administrative Setting ......................................................................................................................... 104

4.15.2 Economic Activities ............................................................................................................................. 104

4.15.3 Population Demographics ................................................................................................................... 105

4.15.4 Levels of Education ............................................................................................................................. 106

4.15.5 Health and HIV/AIDS Prevalence........................................................................................................ 107

4.15.6 Levels of Employment ......................................................................................................................... 108

4.15.7 Household Income .............................................................................................................................. 108

4.15.8 Infrastructure ....................................................................................................................................... 109

4.15.8.1 Roads .............................................................................................................................................. 110

4.15.8.2 Rail .................................................................................................................................................. 110

4.15.8.3 Bulk Water Supply ........................................................................................................................... 111

4.15.8.4 Housing ........................................................................................................................................... 112

4.15.8.5 Water and Sanitation ....................................................................................................................... 113

4.15.8.6 Energy Source ................................................................................................................................. 114


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4.15.9 Economic Activities ............................................................................................................................. 114

4.15.9.1 Agriculture ....................................................................................................................................... 114

4.15.9.2 Mining and Quarrying ...................................................................................................................... 115

4.15.9.3 Manufacturing .................................................................................................................................. 115

4.15.9.4 Tourism ............................................................................................................................................ 116

4.15.9.5 Tertiary Services (including Government Services) ......................................................................... 117

4.15.9.6 Informal Trade ................................................................................................................................. 117

4.16 Community Development Planning ........................................................................................................... 118

4.16.1 Amajuba District Municipality/ LED Needs .......................................................................................... 118

4.16.1.1 SMME Development ........................................................................................................................ 119

4.16.1.2 Local Economic Development Challenges for the District Municipality ............................................ 120

4.17 Dannhauser Local Municipality/ LED Needs ............................................................................................. 120

4.17.1 Local Economic Development Challenges .......................................................................................... 123

4.17.1.1 Agriculture ....................................................................................................................................... 123

4.17.1.2 Mining .............................................................................................................................................. 124

4.17.1.3 Manufacturing .................................................................................................................................. 124

4.17.1.4 Tourism ............................................................................................................................................ 125

4.17.1.5 Medium-Term Strategic Framework Priorities ................................................................................. 126

4.17.2 Proposed Local Economic Development Projects .............................................................................. 126

5.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS IDENTIFIED ..................................................................................................................... 131

6.0 EIA PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................. 132

6.1 Scoping Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 133

6.2 Impact Assessment Methodology ............................................................................................................. 134

6.3 Assessment of potential impacts and risks ............................................................................................... 135

6.4 Positive and negative impacts of initial site layout and alternatives .......................................................... 135

6.5 Possible mitigation measures and levels of risk........................................................................................ 135

6.6 Site selection matrix and final site layout plan .......................................................................................... 138

6.6.1 Mine layout .......................................................................................................................................... 138

6.6.2 Site Location and Layout ..................................................................................................................... 138

6.7 Motivation for not considering alternative sites ......................................................................................... 139

6.8 Statement motivating the preferred site and layout ................................................................................... 139

7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 139


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7.1 Project Phases and Activities.................................................................................................................... 139

7.1.1 Planning and design............................................................................................................................ 140

7.1.2 Pre-construction .................................................................................................................................. 140

7.1.3 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 140

7.1.4 Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 140

7.1.5 Closure and Rehabilitation .................................................................................................................. 141

7.2 Geology .................................................................................................................................................... 141

7.2.1 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 141

7.2.2 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 141


7.3 Topography............................................................................................................................................... 142

7.3.1 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 142

7.3.2 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 142


7.4 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................. 142

7.4.1 Ambient air quality standards .............................................................................................................. 142

7.4.2 Emissions inventory ............................................................................................................................ 144

7.4.3 Dispersion modelling ........................................................................................................................... 146

7.4.3.1 Model Selection ............................................................................................................................... 146

7.4.3.2 Meteorological Data ......................................................................................................................... 147

7.4.3.3 Source Data ..................................................................................................................................... 147

7.4.3.4 Sensitive Receptor Grid ................................................................................................................... 147

7.4.3.5 Modelling Runs ................................................................................................................................ 147

7.4.3.6 Modelling Results ............................................................................................................................ 148

7.4.4 Predicted Impact ................................................................................................................................. 153

7.4.4.1 Construction Phase ......................................................................................................................... 153

7.4.4.2 Operational Phases ......................................................................................................................... 156

7.4.4.2.1 PM10 ............................................................................................................................................ 156

7.4.4.2.2 Total Dust Fallout ......................................................................................................................... 157

7.4.4.3 Decommissioning and Closure Phase ............................................................................................. 158

7.5 Soils, Land Capability and Land Use ........................................................................................................ 161

7.5.1 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 161


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7.5.2 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 163


7.6 Terrestrial Ecology .................................................................................................................................... 166

7.6.1 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 166

7.6.2 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 167

7.6.3 Closure and rehabilitation ................................................................................................................... 167

7.7 Waste Management .................................................................................................................................. 168

7.7.1 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 168

7.7.2 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 168


7.8 Surface Water ........................................................................................................................................... 170

7.8.1 Determination of floodlines .................................................................................................................. 170

7.8.1.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 170

7.8.1.2 Topographical Data ......................................................................................................................... 170

7.8.1.3 Design Flood Peaks ......................................................................................................................... 170

7.8.1.4 Floodlines Hydraulic modelling ........................................................................................................ 171

7.8.1.5 Choice of Software .......................................................................................................................... 171

7.8.1.6 Flood hydrology ............................................................................................................................... 172

7.8.1.6.1 Catchment delineation .................................................................................................................. 172

7.8.1.7 Flood Peak Estimates and boundary conditions .............................................................................. 174

7.8.1.8 Roughness coefficients .................................................................................................................... 175

7.8.1.9 Assumptions in the hydraulic model ................................................................................................ 175

7.8.1.10 Floodline Delineation ....................................................................................................................... 175

7.8.2 Stormwater management plan ............................................................................................................ 178

7.8.2.1 Topographical and Site Layout ........................................................................................................ 178

7.8.2.2 Clean and Dirty Catchments ............................................................................................................ 180

7.8.2.3 Stormwater Channels and Berms .................................................................................................... 180

7.8.2.3.1 Design Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 180

7.8.2.3.2 Design Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 181

7.8.2.3.3 Proposed Stormwater Channel Management............................................................................... 183

7.8.2.4 Storage Containment Areas ............................................................................................................ 183

7.8.2.4.1 Design Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 183


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7.8.2.4.2 Limitations .................................................................................................................................... 183

7.8.2.4.3 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 184

7.8.3 Water Balance .................................................................................................................................... 184

7.8.3.1 Limitations ....................................................................................................................................... 184

7.8.3.2 Objectives of the Water Balance Scope .......................................................................................... 184

7.8.3.3 Process Flow Diagram ..................................................................................................................... 185

7.8.3.4 Input Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 185

7.8.3.4.1 Climate Data................................................................................................................................. 185

7.8.3.4.2 Potable Water ............................................................................................................................... 185

7.8.3.4.3 Water Supply ................................................................................................................................ 185

7.8.3.4.4 Stormflow ..................................................................................................................................... 185

7.8.3.4.5 Dust Suppression ......................................................................................................................... 185

7.8.4 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 186

7.8.4.1 Contamination of Surface Water Resources .................................................................................... 187

7.8.4.1.1 Description of impact .................................................................................................................... 187

7.8.4.1.2 Construction, Operational Phase .................................................................................................. 187

7.8.4.1.3 Decommissioning and Closure Phases ........................................................................................ 188

7.8.5 Groundwater ....................................................................................................................................... 189

7.9 Noise ........................................................................................................................................................ 192

7.9.1 Standards and guidelines .................................................................................................................... 192

7.9.1.1 Noise Standard ................................................................................................................................ 192

7.9.1.2 International; Guidelines .................................................................................................................. 193

7.9.1.2.1 Guidelines for Community Noise (WHO, 1999) ............................................................................ 193

7.9.1.2.2 Night Noise Guidelines for Europe (WHO, 2009) ......................................................................... 193

7.9.1.2.3 Equator Principles ........................................................................................................................ 193

7.9.1.2.4 IFC: General EHS Guidelines – Environmental Noise Management ............................................ 194

7.9.2 Receptors ............................................................................................................................................ 194

7.9.3 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 195

7.9.3.1 Construction .................................................................................................................................... 195

7.9.3.2 Operation ......................................................................................................................................... 201

7.9.3.2.1 Mining Activities ............................................................................................................................ 201

7.9.3.2.2 Traffic ........................................................................................................................................... 202


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7.9.4 Future noise scenario – Decommissioning ......................................................................................... 202

7.10 Blasting Vibration ...................................................................................................................................... 203

7.10.1 Ground Vibration ................................................................................................................................. 203

7.10.2 Air blast ............................................................................................................................................... 205

7.10.3 Fly-rock concerns ................................................................................................................................ 206

7.10.4 Blasting Impacts .................................................................................................................................. 206

7.10.4.1 Projected Magnitude of Ground Vibration ........................................................................................ 207

7.10.4.2 Projected Magnitude of Air blast ...................................................................................................... 208

7.10.4.3 Projected Magnitude of Fly-rock ...................................................................................................... 210

7.10.4.4 Potential Decommissioning, Closure and Post Closure Blasting Impact ......................................... 210

7.10.4.5 Significance of Ground Vibration Impacts ........................................................................................ 212

7.10.4.6 Significance of Air Blast Impacts...................................................................................................... 214

7.10.4.7 Closure and Decommissioning Phase Impacts ............................................................................... 214

7.11 Visual Aspects .......................................................................................................................................... 215

7.11.1 Theoretical Visibility ............................................................................................................................ 215

7.11.2 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 215

7.11.3 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 215


7.12 Cultural and Heritage Resources .............................................................................................................. 216

7.12.1 Construction and Operational Phase .................................................................................................. 216


7.13 Socio-economics ...................................................................................................................................... 218

7.13.1 Construction ........................................................................................................................................ 218

7.13.2 Operation ............................................................................................................................................ 219


8.0 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ..................................................................................................... 221

8.1 Construction Phase .................................................................................................................................. 221

8.2 Operational Phase .................................................................................................................................... 222

8.3 Closure and rehabilitation Phase .............................................................................................................. 223

9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT .......................................................................................................... 225

9.1 Key findings .............................................................................................................................................. 225

9.1.1 Geology ............................................................................................................................................... 225


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9.1.2 Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 225

9.1.3 Soil, land use and land capability ........................................................................................................ 225

9.1.4 Ecology ............................................................................................................................................... 225

9.1.5 Surface water ...................................................................................................................................... 225

9.1.6 Noise ................................................................................................................................................... 225

9.1.7 Blasting and vibration .......................................................................................................................... 225

9.1.8 Visual aspects ..................................................................................................................................... 226

9.1.9 Traffic .................................................................................................................................................. 226

9.1.10 Cultural and Heritage Resources ........................................................................................................ 226

9.1.11 Socio-economic .................................................................................................................................. 226

9.2 Final Site Map ........................................................................................................................................... 226

9.3 Summary of positive and negative implications and risks of proposed activity and alternatives ............... 226

10.0 IMPACT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES FOR INCLUSION IN THE EMPR ........................... 227

11.0 FINAL PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE ..................................................................................................................... 227

12.0 ASPECTS FOR INCLUSION AS CONDITIONS OF AUTHORISATION ............................................................... 227

13.0 ASSUMPTIONS, UNCERTAINTIES AND GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE ..................................................................... 228

14.0 OPINION ON WHETHER THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE AUTHORISED............................................................... 228

14.1 Reasons why the activity should be authorised or not .............................................................................. 228

14.2 Conditions that must be included in the authorisation ............................................................................... 228

14.2.1 General conditions .............................................................................................................................. 228

14.2.2 Specific conditions .............................................................................................................................. 229

14.2.3 Rehabilitation requirements ................................................................................................................ 229

15.0 PERIOD FOR WHICH ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION IS REQUIRED ..................................................... 229

16.0 UNDERTAKING ..................................................................................................................................................... 229

17.0 FINANCIAL PROVISION ....................................................................................................................................... 229

17.1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 230

17.2 Confirmation of method of provision ......................................................................................................... 231

18.0 DEVIATIONS FROM APPROVED SCOPING REPORT AND PLAN OF STUDY ................................................. 231

19.0 OTHER INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE DMR ............................................................................................. 231

19.1 Impact on socio-economic conditions of any directly affected person ...................................................... 231

19.2 Impact on any national estate ................................................................................................................... 231


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20.0 OTHER MATTERS REQUIRED IN TERMS OF SECTIONS 24(4)(A) AND (B) OF THE NEMA ........................... 231

21.0 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME ............................................................................... 233

21.1 Details of Environmental Assessment Practitioner ................................................................................... 233

21.2 Description of the Aspects of the Activity .................................................................................................. 233

21.3 Composite Map ......................................................................................................................................... 233

21.4 Impact management objectives and statements ....................................................................................... 233

21.4.1 Determination of closure objectives .................................................................................................... 233

21.4.2 Managing residual environmental impacts .......................................................................................... 234

21.4.3 Potential risk of acid mine drainage .................................................................................................... 234

21.4.4 Volumes and rates of water use .......................................................................................................... 234

21.4.5 Water Use Licence .............................................................................................................................. 234

21.5 Potential Impacts to be mitigated in their respective phases .................................................................... 235

21.6 Impact Management Outcomes ................................................................................................................ 242

21.7 Impact Management Actions .................................................................................................................... 242

22.0 SUMMARY OF IMPACT MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING ACTIONS ........................................................... 242

23.0 FINANCIAL PROVISION ....................................................................................................................................... 269

23.1 Overall Closure Goal ................................................................................................................................ 269

23.2 Closure Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 269

23.2.1 Physical Stability ................................................................................................................................. 269

23.2.2 Environmental Quality ......................................................................................................................... 269

23.2.3 Health and Safety................................................................................................................................ 269

23.2.4 Land Capability/Land-use ................................................................................................................... 270

23.2.5 Aesthetic Quality ................................................................................................................................. 270

23.2.6 Biodiversity .......................................................................................................................................... 270

23.2.7 Socio-economic Aspects ..................................................................................................................... 271

24.0 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EMPR ..................................................................................................................... 271

24.1 Responsibility for EMPr implementation ................................................................................................... 271

24.2 Responsibility of contractors ..................................................................................................................... 272

24.3 Environmental performance monitoring .................................................................................................... 272

25.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PLAN ............................................................................................................. 274

25.1 General Awareness Training .................................................................................................................... 274

25.2 Specific Environmental Training ............................................................................................................... 274


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25.3 Training Evaluation and Re-training .......................................................................................................... 275

25.4 Emergency Procedures ............................................................................................................................ 275

26.0 UNDERTAKING ..................................................................................................................................................... 275

26.1 Undertaking regarding correctness of information .................................................................................... 276

26.2 Undertaking regarding Level of Agreement .............................................................................................. 276

27.0 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................................... 276

TABLES

Table 1-1: Prospecting rights held by Ericure (Pty) Ltd ............................................................................................ 1

Table 2-1: Proponent's contact details ..................................................................................................................... 1

Table 2-2: Details of area applied for ....................................................................................................................... 4

Table 2-3: Footprint sizes of mining areas and associated infrastructure................................................................. 9

Table 2-4: Listed activities requiring environmental authorisation .......................................................................... 14

Table 3-1: South African Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Pollutants ..................................................... 20

Table 4-1: Average temperatures for Dannhauser ................................................................................................. 30

Table 4-2: Average rainfall for Dannhauser............................................................................................................ 31

Table 4-3: Key pollutants and associated health effects ........................................................................................ 34

Table 4-4: Sensitive receptors within 10 km of the proposed Ericure operating area ............................................. 36

Table 4-5: Land types at mine infrastructure site and dominant soil forms............................................................. 40

Table 4-6: Dominant soil form properties (Landtype Survey Staff, 1976-2006) ...................................................... 41

Table 4-7: Erosion susceptibility of soils in project area, per mine infrastructural unit ............................................ 41

Table 4-8: Land capability classes for mine infrastructure...................................................................................... 44

Table 4-9: Soil agricultural potential for dryland crop production in the project area .............................................. 44

Table 4-10: Land cover (use) classification ............................................................................................................ 46

Table 4-11: Summarised statistic of depth related borehole yield data in the Amajuba District Municipality (Amajuba District Municipality 2019: 110). ............................................................................................ 56

Table 4-12: Existing noise sources identified in the vicinity of the proposed Ericure (Pty) Ltd infrastructure ......... 58

Table 4-13: Equipment used to gather data (SVAN 977) at TDCLTSL01 .............................................................. 62

Table 4-14: Noises/sounds heard during site visits at TDCLTSL01 ....................................................................... 63

Table 4-15: Sound levels considering various sound level descriptors at TDCLTSL01 ......................................... 63



Table 4-18: Sound level descriptors as measured at TDCLTSL02 ........................................................................ 68




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Table 4-25: Delay & v/c (HCM 2010) definitions for LOS Based on delay and v/c ratio ......................................... 87

Table 4-26: Composition of Trips Generated by Staff During Construction Phase ................................................. 93

Table 4-27: Split for the Trips Generated by Staff During Construction Phase ...................................................... 93

Table 4-28: Split of Trips Generated by Construction Delivery Vehicles ................................................................ 93

Table 4-29: Trips Generated during Construction Phase ....................................................................................... 94

Table 4-30: Composition of Trips Generated by Staff During Production Phase .................................................... 94

Table 4-31: Split of Trips Generated by Staff During Construction Phase.............................................................. 94

Table 4-32: Composition of Trips Generated by Hauling Trucks ............................................................................ 95

Table 4-33: Split of Trips Generated by Hauling Trucks ......................................................................................... 95

Table 4-34: Trips Generated during Production Phase .......................................................................................... 95

Table 4-35: Directional Split of Traffic .................................................................................................................... 95

Table 4-36: Level of Services for Scenario-1 (2020 Background Trips) ................................................................. 96

Table 4-37: Level of Services for Scenario-2 (2020 Background Trips) ................................................................. 96

Table 4-38: Level of Services for Scenario-2 (Background and Construction trips) ............................................... 97

Table 4-39: Level of Services for Scenario-4 (2020 Background and Production Trips) ........................................ 97

Table 4-40: Level of Services for Scenario-5 (2020 Background and Production Trips) ........................................ 97

Table 4-27: Average Education Levels................................................................................................................. 106

Table 4-28: Estimated HIV prevalence (%) among antenatal clinic attendees – KZN Province ........................... 107

Table 4-29: HIV prevalence among antenatal women by age group, KZN, 2008 to 2010 .................................... 107

Table 4-30: Strict and Expanded unemployment rate in 2017 .............................................................................. 108

Table 4-31: Annual Household income by local Municipality- 2017 ..................................................................... 109

Table 4-32: Amajuba District Municipality Surface roads-2017 ............................................................................ 110

Table 4-33: Estimated Housing Backlogs-2012/13 .............................................................................................. 113

Table 4-34: Estimated Electricity Backlogs-2018/19 ............................................................................................ 114

Table 4-35: High priority focus areas ................................................................................................................... 120

Table 4-36: MTSF Strategic Priorities .................................................................................................................. 126

Table 4-37: LED High Priority Focus Areas .......................................................................................................... 126

Table 4-38: Project 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 129

Table 4-39: Project 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 130

Table 6-1: Site and layout selection matrix ........................................................................................................... 138

Table 7-1: South African Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Pollutants ................................................... 142


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Table 7-2: Limits for PM10 in ug/m³ ..................................................................................................................... 143

Table 7-3: Four-band scale evaluation criteria for dust deposition in mg/m²/day ................................................. 143

Table 7-4: Target, action and alert thresholds for dust deposition in mg/m²/day .................................................. 143

Table 7-5: Modelling Parameter Summary ........................................................................................................... 144

Table 7-6: NPI Emission Factors .......................................................................................................................... 145

Table 7-7: Emission Factor Ratings ..................................................................................................................... 145

Table 7-8: Calculated Source Emission Rates Summary ..................................................................................... 148

Table 7-9: Activity 1: Site Clearing, removal of topsoil and vegetation ................................................................. 153

Table 7-10: Construction of surface infrastructure (e.g. access roads, pipes, storm water diversion berms, change houses, admin blocks, drilling, drilling blasting and development of box cut for mining, etc.) ............. 154

Table 7-11: General transportation, hauling and vehicle movement on site. ........................................................ 155

Table 7-12: PM Concentrations at sensitive receptors ......................................................................................... 156

Table 7-13: TSP Deposition rates at the sensitive receptors................................................................................ 157

Table 7-14: Activity 4: Demolition & Removal of all infrastructure ........................................................................ 159

Table 7-15: Activity 5: Rehabilitation (spreading of soil, revegetation & profiling/contouring) .............................. 160

Table 7-16: Loss of topsoil as a resource............................................................................................................. 162

Table 7-17: Loss of land capability and land use ................................................................................................. 162

Table 7-18: Loss of Stockpiled topsoil and maintenance of roads ....................................................................... 164

Table 7-19: Impact rating during rehabilitation of infrastructure areas, and roads ................................................ 165

FIGURES

Figure 2-1: Location of Ericure mining right application areas .................................................................................. 5

Figure 2-2: Prospecting rights owned by Ericure (Pty) Ltd ....................................................................................... 7

Figure 2-3: Location of opencast mining areas and mining infrastructure .............................................................. 10

Figure 2-4: Plan View Showing Pit LOM Pit Perimeter For 1 Product Scenario - Unconstrained ........................... 11

Figure 2-5:Plan View Showing Pit LOM Pit Perimeter For 1 Product Scenario - Constrained................................ 11

Figure 2-6: Simplified flow diagram for Ericure Mine Processing Plants ................................................................ 14

Figure 4-1: Geological features in the vicinity of the project area ........................................................................... 28

Figure 4-2: Dannhauser Modelled period wind rose 2020 ...................................................................................... 33

Figure 4-3: Dannhauser Modelled period wind speed 2020 ................................................................................... 33

Figure 4-4: Sensitive receptors within 5 km of mining and coal processing activities ............................................. 37

Figure 4-5: Topography in the vicinity of the project area....................................................................................... 39

Figure 4-6: Land types within project area ............................................................................................................. 43

Figure 4-7: Land capability for project area ............................................................................................................ 45

Figure 4-8: Cultivated parcels of land on the farm Ngisana13992 HT. ................................................................... 47


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Figure 4-9: Land cover and vegetation types ......................................................................................................... 48

Figure 4-10: Study area in relation to KZN Conservation Plan ............................................................................... 52

Figure 4-11: Catchments relevant to project area .................................................................................................. 54

Figure 4-13: Receptors within 5 km of proposed mining activities .......................................................................... 59

Figure 4-14: Localities where ambient sound levels were measured ..................................................................... 62

Figure 4-47: Typical Acacia sieberiana var woodii) trees on undisturbed parts of proposed mining and infrastructure site ................................................................................................................................... 82

Figure 4-48: typical of project area old or historic mine pits filled with water .......................................................... 83

Figure 4-49: Entrance to Forbes coal Mine within the current existing mine infrastructure. ................................... 83

Figure 4-50: Ericure project area visual inspection for the mine infrastructure site. ............................................... 84

Figure 4-51: Intersections where traffic counts were undertaken ........................................................................... 88

Figure 4-52: Bus Shelters ....................................................................................................................................... 89

Figure 4-53: Intersections to Acquire Traffic Flow Information ............................................................................... 90

Figure 4-54: Daily Traffic Chart for All Intersections .............................................................................................. 91

Figure 4-55: Schematic Layout for AM, Midday and PM Hourly Peak Volumes ..................................................... 92

Figure 4-56: Relocation of Roads and New Roads ................................................................................................ 98

Figure 4-57: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and D114 Road .......................................................... 99

Figure 4-58: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and D301 Road ........................................................ 100

Figure 4-59: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and Road – A ........................................................... 101

Figure 4-60: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and Road – B ........................................................... 102

Figure 4-61: Intersection Spacing ........................................................................................................................ 103

Figure 4-52: Employment Distribution in the Regional and Local Study Area (National Treasury, 2017) ............. 108

Figure 4-53: Average Regional Household Income (KZN Provincial Treasury, 2017) ............................................... 109

Figure 4-54: Housing Summary (Statistics SA, Community Survey 2016) ........................................................... 113

Figure 6-1: Mitigation Hierarchy Adapted from BBOP, 2009 ................................................................................ 133

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A Database of Interested and Affected Parties

APPENDIX B Letter of Invitation, BID and Registration, Comment and Reply Sheet

APPENDIX C Newspaper Advertisements

APPENDIX D Acknowledgement of DSR

APPENDIX E Site Notices


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APPENDIX F Comment and Response Report

APPENDIX G Meeting Proceedings (Attendance Registry and Minutes)

APPENDIX H MoU between Izwelethu Trust and Applicant

APPENDIX I Supporting Letter from Land Owner

APPENDIX J Specialist Studies

Sub Appendix J(a): Hydrological Specialist Study

Sub Appendix J (b): Heritage Impact Assessment

Sub Appendix J (c): Biodiversity Specialist Study


April 2021

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Glossary of terms and list of acronyms

Acronym Description

ABA Acid Base Accounting

AIA Archaeological Impact Assessment

AMD Acid mine drainage

AP Acid Potential

ARD Acid rock drainage

BID Background Information Document

CARA Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act No 43 of 1983

CD Compact Disk

CoC Constituent of Concern

CPA Communal Property Association

DLM Dannhauser Local Municipality

DEA Department of Environmental Affairs

DHSD Department of Health and Social Development

dBA A-weighted decibels - a unit in which sound levels are measured

DMR Department of Mineral Resources

DPW Department of Public Works

DEM Digital Elevation Model

DRT Department of Roads and Transport

DWS Department of Water and Sanitation

EAP Environmental Assessment Practitioner

EIA Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment

EIAR Environmental Impact Assessment Report

EMF Environmental Management Framework

EMPr Environmental Management Programme

FET Further Education and Training

GDARD Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

GG Government Gazette

GN Government Notice

GIS Geographic Information System

g/t grams per tonne

ha Hectare

HIA Health Impact Assessment

IAPs Interested and Affected Parties

IDP Integrated Development Plan

IFC International Finance Corporation

Km Kilometre

ktpm kilotonnes per month


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kV Kilovolts

KZN Kwazulu Natal

l/s Litres per second

LoM Life of Mine

m3/d Cubic metres per day

mamsl metres above mean sea level

MAP Mean Annual Precipitation

mbgl Metres below ground level

Ml Megalitres

MPRDA Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, No. 28 of 2002

MRA Mining Right Application

mS/m Milli Siemens per metre

Mt Megatonnes

NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards

NEMA National Environmental Management Act, No.107 of 1998

NEMAA National Environmental Management Amendment Act. Act No. 62 of 2008

NEMBA National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004

NEMWA National Environmental Management Waste Act, No. 59 of 2008

NGOs Non-Governmental organisations

NHRA National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 of 1999

PCoC Potential Constituent of Concern

PPP Public Participation Process

PRECIS Pretoria Computerised Information System

RO Reverse osmosis

RoM Run of mine

RWQOs Resource Water Quality Objectives

SAHRA South African Heritage Resource Agency

SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute

SANS South African National Standards

SLP Social and Labour Plan

SMS Short Message System

SDF Spatial Development Framework

SNPR Sulphur based neutralisation potential ratio

TNPR Total sulphur based neutralisation potential ratio

ToR Terms of Reference

WTP Water treatment plant

ERICURE (PTY) LTD-COAL - EIA/EMPR

April 2021

1

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Ericure (Pty) Ltd, a company based South Africa, with offices in Alberton, have acquired prospecting

rights for coal on three farms north of Dundee and approximately 325 km east to north-east of the

City of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. Sufficient coal reserves to support a coal mine and

coal beneficiation plant have been demonstrated. As indicated in Table 1-1, the prospecting rights

will expire in May 2021 and Ericure (Pty) Ltd have applied for a mining right (MR), environmental

authorisation (EA), a waste management licence (WML) and a water use licence (WUL), all of which

must be obtained before mining may commence.

Table 1-1: Prospecting rights held by Ericure (Pty) Ltd

Number Farm Portions Minerals Expiry date

KZN 30/5/1/1/2/10651

PR

Mooidoornhoek No.3722HT, Ngisana No.13992HT and Avalon No.14869HT

Remaining Extent of Mooidoornhoek 3722HT, Portion 1,2,3 & RE (whole area) of Ngisana 13992HT and Portion 1,2 and RE (whole area) of Avalon 14869HT

Coal 29 May

2021

In terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development (Act 28 of 2002) (MPRDA), a mining

right application (MRA) must be accompanied by a Mining Work Programme (MWP) and a Social

and Labour Plan (SLP). These documents were submitted together with the MRA on 17 December

2019 and resubmitted to DMR offices on the 06th August 2020 as per departmental directives. The

application was accepted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 20 July 2020.

2.0 PROPONENT AND PRACTITIONER DETAILS

2.1 Details of the proponent

For purposes of this EIA, the following person may be contacted at Ericure (Pty) Ltd:

Table 2-1: Proponent's contact details

Contact Person Mr. Kgomotso Nkhumise

Address 62 Charl Cilliers Avenue, Alberton, 1450

Telephone (011) 9072213

Fax (011) 9072234

Cell 0828252467

E-mail [email protected]


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2.2 Details of Environmental Assessment Practitioner

Ericure (Pty) Ltd has appointed Tshifcor Investment and Resources (Pty) Ltd (TCIR) as an

independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to undertake the Environmental Impact

Assessment (EIA) that is required to support the application for a MR, WML and WUL.

TCIR has no vested interest in the proposed project and hereby declares its independence as

required by the EIA Regulations. For purposes of this EIA, the following persons may be contacted

at Tshifcor Investment and Resources (Pty) Ltd.

Contact

Persons Mrs Caroline Munyai Mr Mpho Ramalivhana

Purpose Public Participation Technical

Address 20 Pitzer road, Glen

Austin, Midrand 1686,

20 Pitzer road, Glen

Austin, Midrand 1686,,

Telephone 0110275996 0110275996

Fax 0866059120 0866059120

Cell phone 0662377644 0789014833

E-mail [email protected] [email protected]

2.2.1 Expertise of environmental assessment practitioners

2.2.1.1 Qualifications

Mpho Ramalivhana is currently the Principal Environmental Consultant at Tshifcor Investment and

Resources (Pty) Ltd. He matriculated at Mudinane Secondary School in 2004 with a merit. He then

went to the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus) to further his career from 2005 to 2007. He

obtained a BSc Degree majoring with Microbiology and Botany. Then in 2008 he graduated top of

his Honours Botany Class in the field of plant ecology. His honours project involved “the investigation

of the floral composition of the granite hills within the campus of the University of Limpopo”. Currently

he is busy doing his Master’s Degree with Tshwane University of Technology, and has over 9 years’

experience in professional consulting.

Mrs. Caroline Munyai is currently the Senior Environmental Consultant at Tshifcor Investment and

Resources (Pty) Ltd. She matriculated at Ramauba Secondary School in 2005 with a merit. She then

enrolled at the University of Venda to further her studies from 2006 to 2009. She obtained a Bsc

Honours Degree majoring with Mining and Environmental Geology. Then in 2010 she graduated with

a distinction on her honour’s thesis. Currently she is busy with her master’s degree in Environmental

Sciences with Wits University, and she has more than 7 years’ experience in environmental

professional consulting.

mailto:[email protected]




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2.2.1.2 Summary of past experience

2.2.1.2.1 Mpho Ramalivhana

Mr. Mpho Ramalivhana has extensive experience in conducting Environmental Impact Assessment,

developing Environmental Management Plans and implementation of Environmental Monitoring

Systems. He also has remarkable experience in conducting Environmental Audit, Environmental Due

Diligence, Land Quality Assessment, Ecological Assessment and Environmental Site Assessment.

His recent experience has focused upon formal environmental authorisation processes, particularly

the management of public participation processes, environmental screening process projects. He

has experience in energy related projects, including alternative energy (solar and wind) and power

transmission projects as well as projects for social infrastructure including inter alia road, housing

and waste management. He is familiar in compiling the requisite documentation for Environmental

Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Management Plans (EMP). Furthermore, he has

experience in undertaking environmental compliance monitoring and the bio-monitoring of water

resources.

Prior joining Tshifcor, Mpho worked for companies such as Naledzani Environmental Services,

Tshikovha Environmental and Communication Consulting, Parsons Brinckerhoff Africa (Now WSP),

Muondli Consulting, South African National Biodiversity Institute and Limpopo Department of

Economic, Environment and Tourism where his professional working career started. Mpho is a

member of the South African Council of Natural Scientific, Profession (400395/14), South African

Association of Botanists (SAAB) as well as the International Association of Impact Assessment –

South Africa (IAIAsa) 1962-1966: African Explosives and Chemical Industries Ltd, Modderfontein –

research and development work on industrial electrochemical processes;

2.2.1.2.2 Caroline Munyai

Caroline also has extensive experience in environmental compliance/ permitting (including

environmental impact assessments, basic assessments, water use license applications, social and

environmental due diligence, social and environmental management systems, mining and

prospecting right applications) and public participation /stakeholder engagement. Her recent

experience has focused upon formal environmental authorisation processes, Basic Assessment

processes, scoping, application for mining licenses included other related licenses.

Prior joining Tshifcor, Caroline worked for state organisations and private sectors such as

Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, South African Diamond and Precious Metals

Regulations, Mintek and International Resource Limited (SA). Caroline is currently processing her

registration with the South African Council of Natural Scientific Profession and she is currently a

member of the Geological Society of South Africa (Membership 969180).

2.3 Description of the property

Ericure has applied for a mining right on the farm listed in Table 1-1, where Ericure (Pty) Ltd holds

prospecting rights. The surveyor general codes, owners and surface areas of these farm portions

are listed in Table 2-2.


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Table 2-2: Details of area applied for

Farm Prospecting Right

Surveyor General Codes Area (hectare)

Listed Owner

AVALON 14869 HT 10651PR N0HT00000001486900000 841.263 IZWELETHU COMMUNITY TRUST-TRUSTEES

NGISANA 13992 HT 10651PR N0HT00000001399200000 740.392 IZWELETHU COMMUNITY TRUST-TRUSTEES

MOOIDOORN HOEK 3722 HT

10651PR N0HT00000000372200000 42.4626 IZWELETHU COMMUNITY TRUST-TRUSTEES

2.4 Locality map

The mining right being applied for is located in the Magisterial District of Dannhauser, Kwazulu-

Natal Province. See Figure 2-1.


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Figure 2-1: Location of Ericure mining right application areas


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2.4.1 Magisterial District and relevant Local Authority

The mining right area applied for falls within the Dannhauser Local Municipality under the Amajuba

District Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal Province.

2.4.2 Landowners and use of immediately adjacent land

The proposed mining area is surrounded mainly by mining, grazing farms and communities. The

surface right owners of the various farm portions are indicated in Table 2-2.


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Figure 2-2: Prospecting rights owned by Ericure (Pty) Ltd


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2.5 Description and Scope of the Proposed Overall Activity

Ericure (Pty) Ltd td (Ericure) acquired the prospecting rights listed in Table 2-2 and shown in outline

on Figure 2-1 from Jindal Africa during 2015. Ericure (Pty)Ltd (Ericure) commissioned Tshifcor in

2017 to conduct a mining study on a scoping level of confidence and to compile a Mining Work

Programme (MWP) as a requirement of the Mining Right Application (MRA).

The project components will include an opencast mine, a coal wash plant comprising crushing,

screening, tailings disposal and supporting infrastructure.

2.5.1 Mining operations

As at the date of this report, the exploration activities successfully conducted by Ericure at the

Dannhauser Coal Project (DCP) consists of a comprehensive desktop study and a contemporaneous

diamond core drilling and sampling programme. The above field activities were designed with the

sole purpose of obtaining detailed geological information to aid decision making and were

concentrated on intersecting the two targeted and distinctive coal seams, namely, the Top Seam

(Alfred) and the Bottom Seam (Gus) on the remaining extents of the farms, Mooidoornhoek (3722

HT), the Farm Ngisana (13992 HT) and Avalon (14869 HT). These activities are elaborated below in

Figure 4 1.

The objective of the desktop study was to subject all available historical data to a detailed review

process, integrate the same data (whilst paying attention to detail) and use the same data to define

and prioritise target areas for follow-up and/or infill borehole drilling planning. Geological maps

(published at varying scales), published technical papers (including the 2016 edition of the CPR, etc),

project-specific satellite imagery data and other reports available and obtainable from the public

domain from such institutions as the Council for Geoscience (CGS) were all used in the evaluation

process. The evaluation was effective in obtaining a high-level understanding of the geology,

structure and potential of the project to host the coal seams. A CPR was also compiled based on the

reliable historic data as a result.

A total of 22 boreholes were drilled at the Dannhauser Coal Project using the conventional drilling

equipment utilising the NQ (47.6 mm) core sizes during the second phase of drilling (Phase two).

Additionally, 6 RC boreholes were completed at the discard dump. All the drilled holes were vertically

orientated, and were drilled using standard diamond coring techniques, core sizes and core recovery

methods that are commonly employed throughout the coalfields of South Africa.

All borehole collars were surveyed by an independent registered land surveyor using the Global

Positioning System (GPS) set to the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) map datum which

uses the Hartebeesthoek94 geographic 2D Coordinate Reference System (CRS) as its base and the

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) 36 S (South Orientated) as its projection coordinate system.

Surveyors from LTJ Maake Survey (Pty) Ltd provided the surveying services required to measure

collar positions during the 2017 drilling campaign.

The mining method to be employed for this particular project is open pit truck and shovel. This mining

method has been employed extensively in numerous similar deposits globally and in SA. The

selection of this mining method is based on the following 6 key criteria once it has been proven to be

economical by industry accepted analytical methods:

Mining will commence with the removal and separate stockpiling of topsoil and subsoil and the

establishment of an access ramp for the removal of overburden, coal and waste rock from each

opencast mine. The placement and layout of the processing plant and other infrastructure will be

designed to minimise hauling distances from the mines to the plant, overburden stockpiles and waste

rock dumps.


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The topsoil, subsoil, overburden, and waste rock will be stored in temporary stockpiles and backfilled

into the opencast voids in reverse sequence, i.e. waste rock first and topsoil last

The locations of these two areas and the layout of the supporting infrastructure are shown

schematically on Figure 2-3. The infrastructure footprint sizes are listed in Table 2-3.

Table 2-3: Footprint sizes of mining areas and associated infrastructure

Item Footprint (hectare)

Avalon &Ngisana opencast 193.89

Contractor laydown area 4.7

Plant footprint & Tailings Storage 15.6

Topsoil Stockpile 12.4

Waste rock – Avalon Area 55

Waste Rock – Ngisana area 29.6

Total 311.19


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Figure 2-3: Location of opencast mining areas and mining infrastructure


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Figure 2-4: Plan View Showing Pit LOM Pit Perimeter For 1 Product Scenario - Unconstrained

Figure 2-5:Plan View Showing Pit LOM Pit Perimeter For 1 Product Scenario - Constrained


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2.5.2 Coal processing plant

The Dannhauser Project intends to make use of a crushing and screening facility to remove

contaminants and reduce the coal to an acceptable size. Washing of coal on site is also proposed

as the final product from the crushing and screening facility will be taken away off site, and therefore

increase the environmental impacts associated with washing of coal.

Coal from the wash stockpiles is loaded into trucks and then hauled to the rail siding and for discard

product via truck to the client stockpile sites.

Raw coal is fed into a 60t tipping bin via dump trucks and/or Front-End-Loaders (FEL) protected by

an 850mm square static grizzly. Raw coal is extracted from the tipping bin by means of a vibrating

grizzly feeder, rate at 250 tphr. The -850 +150 mm oversize is reduced to 150 mm in a primary jaw

crusher. The Jaw crusher product and vibrating grizzly undersize is collected on a conveyor and

delivered to the secondary static inclined grizzly where the -90mm undersize is removed. The -150

+ 90mm oversize is crushed to –90 mm in a secondary double roll crusher. The –90mm crushed raw

coal is collected on a conveyor and delivered to a tertiary static inclined grizzly. The –75mm raw coal

is removed by the grizzly and the -90 + 75mm oversize is crushed to –75mm in a tertiary double roll

crusher.

The –75mm raw coal is collected on a conveyor and delivered to a 128t capacity raw coal surge bin.

Raw coal is extracted from the bin and delivered by a variable speed conveyor to the coal washing

plant at a controlled feed rate of 220 tphr.

The coal washing plant is designed to process –90mm raw coal at a feed rate of 220 tphr. The plant

consists of the following sections:

Dense Medium (DM) drum plant (-90 x 10mm);

Primary DM cyclone plant (-10 x 1 mm);

Secondary DM cyclone plant (-10 x 1 mm);

Magnetite medium make-up plant;

Spirals plant (-1 x 0.1 mm);

Thickener and slimes disposal system (-0.1 mm);

Flocculent make-up and dosing plant; and

Water circuits.

The raw coal from the raw coal bin is conveyed to the pre-wet screen. The screen oversize (+10 mm)

is mixed with magnetite medium and delivered into the dense medium drum and separated into

product (Floats) and discard (Sinks) fractions. Product and discard coal and adhering medium then

discharges onto a common horizontal product drain and rinse screen.

Medium drained through the drain section of the screen is returned directly to the primary correct

medium tank from which it is re-circulated by means of the primary correct medium pump. Any

adhering medium after the drain portion of the screen is rinsed from the coal by water sprays as the

coal travels across the rinse portion of the screen and transferred to the common dilute medium tank.

The dilute medium is pumped to a magnetic separator for magnetite recovery. The over-dense

medium is returned to the correct medium tank. Dirty effluent from the magnetic separator is used

as pulping water on the pre-wet screen and clean effluent as primary wash water on the drain and

rinse screen.

Large clean coal (+10 mm) is conveyed to the product screen for final sizing and the large discard is

discharged onto the discard conveyor. The –10 mm raw coal gravitates from the pre-wet screen to

the primary cyclone plant desliming section via an inclined launder. Fresh magnetite medium is

periodically added from a magnetite mixing and make-up system and pumped to the DM drum or

cyclone plants when required.


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Slurry consisting of dense medium and coarse coal (-10x1mm) is pumped into a single dense

medium cyclone. Product coal and dense medium collect in the DMC overflow box and, in turn,

discharge onto a fixed sieve where the majority of the medium is removed. Product coal and adhering

medium then discharges onto a horizontal product drain and rinse screen.

Medium drained through the drain section of the screen is returned directly to the primary correct

medium tank from which it is re-circulated by means of the primary correct medium pump. Any

adhering medium after the drain portion of the screen is rinsed from the coal by water sprays as the

coal travels across the rinse portion of the screen and transferred to the common dilute medium tank.

Product discharges from the drain and rinse screen and reports to the washed duff conveyor.

Primary discards and dense medium from the underflow of the primary DMC collect in an underflow

box prior to discharging onto a fixed sieve. Discard and adhering medium discharge onto a horizontal

discards drain and rinse screen. Medium drained through the drain section of the drain and rinse

screen is returned directly to a common correct medium tank from where it is re-circulated by means

of the primary correct medium pump. Any adhering medium after the drain portion of the screen is

rinsed from the discards and reports to the common dilute medium sump. Discard solids from the

drain and rinse screen report to the secondary DM cyclone plant.

Slurry consisting of dense medium and primary DM cyclone discard is pumped into a single dense

medium cyclone. Product coal and dense medium collect in the DMC overflow box and, in turn,

discharge onto a fixed sieve where the majority of the medium is removed. Product coal and adhering

medium then discharges onto a common horizontal product drain and rinse screen.

Medium drained through the drain section of the drain and rinse screen is returned directly to the

correct medium tank from which it is re-circulated by means of the correct medium pump. Any

adhering medium after the drain portion of the drain and rinse screen is rinsed from the coal by water

sprays as the coal travels across the rinse portion of the screen and transferred to the common dilute

medium tank. Product discharges from the drain and rinse screen reports to the primary product

conveyor, termed as middling’s product. Discards and dense medium from the underflow of the

secondary DMC collect in an underflow box prior to discharging onto a fixed sieve. Discard and

adhering medium discharge onto a common horizontal discards drain and rinse screen. Medium

drained through the drain section of the drain and rinse screen is returned directly to the correct

medium tank from where it is re-circulated by means of the correct medium pump. Any adhering

medium after the drain portion of the screen is rinsed from the discards and reports to the common

dilute medium sump. Discard solids from the drain and rinse screen report to the discard conveyor.

A bypass gate allows for middling coal to report to the discard conveyor.

The –1 mm raw coal gravitates to the deslime tank and pumped to desliming cyclones classifying at

~150 microns. A portion of the cyclone overflow is used as pulping water for the pre-wet screen feed.

The balance gravitates to the thickener via a velocity breaker feed tank. Deslime cyclone underflow

gravitates to the spiral circuit.

De-sliming cyclone underflow is collected in a launder and overflows onto an inclined drain panel

acting as oversize protection. The oversize material is flushed into a collection launder and piped to

the spirals plant effluent tank. The panel underflow gravitates to the spiral feed distributor. The fine

coal is upgraded in a bank of eight twin-start coal spirals. Spiral discards report to the discard fines

dewatering screen. Screen oversize discharges to the discard conveyor. Screen undersize reports

to the spiral feed tank. Spiral product gravitates to a tank, which is pumped to the product coal

classifying cyclones. Underflow gravitates to the fines dewatering screen. Screen undersize is

recirculated back to the feed classifying cyclones. Screen oversize reports to product conveyor.

Dewatering cyclone overflows is utilized for spiral feed dilution whereas the balance is piped to the

effluent tank.


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Coal ultra-fines (-150 microns) gravitates to a thickener, flocculated and pumped to the pit for

disposal. Thickener overflow reports to a clarified water tank and utilized as process water.

Figure 2-6: Simplified flow diagram for Ericure Mine Processing Plants

2.5.3 Listed Activities

Ericure (Pty) Ltd has applied for a mining right on the farms where it holds prospecting rights (see

Figure 2-2), and environmental authorisation for the development of supporting infrastructure. The

listed activities that require environmental authorisation in terms of the EIA Regulations GN R. 983,

984 and 985 that commenced on 8 December 2014 and the waste management Regulations GN

R.632 and R.633 that commenced on 24 July 2015 are indicated in Table 2-4.

Table 2-4: Listed activities requiring environmental authorisation

Listing Notice Activity No

Description

GN R.983 9 Pipelines and supporting infrastructure will be developed to transport water, sewage and stormwater

Basic Assessment

10

Transport of tailings from the flotation plant to the tailings storage facility (TSF) and water from the TSF back to the plant will take place in pipelines. There will also be stormwater conveyances and sewage lines.

11 “The mine and plant will require a power line of more than 33 but less than 275 kilovolts

12

The infrastructure development will include:

Canals or channels exceeding 100 square metres in size;

Pollution control dams exceeding 100 square metres in size;


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Listing Notice Activity No

Description

Bulk storm water outlet structures exceeding 100 square metres

in size;

Buildings exceeding 100 square metres in size; and

Infrastructure or structures with a physical footprint of 100

square metres or more within 32 metres of a watercourse, measured from the edge of a watercourse.

13 Facilities and infrastructure for the off-stream storage of water in dams and reservoirs, with a combined capacity of 50 000 cubic metres or more will be developed.

14 Diesel storage tanks with a combined capacity of 80 but not exceeding 500 cubic metres will be installed.

19 The opencast mining will result in the removal of more than 5 cubic metres of soil, sand, grit, pebbles and rock from a watercourse.

24 Access roads and haul roads wider than 8 metres will be developed.

25 A package sewage treatment plant with a daily throughput capacity of more than 2 000 cubic metres but less than 15 000 cubic metres will be installed.

28 An area of land larger than 1 hectare will be developed for commercial purposes.

30 “Any process or activity identified in terms of section 53(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004).”

GN R.984 4

“The development of facilities or infrastructure for the storage, or storage and handling of a dangerous good, where such storage occurs in containers with a combined capacity of more than 500 cubic metres.”

Scoping and Impact

Assessment

6

Ericure (Pty) Ltd will need a Water Use Licence for the impoundment of mine-affected water in a pollution control dam and a Management Licence for the deposition of mining residues such as waste rock and tailings.

15 More than 20 ha of indigenous vegetation will be cleared during mining and infrastructure development

16

“The development of a dam where the highest part of the dam wall, as measured from the outside toe of the wall to the highest part of the wall, is

5 metres or higher or where the highwater mark of the dam covers an area of 10 hectares or more.”

20

Ericure has applied for a mining right, which it will require in order to undertake the contemplated mining activities and to develop the associated infrastructure, structures and earthworks directly related to the extraction of the mineral resource.

21

Ericure will undertake activities associated with the primary processing of a mineral resource including crushing, screening and washing but will not undertake smelting, beneficiation, refining, calcining or gasification of the mineral resource.

GN R.632 and R.633, 24 July 2015

The mine will require a waste management licence for the storage/disposal of mine residues (waste rock and tailings)


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Please note:

With reference to activity 11 of GN R.983, Eskom will be responsible for establishing the

infrastructure to supply the power requirements to the site.

While Eskom would normally also be responsible for obtaining the required environmental

authorisation, there have been instances where the site owner has assumed this

responsibility;

GN R.983, activity 14 or GN R.984 activity 4 will apply, depending on the combined storage

capacity for diesel fuel; and

GN R.983, activity 30 will apply only if the site falls within a listed ecosystem and one or

more of the activities to be undertaken has been gazetted as a “threatening process”.

Application for Environmental Authorisation (EA) have been made to the Department of Mineral

Resources (DMR). The role of the DMR will be to evaluate the Scoping and EIA Reports and the

draft EMPr, and, if the documents are acceptable, to issue a Mining Right, an Environmental

Authorisation and a Waste Management Licence for the undertaking of the listed activities applied

for.

2.5.4 Specific activities to be undertaken

The specific activities that will be undertaken during the life of the project will include:

Drilling of infill boreholes for detailed mine planning as and when necessary;

Stripping and stockpiling of topsoil in front of the advancing opencast mining front, with

bulldozers and front-end loaders;

Drilling and charging of blast holes, followed by blasting, where necessary. Vibration levels

and fly rock occurrence will be recorded during each blast and used to plan subsequent

blasts.

Excavation, loading, hauling and transport of overburden and ore. Bench heights will be 10

metres. Haul trucks will transport the ore to the beneficiation plant and the overburden and

waste rock to temporary stockpiles alongside the opencast;

Stockpiling of overburden, waste rock and coal from wash plant. The overburden will be

stockpiled separately from the topsoil and the waste rock;

Continuously backfilling the opencast void with waste rock, overburden and topsoil, in that

order, followed by fertilisation and re-vegetation with locally indigenous species of grass,

shrubs and trees. See section 2.5.1 for a description and illustration of the rollover mining

method that will be applied;

Constructing and operating a storm water control system comprising diversion berms,

collection channels, and a pollution control dam;

Constructing and operating a water supply dam and boreholes for monitoring, mine

dewatering and water supply purposes;

Constructing and operating coal wash plants;

Crushing, screening and milling the ore to appropriate size ranges as described in

sections;

Transporting the coal products from the mine to market;


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Decommissioning and removing all equipment, removing infrastructure, backfilling the

opencast voids, making the ex-operating areas safe, shaping them to be free draining and

rehabilitating them to a condition fit for grazing or game farming.

3.0 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT

This section provides a brief overview of the legal requirements that must be met by this project.

3.1 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act

In terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002)

(MPRDA) and the MPRDA Regulations GN R. 527, an application for a mining right must be

supported by an EIA process. In terms of Regulation 3 of GN R. 527, consultation must take place

with interested and affected parties (I&APs). In terms of the latest EIA Regulations (see section 3.2)

a scoping report conforming to Appendix 2 of GN R.982 must be submitted to the DMR, followed by

an environmental impact assessment report conforming to Appendix 3 of GN R.982 and an

environmental management programme conforming to Appendix 4 of GN R.982. These documents

must also be aligned with the templates prescribed by the DMR.

In terms of Section 41 of the MPRDA and Regulations 53 and 54, the holder of a mining right must

make financial provision, in a manner acceptable to the DMR, for the rehabilitation of negative

environmental impacts, both for a planned closure at the end of the life of the mine, and for an

unplanned closure during the life of the mine.

3.2 National Environmental Management Act

In terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), as

amended, and the EIA Regulations, an application for environmental authorisation for certain listed

activities must be submitted to the provincial environmental authority, the national authority

(Department of Environmental Affairs, DEA), depending on the types of activities being applied for

or, when mining and mineral processing activities are involved, the Department of Mineral Resources

(DMR) - see section 3.1 above.

The current EIA regulations, GN R.982, GN R.983, GN R.984 and GN R.985, promulgated in terms

of Sections 24(5), 24M and 44 of the NEMA and subsequent amendments, commenced on 8

December 2014. GN R.983 lists those activities for which a Basic Assessment is required, GN R.984

lists the activities requiring a full EIA (Scoping and Impact Assessment phases) and GN R.985 lists

certain activities and competent authorities in specific identified geographical areas. GN R.982

defines the EIA processes that must be undertaken to apply for Environmental Authorisation.

The Ericure activities requiring environmental authorisation and/or licensing in terms of the NEMA

and NEMWA are included in Table 2-4. The EIA process has been undertaken in accordance with

the requirements stipulated in GN R.982 and the DEA’s guidelines on public participation, published

as GN 657 in May 2006.

3.3 National Water Act

The National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) (NWA) is the primary legislation regulating both

the use of water and the pollution of water resources. It is applied and enforced by the Department

of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

Section 19 of the National Water Act regulates pollution, which is defined as “the direct or indirect

alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of a water resource so as to make it:

less fit for any beneficial purpose for which it may reasonably be expected to be used; or


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harmful or potentially harmful to -

▪ the welfare, health or safety of human beings;

▪ any aquatic or non-aquatic organisms;

▪ the resource quality; or

▪ property.”

The persons held responsible for taking measures to prevent pollution from occurring, recurring or

continuing include persons who own, control, occupy or use the land. This obligation or duty of care

is initiated where there is any activity or process performed on the land (either presently or in the

past) or any other situation which could lead or has led to the pollution of water.

The following measures are prescribed in the section 19(2) of the NWA to prevent pollution:

▪ cease, modify or control any act or process causing the pollution;

▪ comply with any prescribed standard or management practice;

▪ contain or prevent the movement of pollutants;

▪ eliminate any source of the pollution;

▪ remedy the effects of pollution; and

▪ remedy the effects of any disturbance to the bed or banks of a watercourse.

The NWA states in Section 22 (1) that a person may only use water:

without a licence –

(i) if that water use is permissible under Schedule 1;

(ii) if that water use is permissible as a continuation of an existing lawful use; or

(iii) if that water use is permissible in terms of a general authorisation issued under

section 39;

if the water use is authorised by a licence under this Act; or

if the responsible authority has dispensed with a licence requirement under subsection (3).

Water use is defined in Section 21 of the NWA. Ericure’s proposed mining operations at Dannhauser

may involve the following water uses:

a) taking water from a water resource;

b) storing water;

c) impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse;

g) disposing of waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water resource;

h) disposing in any manner of water which contains waste from, or which has been heated in,

any industrial or power generation process;

i) altering the bed, banks, course or characteristics of a watercourse; and

j) removing, discharging or disposing of water found underground if it is necessary for the

efficient continuation of an activity or for the safety of people.

Regulation 704 of 4 June 1999 defines the manner in which rainwater falling or flowing onto a

mining area or an industrial site must be managed and requires inter alia the following:


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a) Separation of clean (unpolluted) water from dirty water;

b) Collection and confinement of the water arising within any dirty area into a dirty water

system;

c) Design, construction, maintenance and operation of the clean water and dirty water

management systems so that it is not likely for either system to spill into the other more

than once in 50 years;

d) Design, construction, maintenance and operation of any dam that forms part of a dirty

water system to have a minimum freeboard of 0.8 metres above full supply level, unless

otherwise specified in terms of Chapter 12 of the Act; and

e) Design, construction, and maintenance of all water systems in such a manner as to

guarantee the serviceability of such conveyances for flows up to and including those

arising as a result of the maximum flood with an average period of recurrence of once in 50

years.

3.4 National Environmental Management: Waste Act

The National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act 59 of 2008) (NEMWA) commenced

on 1 July 2009. In terms of this Act, all listed waste management activities must be licensed and in

terms of Section 44 of the Act, the licensing procedure must be integrated with the environmental

impact assessment process.

Government Notice 921, which commenced on 29 November 2013, lists the waste management

activities that require licensing in terms of the NEMWA. Licence applications for activities involving

hazardous waste must be submitted to the national authority, the Department of Environmental

Affairs (DEA) and those for general waste to the provincial authority, in this case the EDTEA KZN.

One of the major amendments effected by the National Environmental Management Amendment Act

2014 is the insertion of section 24S, as a result of which the NEMWA became applicable to mining

residue deposits and residue stockpiles, as follows:

‘‘Management of residue stockpiles and residue deposits

24S. Residue stockpiles and residue deposits must be deposited and managed in accordance with

the provisions of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008),

on any site demarcated for that purpose in the environmental management plan or environmental

management programme in question.’’

Mining residues were classified as hazardous wastes by default in terms section 18, Schedule 3 of

the National Environmental Management: Waste Amendment Act, 2014 (Act No. 26 of 2014)

(NEMWAA), which commenced on 2 June 2014. In terms of Regulations GN R.632 and R.633, which

commenced on 24 July 2015, mining residues must be characterised and classified, and the design

and management of residue stockpiles and deposits must be based on an assessment of the

potential impacts and risks.

3.5 National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act The main objectives of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 2004 (Act no. 39 of 2004) (NEM: AQA) are to protect the environment by providing reasonable legislative and other measures to:

Prevent air pollution and ecological degradation;

Promote conservation; and


April 2021

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Secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development in alignment with Sections 24a and 24b of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

The Act has devolved the responsibility for air quality management from the national sphere of government to local spheres of government (district and local municipal authorities), who are tasked with baseline characterisation, management and operation of ambient monitoring networks, licensing of listed activities, and development of emissions reduction strategies.

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for common pollutants, as set in terms of the NEM:AQA, are reproduced in Table 3-1.

Table 3-1: South African Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Pollutants

Pollutant Averaging

Period

Limit Value

(µg/m3)

Limit Value (ppb)

Frequency of

Exceedance

Compliance Date

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)(a)

10 minutes 500 191 526 Immediate

1 hour 350 134 88 Immediate

24 hours 125 48 4 Immediate

1 year 50 19 0 Immediate

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)(b)



Particulate matter <10 micrometres in diameter (PM10)(c)

24 hours 75 - 4 Immediate

1 year 40 - 0 Immediate

Particulate matter <2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5)(d)

24 hours 65 - 4 Immediate

24 hours 40 - 4 01/01/2016 – 31/12/2029

24 hours 25 - 4 01/01/2030


1 year 20 - 0 01/01/2016 – 31/12/2029

1 year 15 - 0 01/01/2030

Ozone (O3)(e) 8 hours 120 61 11 Immediate

Lead (Pb) (f) 1 year 0.5 - 0 Immediate

Carbon monoxide (CO)(g)

1 hour 30,000 26,000 88 Immediate

8 hours (1 hour

averages) 10,000 8,700 11 Immediate

Benzene (C6H6) (h) 1 year 5 1.6 0 01/01/2015

a. The reference method for the analysis of SO2 shall be ISO 6767

b. The reference method for the analysis of NO2 shall be ISO 7996

c. The reference method for the determination of the particulate matter fraction of suspended particulate matter shall be

EN 12341

d. The reference method for the analysis of PM2.5 shall be EN14907

e. The reference method for the analysis of ozone shall be the UV photometric method as described in ISO 13964

f. The reference method for the analysis of lead shall be ISO 9855

g. The reference method for analysis of CO shall be ISO 4224

h. The reference methods for benzene sampling and analysis shall be either EPA compendium method TO-14 A or

method TO-17


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The National Dust Control Regulations (GN R.827), which were promulgated on 1 November 2013,

define acceptable dust fall rates for residential and non-residential areas as listed in Table 3-2.

Table 3-2: Acceptable dust fall rates

Defined areas Dust fall rate (mg/m2/day over a

30 day average) Permitted frequency of exceedance

Residential areas Dust fall < 600 Two per annum (not in sequential

months)

Non-residential areas

600 < Dust fall < 1200 Two per annum (not in sequential

months)

Ericure will not undertake activities listed in GN 893 of 22 November 2013 that would require an

atmospheric emission licence (AEL), but it will have to operate within the NAAQS and the National

Dust Control Regulations.

3.6 Need and Desirability of Proposed Activities

Coal, because of its strategic importance, is one of the five minerals selected by the DMR for local

beneficiation as it is considered critical to the on-going development of South Africa (Department of

Mineral Resources, 2011). The driving force behind the emphasis of the importance of coal, coal

mining and local beneficiation is primarily due to concerns voiced by Electricity Supply Commission

(Eskom) over the future security of supply in both the medium and long term of the mineral to its coal

fired electricity generating power stations, which has economic impacts if not met.

South Africa’s energy is predominately coal fueled, with limited renewable energy alternatives. South

Africa consumes approximately 175 Mtpa of coal where Eskom consumes approximately 110 Mtpa

(Eskom, 2017)1. Eskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Eskom

by the government of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act (1922). The utility is the largest

producer of electricity in Africa, is among the top seven utilities in the world in terms of generation

capacity and among the top nine in terms of sales. The company is divided into Generation,

Transmission and Distribution divisions and together Eskom generates approximately 95% of

electricity used in South Africa. Currently, Eskom has 24 power stations in commission, consisting

of 13 coal-fired stations (3 of which are in cold reserve storage, 1 nuclear station, 2 gas turbine

stations, 6 hydroelectric stations and 2 pumped storage schemes.

Eskom’s existing coal fired power stations are critical in terms of electricity production and in meeting

the growing energy requirements of South Africa as a whole. Coal and coal supply are consequently

seen as critical and its importance is detailed in the Eskom Transmission Ten Year Development

Plan 2018 to 2027 (Eskom, 2017)2. Without steady, secure supply of the mineral, it is unlikely that

Eskom will be able to meet the energy demands of the country. As a result, coal mining, beneficiation

and supply is of paramount importance to South Africa for continued electricity generation to meet

the rising energy demands of the country in the short, medium and long term.

Coal produced is usually used locally within the municipal region but also exported. Eskom is the

largest local buyer while China and India are the major international export buyer.

There are essentially three market segments for coal, these are:

Eskom - Low Grade Coal (19.0Mj/kg – 23.3Mj/kg)

Export - High Grade Steam Coal (>5,900Kcl/kg)

Metallurgical - High Grade Low Phosphate, High Fixed Carbon


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Given the size and quality of the reserve for Ericure, the proposed Colliery will target primarily export

markets as an Anthracite quality.

3.7 Period for which environmental authorisation is required

The planned life of the mine, based on the proven coal reserves, is estimated to be about 30 years,

but continued prospecting may demonstrate additional reserves. To accommodate the time needed

for construction, mine development, production ramp up, closure and rehabilitation, the authorisation

is required for a period of 30 years.

3.8 Process followed to reach preferred site

Mining can take place only within the area for which a mining right is obtained and no alternative site

for mining is possible. Several alternative sites and layouts for the supporting infrastructure are

possible and will be explored, taking into consideration economic viability, practicality and

environmental characteristics.

3.8.1 Project Alternatives

In terms of Regulation 50 (d) of the MPRDA Regulations R. 527 under the Mineral and Petroleum

Resources Development Act, Act 28 of 2002, an environmental impact assessment report must

include inter alia the following:

“(d) A comparative assessment of the identified land use and development alternatives and their

potential environmental, social and cultural impacts.”

Alternatives considered for the proposed project are as follows:

3.8.1.1 Opencast mining

There are a number of alternative methods of opencast mining, e.g.:

Removal of topsoil, overburden and even ore can sometimes be done by means of

draglines, bucket wheel excavators or bowl scrapers.

In some opencast operations, the ore is crushed in the pit and transported to a processing

plant by means of conveyor belts or trains.

Blast designs can vary widely, but are always tailored to the particular pit design and

materials handling system.

Sometimes opencast mines are not backfilled. Instead, the void is allowed to fill with water,

while the overburden and waste rock dumps and the tailings dams are re-vegetated.

The description provided in section 2.5.1 reflects the most suitable opencast mining approach for

this particular orebody.

3.8.1.2 Underground mining

Underground mining was undertaken Ngisana and Avalon farms mines as part of the historic

mining operations, but Ericure are not at this stage planning any underground mining operations.

If Ericure should decide to undertake underground mining at a later stage, there are several

alternative methods that could be considered, e.g.:

Sinking one or more vertical shafts into or adjacent to the ore seam and driving horizontal

drifts into the coal seam at various levels;

Constructing one or more incline shafts or decline shafts from the surface, through the host

rock and into the ore seam;


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Applying the bord and pillar method of coal extraction, leaving behind adequate pillars of

coal to support the roof of the mine and prevent surface subsidence;

Practising high extraction by removing the pillars of coal and accepting the risk of various

degrees of surface subsidence;

Transporting the coal to surface by means of cocopans or trains running on rails from the

underground workings to the surface, by trackless load-haul-dump (LHD) electric or diesel

vehicles, or by means of conveyor belts.

3.8.1.3 Location of infrastructure

The preferred location and layout of the supporting infrastructure on the farms, as shown on Figure

2-3, was chosen with practical, economic, environmental and logistics considerations in mind, as set

out in section 6.6 of this report.

3.8.1.4 Postponement of mining project

The coal reserves within the mining right area could be left in the ground to be mined at a later date,

but if Ericure, who has applied for a mining right, does not pursue this project, Ericure rights will lapse

and other parties would be free to pursue the right to mine these coal reserves. Such postponement

would result in Ericure losing a business opportunity and allow other parties to apply for a mining

right on the same farms.

3.8.1.5 No-Project Option

If the coal reserves on the prospecting area shown on Figure 2-1 are not mined, Ericure and the local

communities will forego the benefits of the associated additional employment opportunities and

revenue streams and the limited agricultural activities currently being undertaken will continue.

3.8.2 Public Participation Process

This section provides an overview of the public participation process undertaken to date in this EIA.

3.8.2.1 Objectives of Public Participation

The principles that determine communication with society at large are included in the principles of

the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (Act 107of 1998, as amended) and are

elaborated upon in General Notice 657, titled

“Guideline 4: Public Participation” (Department

of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 19 May,

2006), which states that: “Public participation

process means a process in which potential

interested and affected parties (I&APs) are given

an opportunity to comment on, or raise issues

relevant to, specific matters.”

Public participation is an essential and

regulatory requirement for an environmental

authorisation process, and must be undertaken

in terms of Regulations 39 to 44 of the

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations GN R.982 (December 2014). Public

participation is a process that is intended to lead to a joint effort by stakeholders, technical

specialists, the authorities and the proponent/developer who work together to produce better

decisions than if they had acted independently.

The public participation process is designed to provide sufficient and accessible information to

Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) in an objective manner and:

Opportunities for Comment

Documents will be available at various

stages during the EIA process to provide

stakeholders with information, further

opportunities to identify issues of

concern and suggestions for enhanced

benefits and to verify that the issues

raised have been considered.


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During the Scoping Phase to enable them to:

raise issues of concern and suggestions for enhanced benefits;

verify that their issues have been recorded;

assist in identifying reasonable alternatives;

comment on the plan of study of specialist studies to be undertaken during the impact

assessment phase; and

contribute relevant local information and traditional knowledge to the environmental

assessment.

During the impact assessment phase to assist them to:

contribute relevant information and local and traditional knowledge to the environmental

assessment;

verify that their issues have been considered in the environmental investigations; and

comment on the findings of the environmental assessments.

During the decision-making phase:

to advise I&APs of the outcome, i.e. the authority decision, and how the decision can be

appealed.

3.8.2.2 Identification of I&APs

I&APs were initially identified through a process of networking and referral, obtaining information

from Tshifcor’s existing stakeholder database generated during prospecting right application, liaison

with potentially affected parties in the study area, newspaper advertisements and a registration

process involving completion of a registration and comment sheet. The registration sheet

encouraged I&APs to indicate the names of their colleagues and friends who may also be interested

in participating in the public participation process.

The initial stakeholder database used to announce Ericure’s proposed project for the mining of coal

on the farms Mooidoornhoek No.3722HT, Ngisana No.13992HT and Avalon No.14869HT near

Dannhauser comprised a total of approximately 70 I&APs (See APPENDIX A) representing the

various sectors of society listed below:

Government (national, provincial and local);

Environmental NGOs;

Conservation Agencies;

Agricultural Bodies;

Community Representatives and CBOs;

Business and Commerce; and

Other.


April 2021

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3.8.2.3 Register of I&APs

The NEMA Regulations (GN R.982) distinguish between I&APs and registered I&APs. I&APs, as

contemplated in Section 24(4)(d) of the NEMA include: “(a) any person, group of persons or

organisation interested in or affected by an

activity; and (b) any organ of state that may

have jurisdiction over any aspect of the

activity”.

In terms of the Regulations:

“An EAP managing an application must open

and maintain a register which contains the

names, contact details and addresses of:

(a) All persons who; have submitted written comments or attended meetings with the applicant or EAP;

(b) All persons who; have requested the applicant or EAP managing the application, in writing, for their names to be placed on the register; and

(c) All organs of state which have jurisdiction in respect of the activity to which the application relates.

A Register for I&APs has been opened and currently comprises of over 102 registered I&APs (See

APPENDIX A).

As per the EIA Regulations, future consultation during the Impact Assessment phase will take place

with registered I&APs. Stakeholders who were involved in the initial consultation and who attended

the public open house during the Scoping Phase will be added to the register. The I&AP register will

be updated throughout the EIA process.

3.8.2.4 Public participation during Scoping

This section provides a summary of the public participation process followed during the Scoping

Phase of the EIA and such proof of consultation is attached herewith as APPENDIX A to Error! R

eference source not found. of this report.

3.8.2.4.1 Announcement of the proposed project

Draft Scoping Report

The Draft Scoping Report was available for public review for 30 days from Thursday 30 July 2020

until Monday 31 August 2020.

The proposed project was announced on 30 July 2020 and stakeholders were invited to participate

in the EIA and public participation process and to pass on the information to

friends/colleagues/neighbours who may be interested and to register as interested and affected

parties (I&APs).

The proposed project was announced as follows:

Please register as an I&AP! Stakeholders are encouraged to register as

I&APs and participate in the consultation

processes by completing the Registration

and Comment sheet and returning it to the

Public Participation Office. The

Registration and Comment Sheet can also

be completed on-line via TCIR’s website:

www.tshifcor.com/public. Contact details

are provided on page iii of this report.


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Distribution of the Draft Scoping Report (DSR) and a letter of invitation to participate to all I&APs on the database, accompanied by a registration, comment and reply sheet that was posted to the entire stakeholder database. Copies of the announcement documents and proof of such processes are attached as APPENDIX B and Error! Reference source not found..

The abovementioned documents were also made available at the public places listed on page 2 of this report and on the website (www.tshifcor.co.za);

An advertisement was published in one newspaper, the Newcastle Advertiser on 31st July 2020 (Error! Reference source not found.); and

Site notices were placed at all entrances to the proposed project site and at visible places at the boundaries of the properties, Error! Reference source not found..

2 Meeting were conducted (one with Izwelethu Trustees board) and the other with the vast community (Error! Reference source not found.),

All comments and responses including meetings summary discussion has been incorporated into Error! Reference source not found.,

The proposed project falls covers all the land properties that are owned by Izwelethu Community Trust and based on the previous engagements and agreements, the Izwelethu’ s MoU and project Supporting Letter has been attached as Error! Reference source not found. and REF _Ref49994855 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT Error! Reference source not found..

Copies of the Draft Scoping Report have been sent to the KZN Department of Mineral Resources,

KZN Department of Economic Development, Environment, and Tourism (EDTEA KZN), the

Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the KZN Provincial Heritage Resources Authority

(AMAFA), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs,

Department of Social Development, Human Settlement, Amajuba District Municipality, Dannhauser

Local Municipality and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) for comment,

however, none of this statutory entities have commented on the proposed project so far.

All the comments that will be received after the submission of this report will be well noted and form

part of the EIA process.

Final Scoping Report

The DSR was then updated on expiry of the public participation process (30days) period and the

FSR is been submitted to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), KZN region in terms of

Regulation 21 of the NEMA, EIA Regulations, 2014 as amended.

3.8.2.5 Public participation during the Impact Assessment Phase

Public participation during the impact assessment phase of the EIA will entail a review of the findings

of the EIA, presented in the Draft EIA Report and Environmental Management Programme (EMPr),

and the volume of specialist studies. These reports will be made available for public comment during

October 2020.

I&APs will be advised timeously of the availability of these reports and how to obtain them. They will

be encouraged to comment either in writing (mail or email), or by telephone. Ample notification of

due dates will be provided.

All the issues, comments and suggestions raised during the comment period on the Draft EIA

Report/EMPr will be added to the Comment and Response Report that will accompany the Final EIA

Report/EMPr. The Final EIA Report/EMPr will be submitted to the Department of Mineral Resources

(DMR) for a decision about the proposed project.


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On submission of the Final EIA Report/EMPr to the DMR, a personalised letter will be sent to every

registered I&AP to inform them of the submission and the opportunity to request copies of the final

reports.

3.9 Lead Authority’s decision

Once the DMR has taken a decision about the proposed project, the Public Participation Office will

immediately notify I&APs of this decision and of the opportunity to appeal. This notification will be

provided as follows:

A letter will be sent, personally addressed to all registered I&APs, summarising the

authority’s decision and explaining how to lodge an appeal should they wish to; and

An advertisement to announce the Lead Authority’s decision will be published in the

Newcastle newspaper, if so, required by the authorities.

4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE

BASELINE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT

This section of the Scoping Report provides a description of the receiving environment and existing

conditions on and in the vicinity of the proposed project components.

4.1 Geology

The geology in the vicinity of the project area is illustrated in Error! Reference source not found..


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Figure 4-1: Geological features in the vicinity of the project area


April 2021

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4.1.1 Regional Geology

The Klip River coalfield is the largest of the northern KwaZulu Natal coalfields and historically, the

most important. It is roughly triangular in shape and the area is bounded on the west by the

Drakensberg Mountain Range, the Utrecht coalfield in the east and stretches N-S from just north of

Newcastle to Ladysmith in the south.

The Klip River Coalfield was historically the most important anthracite and coking coal producing

area of South Africa and according to the most recent overview of the coal resources of KZN (Mintek,

2007) the Klip River Coalfield still has the greatest percentage of high potential projects in the

Province.

The coalfield contains sediments of the Dwyka Formation overlain by sediments of the Ecca and

Beaufort groups of the Karoo Sequence. No Pre-Karoo rocks are exposed within the area. The

Pietermaritzburg formation with a maximum thickness of 90m conformably overlies the Dwyka

shales. In the absence of Dwyka, the Pietermaritzburg Formation lies unconformably on the

basement rocks.

In the northern part of the coalfield, the Top Seam (Alfred) has been mined extensively but the Bottom

Seam (Gus) has better quality coal, only mined when it is in close proximity to the Top Seam (Alfred).

In the southern portion of the coalfield, the upper seam has also been mined and the Bottom Seam

(Gus) is not developed to a mineable thickness. The numerous dolerite sills and intrusions have

affected the coal, resulting in a wide range of coal qualities from a bituminous coal to anthracite. The

bottom seam (Gus) has generally been mined for its coking properties.

There are three operating mines: Aviemore and Springlake (both anthracite) and Magdalena

(bituminous/lean coal), plus two new developing mines: Sesikhona (anthracite) and Uithoek/Burnside

(coking coal). The following mines are still producing today: Aviemore, Magdalena and Springlake.

These mines are owned by Slater Coal (Forbes Manhattan) and Shanduka respectively.

4.1.2 Local Geology

The Klip River Coalfield, which hosts the coal deposits of the Dundee Operations, bears similarity to

the neighbouring Utrecht and Vryheid coalfields. Only two economical seams are present, namely

the Top Seam (Alfred) and Bottom Seam (Gus). The Klip River coalfield is hosted in the Vryheid

Formations of the Ecca Group (Figure 3 3).

The Ecca Group is an extensive Group that covers two thirds of South Africa and contains more than

a third of the coal reserves in the southern hemisphere. The Ecca group comprises shale and

mudstone in the Volksrust Formation, feldspathic sandstone, shale, mudstone and coal in the

Vryheid Formation and shale and mudstone in the Pietermaritzburg Formation.

The Bottom Seam (Gus) in the Klip River coalfield is high in sulphur and phosphorus. The sulphur

usually ranges from 1.3% to 1.8%. The Top Seam (Alfred) has a smaller bright coal proportion than

the Bottom Seam (Gus). The rank of both the Bottom Seam (Gus) and the Top Seam (Alfred) ranges

from bituminous to anthracite with generally high sulphur and phosphorus content. Good coking coal

has been produced in the Klip River Coalfield. In general, the Klip River coalfield contains bright coal

with the rank ranging from bituminous to anthracite in the central portions of the coalfield. The Bottom

Seam (Gus) has a thickness of between 1.3 m in the north to 0.5 m in the south. The Top Seam

(Alfred) is better developed than the Bottom Seam (Gus) and has a thickness of between 3.3 m in

the north and 1.5 m in the south. There are 9 dolerite sills, four of which are major sills (Zuinguin,

Utrecht, Ingogo and Talana), which dip gently to the south and have caused major displacements of

up to 137 m. Dykes that strike in a NW-SE, NE-SW direction are common and are associated with

minor displacements.


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The Top Seam (Alfred) and Bottom Seam (Gus) are well-developed in the Dannhauser Coal Project.

Large portions of the farm Ngisana No 13992 HT and Avalon No 14869 HT are capped by the 30m

to 50m thick Ingogo Dolerite sill which has a transgressive undulating split from its base. The sill is

broken by erosion to the northeast along a cliff-faced scarp with steep boulder strewn slopes. Dolerite

dykes are masked below the plateau and have only been located where exposed along the scarp

flanks, and in underground workings. A widely-spaced dolerite dyke network with intrusive

thicknesses varying between 0.5m to 15m.

4.2 Climate

The baseline characteristics of the climate, wind field and air quality in the project area were

determined from literature sources.

The closest accredited meteorological station to the Ericure Project which records hourly average

wind speed, wind direction and temperature data is the South African Weather Services (SAWS)

station at Rietvlei, located approximately 10.5km south-west of the site. Given the proximity and the

nature of the terrain, the data is considered to be suitably representative of the conditions at the

Ericure Project.

Mean annual temperatures in the Dannhauser Municipality range from 150 to 170C. Three

temperature zones can be discerned:

The warmest temperatures are experience along the southern and north eastern municipal

boundaries. The mean annual temperature is about 170C.

Areas which experience the lowest temperatures are limited to small patches within the

central and western portions.

The majority of the municipal area experiences temperatures of around 160 C.

Ericure Project is located within the summer rainfall region of South Africa, receiving more than 80%

of the annual rainfall from October to March, the most of which occurs in January.

The rainfall generally occurs in the form of convectional thunderstorms and is usually accompanied

by lightning, heavy rain, strong winds and sometimes hail. The rainfall events are highly localized

and can vary markedly over short distances. The mean annual precipitation (MAP) for the area

ranges from 630 – 1 000 mm. The gross annual A-pan evaporation for the region, measured at

Carolina, is 1 831mm. Temperatures can vary between 32ºC (maximum) to 3.6ºC (minimum) in the

summer and 21.6ºC (maximum) to -7.4ºC (minimum) in the winter. The annual prevailing wind

direction, during the day, summer and winter months is north-westerly, while during the equinoctial

period (March - May) and during night time the prevailing winds are from the east.

Table 4-1: Average temperatures for Dannhauser

Jan

Feb

Marc

h

Ap

ril

May

Ju

ne

Ju

ly

Au

gu

st

Sep

tem

ber

Octo

be

r N

ovem

ber

Decem

ber

Yea

r

Average maximum temperature (°C)

26 26 24 23 21 18 18 21 25 25 25 26 23.2

Average minimum temperature (°C)

15 15 14 11 7 4 3 6 9 12 13 15 10.3

(From: https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/dannhauser.php, accessed July, 2020)

The maximum temperature table for Dannhauser displays average maximum and minimum

temperatures per month reach certain temperatures. Dubai, one of the hottest cities on earth, has


April 2021

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almost none days below 40°C in July. You can also see the cold winters in Moscow with a few days

that do not even reach -10°C as daily maximum.

The precipitation chart is useful to plan for seasonal effects such as monsoon climate in India or wet

season in Africa. Monthly precipitations above 150mm are mostly wet, below 30mm mostly dry. Note:

Simulated precipitation amounts in tropical regions and complex terrain tend to be lower than local

measurements.

The mean annual rainfall at Dannhauser ranges from 19 mm to 30 mm, but the figure varies

considerably from year to year as a result of frequent dry spells. Rainfall occurs almost exclusively

in the form of thundershowers during the summer months between October and March, with

maximum rainfall occurring between November and January (Table 4-2)

(https://www.meteoblue.com, accessed July 2020).

Table 4-2: Average rainfall for Dannhauser

Jan

Feb

Marc

h

Ap

ril

May

Ju

ne

Ju

ly

Au

gu

st

Sep

tem

be r

Octo

ber

No

vem

be

r

Decem

ber

Yea

r

Average rainfall (mm)

31 31 17 17 16.8 9 9 17 17 17 17 31 19.15

Number of rain days 20 15 15 9 4 3 2 5 11 20 22 23 12.41

(From: https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/dannhauser.php, accessed July, 2020)

The proposed mining operation near Dannhauser is located in the subtropical, tropical climate. The

mean circulation of the atmosphere over the subcontinent is anticyclonic throughout the year,

excepting near the surface. The synoptic patterns affecting the typical weather experienced in the

region owe their origins to the subtropical, tropical and temperate features of the general atmospheric

circulation over Southern Africa.

The subtropical features are controlled by the semi-permanent presence of the South Indian

Anticyclone (high pressure cell), Continental High (high pressure cell) and the South Atlantic

Anticyclone (low pressure cell) in the high pressure belt located approximately 30° south of the

equator. The tropical controls are brought about via tropical easterly flows (low pressure cells) from

the equator to the southern mid-latitudes and the occurrence of the easterly wave and lows. The

temperature control is ascribed to perturbations in the westerly wave, leading to the development of

low pressure cells or cold fronts from the polar region moving into the mid-latitudes.

Seasonal variations in the positioning and intensity of the high pressure cells determine the extent to

which the westerly waves and lows impact the atmosphere over the region. In winter, the high

pressure belt intensifies and moves northwards while the westerly waves in the form of a succession

of cyclones or ridging anticyclones move eastwards around the South African coast or across the

country. The positioning and intensity of these systems have significant impacts on the region. In

summer, the anticyclonic high pressure belt weakens and shifts southwards and the influence of the

westerly wave and lows weakens.

Anticyclones (high pressure cells) are associated with convergence in the upper levels of the

troposphere, strong subsidence throughout the troposphere, and divergence near the surface of the

earth. Air parcel subsidence, inversions, fine conditions and little to no rainfall occur as a result of

such airflow circulation patterns (i.e. relatively stable atmospheric conditions). These conditions are

not favourable for air pollutant dispersion, especially with regard to contaminants emitted close to

the ground.


April 2021

32

Westerly waves and lows (low pressure cells) are characterised by surface convergence and upper-

level divergence that produce sustained uplift, cloud formation and the potential for precipitation.

Cold fronts, which are associated with the westerly waves, occur predominantly during winter. The

passage of a cold front is characterised by pronounced variations in wind direction and speed,

temperature, humidity, pressure and distinctive cloud bands (i.e. unstable atmospheric conditions).

These unstable atmospheric conditions bring about atmospheric turbulence which creates

favourable conditions for air pollutant dispersion.

The tropical easterlies and the occurrence of easterly waves and lows affect Southern Africa mainly

during the summer months. These systems are largely responsible for the summer rainfall pattern

and the north easterly wind component that occurs over the region.

In summary, the convective activity associated with the easterly and westerly waves disturbs the

persistent inversion which sits over Southern Africa. This allows for the upward movement of air

pollutants through the atmosphere, leading to improved dispersion and dilution of accumulated

atmospheric pollution.

4.3 Wind Field

Wind roses summarize the characteristics of the wind field at a specified location by representing

their strength, direction and frequency. Calm conditions (wind speeds of less than 1 m/s) are

represented as a percentage of the total winds in the central circle. Each directional branch on a

wind rose represents wind originating from that specific cardinal direction (there are 16 cardinal

directions). Each directional branch is divided into segments of different colours which represent

different wind speed classes. Each circle in the wind rose represents a percentage frequency of

occurrence.

The diagram for Dannhauser shows the days per month, during which the wind reaches a certain

speed. An interesting example is the Tibetan Plateau, where the monsoon creates steady strong

winds from December to April, and calm winds from June to October. Easterly winds are expected

to be dominant at the proposed Ericure mine, with wind speeds being low to moderate, averaging 3

m/s with about 14 % calm conditions (<1 m/s) on average.

The wind rose for Dannhauser shows how many hours per year the wind blows from the indicated

direction. Example SW: Wind is blowing from South-West (SW) to North-East (NE).


April 2021

33

Figure 4-2: Dannhauser Modelled period wind rose 2020

Figure 4-3: Dannhauser Modelled period wind speed 2020


April 2021

34

4.4 Air Quality

Limited monitored ambient air quality data exists for the KZN Province and for the Dannhauser area

in particular. A qualitative characterisation of the baseline ambient air quality was based on literature

sources and the typical emissions from primary sources identified in the area. Based on the National

Land Cover Dataset (2013/14), and Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Air Quality Monitoring Plan (AQMP)

(2013), primary emission sources are likely to include the following: agricultural activities, domestic

fuel burning, veld fires and vehicles travelling on unpaved roads.

Agricultural activities that lead to particulate emissions due to:

▪ Tilling and harvesting;

▪ Wind erosion from exposed areas;

▪ Vehicles travelling on paved and unpaved roads;

Gaseous and particulate emissions due to:

▪ Burning of residue crops and vegetation; and

▪ The use of fertilizers and crop protection chemicals treatment;

Veld fires and domestic fuel burning (coal, wood and paraffin) for space heating and cooking

purposes, leading to emissions of particulates, SO2, NO2, CO, polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzo(a)pyrene and formaldehyde;

The potential health effects associated with exposure to elevated concentrations of the key pollutants

identified above are summarised in Table 4-3.

Table 4-3: Key pollutants and associated health effects

Pollutant Description Health effects

Carbon monoxide

One of the most common and widely distributed air pollutants (WHO, 2000).

CO is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas which has a low solubility

in water.

Severe hypoxia

Headaches, nausea &

vomiting

Muscular weakness &

shortness of breath

Long term exposure can lead

to Neurological deficits and damage

Nitrogen dioxide

Formed though the oxidation of nitric oxide in the atmosphere, it is a primary pollutant emitted from the combustion of stationary point sources and from motor vehicles. It is toxic by inhalation. However, as the compound is acrid and easily detectable by smell at low concentrations, inhalation exposure can generally be avoided.

Effects on pulmonary function,

especially in asthmatics

Increase in airway allergic

inflammatory reactions

Particulate matter Can be classified by their aerodynamic properties into coarse particles, PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm) and fine particles, PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than

Airway allergic inflammatory

reactions & a wide range of respiratory problems

(TSP, PM10 and PM2.5)

Increase in medication usage

related to asthma, nasal congestion and sinuses problems


April 2021

35

2.5 μm). The fine particles contain the secondarily formed aerosols such as combustion particles, sulphates, nitrates, and re-condensed organic and metal vapours. The coarse particles contain earth crust materials and fugitive dusts from roads and industries (Fenger, 2002).

Adverse effects on the

cardiovascular system

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

One of a group of highly reactive gasses known as “oxides of sulphur.” Anthropogenic sources include; fossil fuel combustion (particularly coal burning power plants) industrial processes such as wood pulping, paper manufacture, petroleum and metal refining, metal smelting (particularly from sulphide containing ores, e.g. lead, silver and zinc ores) and vehicle tailpipe emissions.

Reduction in lung function

Respiratory symptoms

(wheeze and cough)

Volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene)

Organic compounds that easily vaporise at room temperature and are colourless. VOCs are released from vehicle exhaust gases either as unburned fuels or as combustion products, and are also emitted by the evaporation of solvents and motor fuels.

Adverse effects on the

cardiovascular system and central nervous system

Long term exposure can lead

to Neurological and cardiovascular system damage and Increased prevalence of carcinomas in the community


April 2021

36

4.4.1 Land use and sensitive receptors

Land use within 10 km of the proposed Ericure mine-related infrastructure and activities primarily

comprises:

Grassland, open bush and thicket (97%);

Coal Mining;

Urban built-up commercial, industrial and residential areas (±2%); and

Cultivated land (±1%).

Schools and healthcare facilities within 10 km radius of the proposed Ericure mining and ore

beneficiation activities are listed in Table 4-4 The closest sensitive receptor is Enhlanhleni Primary

School and Hlokomani Primary School, located about 2 km to the north-east.

Table 4-4: Sensitive receptors within 10 km of the proposed Ericure operating area

Receptor Latitude Longitude

Ingabade Primary School 230863.75 6902669.35

Nyanyandu Primary School 230501.83 6902700.43

Hlokomani Primary School 227742.56 6903922.59

Isiphosemvelo Secondary School 227704.57 6903735.74

Enhlanhleni Primary School 222320.73 6900212.67

Buhle Be-Allen Primary School 221638.41 6905558.46

Malambule Secondary School 228083.52 6907896.77

Okhalweni Primary School 229064.38 6907632.21

Nellies Farm Clinic 221327.27 6907452.2

Thembalithle Clinic 229117.34 6907433.67

Sizimele High School 221904.14 6907476.87

Iphunguphungu Primary School 222143.13 6907540.72


April 2021 37

Figure 4-4: Sensitive receptors within 5 km of mining and coal processing activities


April 2021 38

4.5 Topography

The area where Ericure proposes to establish its mining operation and supporting infrastructure is

flat, lies at an average elevation of 1379 mamsl and slopes very gently from west to east at a rate of

1:155 and from south to north at a rate of 1:330. The area is on a water divide, with drainage lines

running northwards and south-south-eastwards from the perimeter of the area.

The topography of the wider area within which Ericure holds prospecting rights is shown on Figure

4-5.


April 2021 39

Figure 4-5: Topography in the vicinity of the project area


April 2021 40

4.6 Soil, Land Use and Land Capability

The soil specialist undertook a literature study and conducted site assessment through fieldwork to

produce an overview of the soil, land use and land capability within the project area. Information

based on fieldwork will be incorporated in the EIA report on completion of the specialist study.

4.6.1 Soils

4.6.1.1 Land types

A survey of land types was conducted at a scale of 1:250 000 in the early 1970s in order to compile

inventories of the natural resources of South Africa in terms of soil, climate and terrain. The land type

information is not a substitute for a detailed soil map, but gives a very good indication of where certain

soil patterns are located.

The land type memoirs and associated maps indicate that the site lies within the Ae266, Fc483 and

Fa646 land types. The Fc483 land type occupies 50% and Ae266 (26%) of the project infrastructure

area. The main land types and the locations where the soil will be sampled during the field

investigation are shown on Figure 4-6. The land type and soil type distribution across the project

area is indicated in Table 4-5

Table 4-5: Land types at mine infrastructure site and dominant soil forms

Mine infrastructure Area (ha) Landtype Dominant Soil form

Mooidoornhoek 3722 HT 42.46 Ae266 Hutton

Fc483 Mispah

Avalon 14869 250 Ae266 Hutton

591.26 Fa646 Glenrosa

Ngisana 13992 HT

194.39 Ae266 Hutton

246 Fc483 Mispah

300 Fa646 Glenrosa

Waste rock – Avalon Area 104.3 Ae266 Hutton

Waste Rock – Ngisana area 358.6 Ae266 Hutton

Contractor laydown area 19.7 Fc483 Mispah

Plant footprint & Tailings Storage 2.5 Ae266 Hutton

Topsoil Stockpile 6.8 Fa646 Glenrosa

Notes: Ae266: Red-yellow apedal, freely drained soils; Red, high base status > 300 mm deep (no dunes),

Fa646: Glenrosa and/or mispah forms (other soils may occur); Lime rare or absent in the entire landscape,

Fc483: Glenrosa and/or mispah forms (other soils may occur); Lime generally present in the entire landscape

4.6.1.2 Dominant soils

The soils occurring on the farms Avalon 14869HT, Ngisana 13992 HT and Mooidoornhoek 3722 HT

have been described as freely drained and structureless, whereas the soils on the farms are

described as lithosols. Most of the soils in the Farm Avalon 14869HT, Ngisana 13992 HT and

Mooidoornhoek 3722 HT are described as being freely drained, structureless soils. Based on the

land type data, the dominant soil forms are Hutton (Ae 266), Glenrosa (Fa 646) and Mispah (Fc 483).

The key soil properties as recorded in the respective land type memoirs are listed in Table 4-6.


April 2021 41

Table 4-6: Dominant soil form properties (Landtype Survey Staff, 1976-2006)

Dominant soil form

Effective depth (mm)

Textural Class Clay content (%) of A horizon

Clay content (%) of B horizon

Hutton 500 – 1200 Medium sandy loam – sandy clay loam

10 – 20 15 – 35

Glenrosa 200 – 400 Loam fine/coarse sand - sandy loam

10 – 20

Mispah 100 – 200 Medium/coarse sand – loamy sand

4 – 12

Hutton soils are characterised by relatively uniform red, apedal (structureless) subsoil. The red colour

is due to hematite. Hutton soils occur in well drained positions in the landscape and on well drained

underlying material and they very seldom become saturated with water. Fine sand variants of this

form are sensitive to wind erosion and are easily compacted by cultivation.

The Glenrosa soil form consists of an Orthic A-horizon on a lithocutanic B-horizon. The lithocutanic

subsoil represents the more advanced stage of in situ parent rock weathering with the B-horizon

having similar colour, structure and consistency as the parent rock. This horizon is often more dense

and subsequently impermeable to air, water and plant roots than the overlying Orthic A horizon.

The Mispah soil form consists of an Orthic A-horizon on Hard Rock. The Hard Rock encompasses

bedrock and silcrete. The effective depth of this soil form is restricted by the presence of the rocky

material. Water movement and root penetration are also restricted.

4.6.1.3 Soil erodibility

Silt and fine sandy soils are usually more easily erodible than more clayey soils. Erodibility

increases with increasing slope. The soils’ susceptibility to wind and water erosion based on

textural class and slope in the project area is listed in Table 4-7.

Table 4-7: Erosion susceptibility of soils in project area, per mine infrastructural unit

Mine infrastructure

Area (ha)

Erosion susceptibility Dominant soil textural class

Avalon 14869

250 Generally moderately sloping land. Soils have low to moderate erodibility. Moderately susceptible to wind and water erosion

Loamy sands dominant

591.26

Very steep slopes with soils of low erodibility; moderately - strongly sloping land with soils of low - high erodibility; moderately sloping land with soils of very high erodibility. Susceptible to wind erosion

Sands dominant

Ngisana 13992 HT

194.39 Generally moderately sloping land. Soils have low to moderate erodibility. Moderately susceptible to wind and water erosion


246 Generally moderately sloping land. Soils have low to moderate erodibility. Moderately susceptible to wind and water erosion.


300

Very steep slopes with soils with low erodibility; moderately - strongly sloping land with soils of low - high erodibility; moderately sloping land with soils of very high erodibility. Susceptible to wind erosion.

Sands dominant


April 2021 42

Mooidoornhoek 3722 HT

42.46 Generally moderately sloping land. Soils have low to moderate erodibility. Moderately susceptible to wind and water erosion.


Avalon &Ngisana opencast

193.89

Very steep slopes with soils of low erodibility; moderately - strongly sloping land with soils of low - high erodibility; moderately sloping land with soils of very high erodibility. Susceptible to wind erosion

Sands dominant

Waste rock – Avalon Area



Waste Rock – Ngisana area

358.6

Very steep slopes with soils with low erodibility; moderately - strongly sloping land with soils of low - high erodibility; moderately sloping land with soils of very high erodibility. Susceptible to wind erosion.

Sands dominant

Contractor laydown area



Plant footprint & Tailings Storage



Topsoil Stockpile




April 2021 43

Figure 4-6: Land types within project area


April 2021 44

4.6.2 Pre-mining Land Capability

Land capability classification (LCC) is a system of grouping soils into map units based on the ability

of the land to sustain rain-fed arable crops. The map units are classed as arable (classes I – IV) or

non- arable (class VI- VIII) depending on the degree of physical limitations. The LCC does not

indicate soil fertility status, which can be ameliorated by additives.

The land capability for the project area is classified as Class V (76%) and Class VI (24%) which is

non-arable land that is only suitable for limited pastoral or forestry (if rainfall is sufficient) use, and

generally not suited to cultivation.

The land capability for the project area is shown in Figure 4-7. The approximate area and land

capability for each mine infrastructural unit is listed below.

Table 4-8: Land capability classes for mine infrastructure

Mine infrastructure Land Capability Class Area (ha)

Avalon &Ngisana opencast V 120

VI 73.89

Waste rock – Avalon Area V 66.3

VI 38

Waste Rock – Ngisana area V 358.6

Contractor laydown area VI 19.7

Plant footprint & Tailings Storage V 2.5

Topsoil Stockpile V 6.8

Notes: Class V & Class VI - Non-arable; Grazing, Woodland

4.6.3 Agricultural potential

The agricultural potential reflects the production capacity of the land. It is dependent on the

characteristics of the land and the specific management input. Most of the project area is grassland,

woodland/open bush and dense bush (refer to section 4.7.2). A small portion of land is also cultivated,

though this falls outside the planned mine infrastructure footprint. These areas are likely to be well-

drained, deep Hutton soils. The dry climatic conditions are not ideal for dryland crop production. The

grassland and woodland areas are most likely where the low to medium potential Glenrosa and

Mispah soil forms occur. The soil agricultural potential rating is summarised in Table 4-9.

Table 4-9: Soil agricultural potential for dryland crop production in the project area

Dominant soil form Effective depth Depth limiting material

Climate

Soil agricultural potential rating

Hutton 500 – 1200 Hard Rock

Semi-arid

Medium

Glenrosa 200 – 400 Weathering rock Low

Mispah 100 – 200 Hard Rock Low


April 2021 45

Figure 4-7: Land capability for project area


April 2021 46

4.7 Land use

4.7.1 Approach

The land use and land cover for the project area were determined from recent aerial imagery, the

South African National Land Cover Map and relevant reports on the project area. The land use

assessment is limited to the area envisioned for the planned mine infrastructure.

Only 12 land cover / land use information classes are present in the study area. These were further

condensed for mapping purposes as shown in the table below.

Table 4-10: Land cover (use) classification

No Land cover /use class Shown on map as

1 Bare none vegetated Bare none vegetated

2 Cultivated commercial fields (high)

Cultivated commercial fields 3 Cultivated commercial fields (low)

4 Cultivated commercial fields (med)

5 Cultivated commercial pivots (low)

6 Grassland Grassland

7 Mines 1 bare Mining

8 Mines 2 semi-bare

11 Thicket /Dense bush Thicket /Dense bush

12 Woodland/Open bush Woodland/Open bush

4.7.2 Land use classification

The surrounding land uses as reported are made up of grazing, with some areas being used for

commercial in Avalon 14869 HT. There is an old mining operation (Open Pit) in Avalon 14869 HT

and Ngisana13992 HT (Underground).

From the recent aerial imagery most of the project area appears to be sparsely vegetated to bare in

some areas. Some land on the farm Avalon 14869 HT appears to be cultivated (Figure 4-8) and also

has historic mining activity to the north of the cultivated portions. These areas fall within the planned

mine infrastructure area.


April 2021 47

Figure 4-8: Cultivated parcels of land on the farm Ngisana13992 HT.

The National Land cover map for the project area is shown in Figure 4-9. The majority, 70%, of the

project area land use is classified as grassland, 10% as woodland/open bush, 15% as thicket or

dense bush, 4.9% as cultivated commercial fields and 0.1% as mines and semi-bare. The

approximate area the various land uses occupied per mine infrastructural unit in the project area is

listed below.

ERICURE (PTY) LTD-COAL - FSR

April 2021 48

Figure 4-9: Land cover and vegetation types


April 2021 49

4.8 Ecology

An evaluation of the existing terrestrial ecological conditions on the proposed mining areas was

undertaken around May 2020 and June 2020 by means of field work, literature study and satellite

imagery.

Three farms comprise the area over which Ericure (Pty) Ltd holds prospecting rights and has applied

for a mining right, hereafter collectively referred to as the study area. The study area covers

approximately 1615.61ha, and extends on an east-west orientation with the town of Dannhauser

located further west of the study area – see Figure 2-1.

Apart from urban and commercial infrastructure associated with Ericure Mining area and a few small

sites of development or disturbance, much of the study area, as well as the surrounding land,

comprises natural habitat consisting of grassland, low shrubland, woodland/open bush, with dense

bush along the drainage lines, and cultivated fields – see Figure 4-9.

4.8.1 Vegetation

The study area is located within the Income sandy grassland and Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist

Grassland vegetation types of the Grassland biome (Mucina & Rutherford 2006), including Wetlands

(Azonal Vegetation) of temperate Alluvial Vegetation occurring North of the farms Avalon 14869 HT

and Ngisana 13992 HT as well as the southern portion of the farm Avalon 14869 HT.

The southern portion of the farm Ngisana 13992 HT and the western portion of the farm Avalon

14869 HT and Mooidoornhoek 3722 HT lies within the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland

vegetation types in the area dominated by Hilly and rolling landscapes supporting tall tussock

grassland usually dominated by Themeda triandra and Hyparrhenia hirta. Open Acacia sieberiana

var. woodii savannoid woodlands encroach up the valleys, usually on disturbed (strongly eroded)

sites.

The mine infrastructure in the study area is located within the Income sandy grassland vegetation

types covering very flat extensive areas with generally shallow, poorly drained, sandy soils

supporting low, tussock-dominated sourveld forming a mosaic with wooded grasslands (with Acacia

sieberiana var woodii) and on well-drained sites with the trees A. karroo, A. nilotica, A. caffra and

Diospyros lycoides. On disturbed sites A. sieberiana var woodii can form sparse woodlands. Aristida

congesta, Cynodon dactylon and Microchloa caffra are common on shallow soils (Camp,1999b).

The study area has portion of the farms where the Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation of Alluvial Wetlands

occurs and has been identified and excluded from the mine development and infrastructure areas:

Temperate Alluvial Vegetation types is a flat alluvial riverine terraces supporting an intricate complex

of macrophytic vegetation (channel of flowing rivers and river-fed pans), marginal reed belts (in

sheltered ox-bows and along very slow-flowing water courses) as well as extensive flooded

grasslands, ephemeral herblands and riverine thickets.

This can also be subdivided into:

Alluvial Wetlands : Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation : Lowveld Floodplain Grasslands

Alluvial Wetlands : Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation : Lowveld Floodplain Grasslands : Short

Grass/ Sedge Wetlands

Alluvial Wetlands : Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation : Lowveld Floodplain Grasslands : Tall

Reed Wetland

Alluvial Wetlands : Temperate Alluvial Vegetation

Alluvial Wetlands : Temperate Alluvial Vegetation : Midland Alluvial Woodland & Thicket

Alluvial Wetlands : Temperate Alluvial Vegetation : Midland Floodplain Grasslands

These categories also belong to AZa, but have not been given a specific code in Mucina and

Rutherford (2006).


April 2021 50

The provincial coverage of Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland vegetation types in KwaZulu-

Natal Province: Northern and north-western regions of the Province, where it forms a discontinuous

rim around the upper Thukela Basin and is situated almost entirely within the catchment of the

Thukela River. It lies between the drier Gs 6 KwaZulu-Natal Highland Thornveld and the moist upland

vegetation of mainly Gs 3 Low Escarpment Moist Grassland to the north and Gs 10 Drakensberg

Foothill Moist Grassland to the west. The most extensive areas are in the vicinity of Winterton,

Bergville, Fort Mistake, Dannhauser, Dundee, north of Ladysmith and west of Newcastle. At higher

altitudes this unit is usually surrounded by Gs 3 Low Escarpment Moist Grassland in the north and

Gs 10 Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland in the west and south. At lower altitudes Gs 6 KwaZulu-

Natal Highland Thornveld and SVs 2 Thukela Thornveld usually occur to the east. Altitude 1 040–1

440 m.

The provincial coverage of the Income sandy grassland vegetation types is in a large triangle

between Newcastle, Vryheid and Dundee and larger polygon in the Wasbank area in northern

KwaZulu-Natal. Altitude 880–1 340 m (mainly 1 120–1 240 m).

The Alluvial Wetlands of Temperate Alluvial Vegetation type is widely distributed in Limpopo,

Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces and in Swaziland: Broad river alluvia and around some

river-fed pans in the subtropical regions of eastern South Africa, in particular in the Lowveld, Central

Bushveld and in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The most important alluvia include the Limpopo, Luvubu,

Olifants, Sabie, Crocodile, Phongolo, Usutu and Mkuze Rivers. This unit is fully embedded within the

Savanna Biome. Altitude ranging from 0–1 000 m.

4.8.2 Fauna

4.8.2.1 Mammals

Traditionally grasslands supported many grass-eating herbivores such as Zebra, Wildebeest, Eland

and various antelope species. Raptors are also commonly found hunting in grasslands as they feed

on the many rodents that flourish. Grasslands are also home to many insects such as ants, crickets

and butterflies that feed on the various plant species.

The study area has been significantly impacted by transformation and development with the result

that the remnant areas of intact grassland are high fragmented and exposed to anthropogenic

influences. As a result, species that are not tolerant of human disturbance are not likely to be present

and the remnant fauna consists largely of smaller and more wary nocturnal species.

In terms of listed species, Oribi Ourebia ourebi (Endangered), Blue Duiker Philantomba monticola

(Vulnerable), Serval Leptailurus serval (Near Threatened), African Striped Weasel Poecilogale

albinucha (Near Threatened) and Leopard Panthera pardus (Vulnerable) are species of conservation

concern that occur in the wider area. However, of these only the African Striped Weasel and possibly

the Blue Duiker are likely to be present as the area is too disturbed or no longer suitable for the other

species due to habitat changes and fragmentation. The intact grasslands would originally have

contained Serval and Oribi but the extent of intact grassland is not sufficient to support viable

populations of these species and it is also likely that hunting pressure on these species would have

extirpated them from the area some time ago. There are some relatively intact and inaccessible

forests remaining at the site especially in the east and these potentially support remnant Blue Duiker

populations.

As a result of the high levels of transformation of the area the development is likely to generate low

levels of impact on mammals. All of the mine infrastructure sites are within transformed habitat and

it is likely to minimize loss of currently intact habitat, with the result that overall impacts on fauna can

be mitigated to low levels.


April 2021 51

4.8.2.2 Avifauna

The study area encompasses a rich diversity of potential bird habitat, including open and closed

Grasslands, mountainous terrain and riparian woodland and reedbeds. The SABAP2 lists 79 birds

for the pentads in which the study area is located. Documented birds include a range of species

typical of Grassland biome. Areas of riparian habitat occurring along the Income sandy grassland,

Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland biome are particularly important bird habitat, providing

nesting trees for species.

The Natal Black Snake Macrelaps microlepidotus (Near Threatened) and Large- scaled Grass Lizard

Chamaesaura macrolepis (Near Threatened) are reptile species which also have more specialist

than generalist habitat requirements (McLean et al. 2016) and are likely to still occur within the intact

parts of the site. The most important habitats in the area for reptiles would be the intact remnants of

grassland and Thornveld in the east and drainage systems north of the two farm properties. Provided

that loss of currently intact habitat is kept to a minimum, then impacts on reptiles are likely to be

relatively low and no significant long-term impacts are likely.

4.8.2.3 Herpetofauna

The broader area has exceptional frog species richness, with as many as thirty-two frog species

known from the area. This includes four species of conservation concern. Pickersgill’s Reed Frog

Hyperolius pickersgilli (EN) inhabits densely vegetated, stagnant valley bottom wetlands from the

coast to ca. 200 m above sea level (McLean et al. 2016). As this habitat is not present at the site

which is almost all above 1200m above sea level, it is highly unlikely that this species is present at

the site and an impact on this species can be excluded as a likely outcome of the development.

The Endangered Kloof Frog Natalobatrachus bonebergi is under threat due to the degradation of

riverine gorge systems (Minter et al. 2004) as a result of over-exploitation and pollution. Other

species of concern include the Spotted Shovel-nosed Frog Hemisus guttatus (VU), a potential

flagship species that is endemic and occurs in wooded and open habitat adjacent wetlands, but is

extremely difficult to locate due to its fossorial habits (McLean et al. 2016). It is not likely that there

would be impact on the habitat of this species as the majority of the site is disturbed and there would

be minimal impact on areas of good condition habitat. The Natal Leaf-folding Frog Afrixalus spinifrons

(VU) is more likely to occur at the site as it is relatively tolerant of some landuse changes. However

as it is associated with wetlands and water bodies, it is not likely to be impacted by the development

as the Mine development would specifically avoid these features.

Overall, impacts on amphibians are likely to be relatively as their most important habitats, wetlands

and other drainage features are likely to be minimally impacted by the development and the major

footprint areas would be in areas that are already heavily transformed.

4.8.2.4 Arthropods

Henning et al. (2009) lists five Red List butterflies for KwaZulu-Natal Province. Nymphalidae

(Dingana dingana, Lycaenidae, Capys penningtoni, Chrysoritis lyncurium, Durbania amakosa

albescens, Durbania amakosa flavida, Lepidochrysops hypopolia, Lepidochrysops ketsi

leucomacula, Lepidochrysops pephredo, and Orachrysops Ariadne), Hesperiidae (Metisella meninx),

KwaZulu-Natal butterfly hot spots Margate area (Durbania amakosa albescens, Lepidochrysops

ketsi leucomacula).

SpiderMAP records indicate that Idiothele nigrofulva has been recorded. This species is a member

of the Blue-footed baboon spider family (Family Theraphosidae), which is considered to be of

conservation value. The Blue-footed baboon spider is endemic to South Africa where it is only known

from Ndumo Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal.

Members of the genus Opistophthalmus – the burrowing scorpions (Family Scorpionidae) may also

be present in the study area.


April 2021 52

Figure 4-10: Study area in relation to KZN Conservation Plan


April 2021 53

4.8.3 Flora

The study area falls within the Income sandy grassland, and Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist

Grassland vegetation types of the Grassland biome (Mucina & Rutherford 2006), including Wetlands

(Azonal Vegetation) of temperate Alluvial Vegetation.

Income Sandy Grassland: Very flat extensive areas with generally shallow, poorly drained, sandy

soils supporting low, tussock-dominated sourveld forming a mosaic with wooded grasslands (with

Acacia sieberiana var woodii) and on well-drained sites with the trees A. karroo, A. nilotica, A. caffra

and Diospyros lycoides. On disturbed sites A. sieberiana var woodii can form sparse woodlands.

Aristida congesta, Cynodon dactylon and Microchloa caffra are common on shallow soils (Camp

1999b). This vegetation type is recoded as vulnerable and already disturbed by historic mining

activities with majority of the mine infrastructure located within the vegetation type.

Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland: Hilly and rolling landscapes supporting tall tussock

grassland usually dominated by Themeda triandra and Hyparrhenia hirta. Open Acacia sieberiana

var. woodii savannoid woodlands encroach up the valleys, usually on disturbed (strongly eroded)

sites. This vegetation type is recoded as vulnerable and with portion of this forming part of the (CBA

option) critical biodiversity option in the study area.

Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation (Wetlands Azonal Vegetation): Flat alluvial riverine terraces

supporting an intricate complex of macrophytic vegetation (channel of flowing rivers and river-fed

pans), marginal reed belts (in sheltered ox-bows and along very slow-flowing water courses) as well

as extensive flooded grasslands, ephemeral herblands and riverine thickets. The subdivision

applicable in the study area is the Alluvial Wetlands : Temperate Alluvial Vegetation. This vegetation

type is recoded as vulnerable and will remain undisturbed throughout the mining operation as no

activities or infrastructure will be placed within wetland.

4.8.4 Ecological Integrity

The precautionary principle was applied to the determination of the ecological function of the study

area. If ecological function was found to be borderline between two categories, the site was classified

in the higher category. The preferred site for the proposed mining and infrastructure development is

undeveloped and largely in its natural condition, but parts of the surrounding area have been

impacted by historic agricultural activities, mining, business and residential developments.

Considering these factors and the recorded species diversity, the ecological integrity of the study

area is regarded as being moderate to high in places.

4.8.5 Conservation Importance

The precautionary principle was also applied to the determination of the conservation importance of

the various vegetation communities. In instances where conservation importance was found to be

borderline between two categories, the community was classified in the higher category.

Due to the widespread occurrence of the same vegetation types over a large area in the vicinity of

the preferred site, the conservation importance of the vegetation on the site is regarded as low.

4.9 Surface Water

Surface water study was undertaken to characterise the hydrology of the proposed mining area and

its surroundings and to provide input for the water use licence application (WULA). Information

generated during fieldwork has being incorporated in this report and will also form part of the EIA

Report.

As shown on Figure 4-11, the proposed coal mine site is located within the Quaternary catchment in

the KwaZulu Natal Province. A Mzinyashana tributary runs South of the proposed project area in a

south-easterly direction until it joins the Buffels River, which flows in a north-easterly direction. There

are several non-perennial rivers on the proposed coal mine site.

ERICURE (PTY) LTD-COAL - FSR

April 2021 54

Figure 4-11: Catchments relevant to project area


April 2021 55

4.9.1 Hydrology

The proposed development falls within Water Management Area 7, the Thukela River catchment,

band more specifically the Buffalo River sub-Catchment and Quaternary Catchment V32D which is

596 km2 and has a mean annual precipitation of 743.9 mm and an evaporation rate of 1845.2 mm.

This implies a negative water balance which emphasises the importance of healthy aquatic features

from a water storage and streamflow regulation perspective. The catchment’s mean annual surface

runoff is 49.7 mm which implies a significant amount of infiltration and ground water recharge.

According to the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) (Nel, et al. 2011), the V32D

Quaternary Catchment is a Fish Support Area and associated sub-catchment. Fish sanctuaries for

rivers in a good condition (A or B ecological category) were identified as FEPAs. The remaining fish

sanctuaries, as in this case, in rivers lower than an A or B ecological condition were identified as Fish

Support Areas. Fish Support Areas also include sub-quaternary catchments that are important for

migration of threatened fish species. Ideally, the river condition should be improved and alien

invasive fish should be removed from Fish Support Areas, so that these sub-quaternary catchments

can maintain their fish populations.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Freshwater Systematic Conservation Plan (SCP) (EKZNW, 2007) classifies

the project to fall within planning unit 506 as being Available (i.e. untransformed biodiversity areas

but not optimally required to meet biodiversity targets). The implications of this for the Ericure Mining

area is that the ‘available’ portions are available for development. However, there is an important

Temperate Alluvial Vegetation: Midland Floodplain Grassland 1 km north of the mining and

infrastructure site into which the property drains and cognisance of this and ground-truthing of its

condition needs to be taken during the Hydrological Specialist Study in the overall EIA.

4.9.2 Water Quality

There is a complete contrast of water quality between the high lying mountainous areas to the lower-

lying Buffalo River Basin within ADM. This is attributed to various human activities (domestic, mining,

agricultural and industrial activities) taking place, particularly within Newcastle and Dannhauser. Acid

mine drainage has been singled out as a real threat to water quality within the district (ADM EMF,

2019). Within the Newcastle local Municipality, the water quality is mainly affected by poor performing

Wastewater Treatment Works or urban run-off with total coliforms and faecal coliforms (NLM IDP

2016/2017).

The Mzinyashana river catchment which runs south of the proposed site is mainly affected by

industrial activities located alongside the river.

4.9.3 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs)

With reference to the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) GIS dataset, the

proposed location has several NFEPA wetlands within 500m. Also, the study shows that some of the

sections of the proposed area fall within the 1:100-year flood line. Furthermore, the Mzinyashana

river runs south the proposed location, from the north section, down to the south.

4.9.4 Potential Impacts

The impacts on wetlands systems are expected to be minimal, this is partly because almost the entire

site is not sitting on these systems except the north eastern corner which has already been

developed. Nonetheless, the following can be anticipated; A contaminated surface run-off from

Mining operation, waste rock dumps, pollution control dams and coal discard has minimal the

potential of polluting the adjacent freshwater ecosystems.


April 2021 56

4.10 Groundwater

Tertiary catchments V31 and V32 of the Buffalo Region are located in the North Western Middleveld

Hydrogeological Region (Section 2 in Volume 1). In tertiary catchment V33, the Buffalo River

meanders through the North Western Middleveld Hydrogeological Region, passing through the North

Eastern Middleveld Hydrogeological Region before joining the uThukela River in a small portion of

the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Foreland Hydrogeological Region (Section 2 in Volume 1).

The aquifer in the North Western Middleveld Hydrogeological Region is intergranular and fractured

with extremely low to medium development potential (DWAF 2008: 16). The underlying geology is

mostly arenaceous rock of the Ecca formation (DWAF 2008: 16).

The aquifer types in the North Western Middleveld Hydrogeological Region are:

Fractured with a low development potential, mainly Diamictites (Dwyka Tillite).

Intergranular and fractured with a low development potential, mainly Arenaceous and

argillaceous rocks.(DWAF 2008: 14)

The fractured aquifers in the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Foreland Hydrogeological Region are created

by predominantly arenaceous rocks consisting of sandstone and diamictite (DWAF 2008: 18). The

Dwyka Tillite forms very productive aquifers in KwaZulu-Natal (King 1997 in DWAF 2008: 18).

A high level investigation of the groundwater regime at and in the broader vicinity of the proposed

mining area was undertaken to characterise baseline conditions. It will be updated as part of the

Specialist Study in the overall EIA .

4.10.1 Regional Geohydrology

The 2004 uThukela ISP identified that most of the region comprises of ‘hard rock’ secondary porosity

aquifers of the ‘weathered and fractured’ and ‘fractured’ aquifer classes (DWAF 2004: 21). The ISP

continued to explain that “faults, joints and intrusive Karoo dolerite contacts in the regional ‘hard

rocks’ are zones usually of increased groundwater presence” (2004: 21).

4.10.2 Groundwater Potential

The groundwater potential for the Buffalo Region is shown in Figure 4-12. The 2004 uThukela ISP

stated that “groundwater yields from ‘hard-rock’ boreholes are generally low and in the range 0.1 to

0.6 l/s, although significantly higher yields (3 l/s) can be obtained in hydrogeological favourable

situations, such as intrusive Karoo dolerite contact zones” (DWAF 2004: 21).

The draft 2019 Amajuba EMF Status Quo report assessed yields of the approximately 800 boreholes

located in Amajuba District Municipality recorded in the National Groundwater Database. The results

of this assessment are shown in Table 4-11.

Table 4-11: Summarised statistic of depth related borehole yield data in the Amajuba District Municipality (Amajuba District Municipality 2019: 110).

Lithological Unit Mean Yield Data (l/s)

Mean Yield Range

Maximum Yield Data (l/s)

Maximum Yield Range

Quaternary sediments 0.9 Moderate 4.8 High

Dolerite intrusions 2.7 Moderate 58 High

Karoo sediments 1.2 Moderate 19.8 High

Archaean rocks 0.9 Moderate 2.8 Moderate

Where Yield Ranges: High > 3 l/s; Moderate > 0.5 to 3 l/s; Low > 0.1 to 0.5 l/s; Very Low ≤ 0.1 l/s


April 2021 57

Figure 4-12: Ground water potential in the Buffalo Region(KZNDoT2017;MDB2016).

4.10.3 Water Quality

4.10.3.1 Surface Water

The 2004 the uThukela Internal Strategic Perspective (ISP) identified that, from a water quality

perspective, the Buffalo River is “the most severely impacted of all the uThukela River’s tributaries”

with the “water quality in the Buffalo River from the upper reaches all the way down to its confluence

with the uThukela River very poor” (DWAF 2004: 42). The 2004 uThukela ISP and the Draft 2019

Amajuba Environmental Management Framework (EMF) Status Quo report identified that the water

quality impacts result from(DWAF 2004: 42; Amajuba District Municipality 2019: 52):

industrial activities such as those from the Newcastle area and the Ngagane River area;

wastewater discharge (Section 19 in Volume 10); and

impacts associated with mining such as high salinity and low pH’s resulting from acid mine

drainage from the numerous old coal mines.

4.10.3.2 Ground Water

The 2004 the uThukela ISP stated that “groundwater quality is generally good, with the best quality

groundwater found in the higher rainfall portions and the poorest quality in the lower rainfall areas”

(DWAF 2004: 21). The ISP further identified that “the Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) content of the

groundwater is generally in the range of 90 to 200 mg/l, but it can rise to more than 500 mg/l in the

lower rainfall areas” (2004: 21). Groundwater pollution is localised, occurring in areas “where

underground coal mining and the dumping of mine discard material has taken place over the last 100

years or more” (DWAF 2004: 21). A comprehensive groundwater specialist study is currently being

undertaken and the results will be reported in the overall EIA report


April 2021 58

4.11 Noise

The primary noise sources identified in the area and their associated potential for noise generation

are detailed in Table 4-12 (Allan & Bennet, August 2016). The prevailing ambient noise levels will

vary because of the existing farming activities, roads (gravel and tarred). The noise levels

experienced by a receptor are a function of:

The distance between the receptor and the noise source;

The intervening topography and structures that may shield the receptor from the noise; and

Meteorological conditions such as wind speed, temperature and the season.

Table 4-12: Existing noise sources identified in the vicinity of the proposed Ericure (Pty) Ltd infrastructure

Noise source Description

Rural environmental noise sources

Birds, animals and insects. These sources are particularly prevalent at night. The prevailing ambient noise levels will be higher during the summer periods when insects such as crickets and beetles increase the ambient noise level. Typical noise levels for rural environments are given in SANS 10103 as:

Day-night (LR,dn) or “average” and daytime (LReq,d) – 45 dB; and

Night time (LReq,n) – 35 dB.

Residential (suburban)

Typical noise levels for residential/ suburban environments with little traffic are given in SANS 10103 as:

Day-night (LR,dn) or “average” and daytime (LReq,d) – 50 dB; and

Night time (LReq,n) – 40 dB.

Road traffic noise

Most of the roads within 10 km of the proposed Ericure (Pty) Ltd

infrastructure are gravel farm access roads;

The tarred road runs through the proposed mining area dissecting the two

farm properties. Traffic volumes on this road are anticipated to be low; and

The D114 Road is located within the two farm properties again dissecting

them from East to west towards Dannhauser does cross the proposed Eastern Pit boundary.

Road traffic noise levels fluctuate over time. There are short-term changes over one or two seconds as an individual vehicles passes. Variations over a number of minutes due to the changing composition of the traffic (i.e. ratio of cars to trucks etc.). Daily oscillations due to peak and off-peak traffic flows.

Road traffic noise is the combination of all sources of noise from a vehicle and includes propulsion (i.e. engine, exhaust, intake etc.), tyre/road (i.e. noise or road surface noise is that which is generated as the tyre rolls), and aerodynamic noise sources (turbulence around a vehicle as it passes through the air).

Rail

Wayside noise is generated by the train’s propulsion system, the auxiliary equipment such as compressors, motor generators, brakes, interaction of wheels and rails, speed and length of the train, and noise radiated by vibrating structures such as bridges.

Identified receptors within 5 km of the proposed mining activities are indicated on Figure 4-13.


April 2021 59

Figure 4-13: Receptors within 5 km of proposed mining activities


April 2021 60

4.11.1 Effects of Season on Sound Level

Natural sounds are a part of the environmental noise surrounding humans. In rural areas, the sounds

from insects and birds would dominate the ambient sound character, with noises such as wind flowing

through vegetation increasing as wind speed increase. Work by Fégeant (2002) stressed the

importance of wind speed and turbulence causing variations in the level of vegetation generated

noise. In addition, factors such as the season (e.g. dry or no leaves versus green leaves), the type

of vegetation (e.g. grass, conifers, deciduous), the vegetation density and the total vegetation surface

all determine both the sound level as well as spectral characteristics.

Ambient sound levels are significantly affected by the area where the sound measurement location

is situated. When the sound measurement location is situated within an urban area, close to industrial

plants or areas with a constant sound source (ocean, rivers, etc.), seasons and even increased wind

speeds could have a significant impact on ambient sound levels.

Sound levels in undeveloped rural areas (away from occupied dwellings) however are impacted by

changes in season for a number of complex reasons. The two main reasons are:

Faunal communication during the warmer spring and summer months as various species

communicate in an effort to find mates; and

Seasonal changes in weather patterns, mainly wind

The effect of the different seasons is considered when assigning rating levels for certain areas.

Numerous factors are considered when defining the potential rating level for an area, which include

ambient sound levels (that may be impacted by seasonal effects) as well as the developmental

character of the area (industrial noises, business as well as typically expected road traffic).

For environmental noise, weather also plays an important role; the greater the separation distance,

the greater the influence of the weather conditions; so, from day to day, a road 1,000 m away can

sound very loud or can be completely inaudible.

Other, environmental factors that impact on sound propagation include wind, temperature and

humidity, as discussed in the following sections.

4.11.1.1 Effects of wind speeds on vegetation and sound level

Wind speed is a determining factor for sound levels at most rural locations. With no wind, there is

little vegetation movement that could generate noises, however, as wind speeds increase, the

rustling of leaves increases which subsequently can increase sound levels. This directly depends on

the type of vegetation in a certain area. The impact of increased wind speeds on sound levels

depends on the vegetation type (deciduous versus conifers), the density of vegetation in an area,

seasonal changes (in winter deciduous trees are bare) as well as the height of this vegetation. This

excludes the effect of faunal communication as vegetation may create suitable habitats and food

sources for fauna, attracting more animals in number and species diversity as may be found in the

natural veldt.

4.11.1.2 Effects of wind speeds on sound propagation

Excluding wind-induced noises relating to increased wind speeds, wind alters sound propagation by

the mechanism of refraction; that is, wind bends sound waves. Wind nearer to the ground moves

more slowly than wind at higher altitudes, due to surface characteristics such as hills, trees, and

man-made structures that interfere with the wind. This wind gradient, with faster wind at higher

elevation and slower wind at lower elevation, causes sound waves to bend downward when they are

travelling to a location downwind of the source and to bend upward when travelling toward a location

upwind of the source. Waves bending downward means that a listener standing downwind of the

source will hear louder noise levels than the listener standing upwind of the source. This

phenomenon can significantly impact sound propagation over long distances and when wind speeds

are high.


April 2021 61

Over short distances, wind direction has a small impact on sound propagation as long as wind

velocities are reasonably slow, i.e. less than 3 – 5 m/s.

4.11.1.3 Effects of temperature on sound propagation

On a typical sunny afternoon, air is warmest near the ground and temperature decreases at higher

altitudes. This temperature gradient causes sound waves to refract upward, away from the ground

and results in lower noise levels being heard at a measurement location. In the evening, this

temperature gradient will reverse, resulting in cooler temperatures near the ground. This condition

often referred to as a temperature inversion will cause sound to bend downward toward the ground

and results in louder noise levels at the listener’s position. Like wind gradients, temperature gradients

can influence sound propagation over long distances and further complicate measurements.

Generally, sound propagate better at lower temperatures (down to 10oC), and with everything being

equal, a decrease in temperature from 32oC to 10oC would increase the sound level at a listener

600 m away by ±2.5 dB (at 1,000 Hz).

4.11.1.4 Effects of Humidity on sound propagation

The effect of humidity on sound propagation is quite complex but effectively relates how increased

humidity changes the density of air. Lower density translates into faster sound wave travel, so sound

waves travel faster at high humidity. With everything being equal, an increase in humidity from 20%

to 80% would increase the sound level at a listener 600 m away by ±4 dB (at 1,000 Hz).

4.11.2 Factors that Influence Ambient Sound Levels at a Dwelling

There are a number of factors that determine how ambient sound levels close to a dwelling might

differ from the ambient sound levels further away (or even at another dwelling in the area), including:

Type of activities taking place in the vicinity of the dwelling;

Equipment being used near the dwelling, especially equipment such as water pumps,

compressors and air conditioners;

Whether there are any windmills (“windpompe”) close to the dwelling as well as their

general maintenance condition;

Types of trees around dwelling (conifers vs. broad-leaved trees, habitat that it provides to

birds, food that it may provide to birds);

The number, type and distance between the dwelling (measuring point) and trees. This is

especially relevant when the trees are directly against the house (where the branches can

touch the roof);

Distance to large infrastructural developments, including roads, railroads and even large

diameter pipelines (generation of low-frequency noises);

Distances to other noise sources, whether anthropogenic or natural (such as the ocean or

running water);

The material used in the construction of the dwelling;

The design of the building, including layout and number of openings (relating to the

detection and second generation of low-frequency noises);

How well the dwelling is maintained; and

The type and how many farm animals are in the vicinity of the dwelling.


April 2021 62

4.11.3 Ambient Sound Level Measurement

Ambient sound levels were measured from 29 to 31 June 2020 in accordance with the South

African National Standard SANS 10103:2008 "The measurement and rating of environmental noise

with respect to land use, health, annoyance and to speech communication". The standard specifies

the acceptable techniques for sound measurements including:

type of equipment;

minimum duration of measurement;

microphone positions;

calibration procedures and instrument checks; and

weather conditions.

Figure 4-14: Localities where ambient sound levels were measured

4.11.3.1 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL01: Maritz Homestead

The equipment defined in Table 4-13 was used for gathering data.

Table 4-13: Equipment used to gather data (SVAN 977) at TDCLTSL01 Equipment Model Serial no Calibration

SLM Svan 977 34849 October 2018

Pre-Amplifier SV 12L 32395 October 2018

Microphone ACO 7052E 55974 October 2018

Calibrator Quest QC-20 QOC 020005 June 2020

Anenometer WH3081PC - -

The Measurement Location (ML) was located in the outer boundary fence, away from the residential

dwelling, the workshop and broiler pen. This ML is approximately 160 m from the tar road and traffic


April 2021 63

noises were clearly audible and could be potentially significant during passing. Refer to Table 4-14

highlighting sounds heard during equipment deployment and collection.

Table 4-14: Noises/sounds heard during site visits at TDCLTSL01

Noises/sounds heard during onsite investigations

Magnitude Scale Code: • Barely

Audible

• Audible

• Dominating

During equipment deployment

Faunal and

Natural

Bird communication constant and dominant. Slight wind induced noise with

intermittent wind gusts.

Residential Dogs barking at times. Farmer have broilers which may make noise in the

morning.

Industrial & transportation

Constant noise from passing road traffic. Impulsive noises from workshop at times. People working at workshop with

voices audible at times.

During equipment collection

Faunal and Natural

Bird communication constant and dominant.

Residential Dog barking significant during event.


Road traffic noises significant and potentially dominant during passing. Voices of workers audible in distance.

Impulse time-weighted equivalent sound levels LAIeq,10min and fast time-weighted equivalent

sound levels LAFeq,10min are presented in Figure 4-15 and summarized in Table 4-15 below. The

maximum (LAmax), minimum (LAmin) and 90th percentile (LA90) statistical values are illustrated in

Figure 4-16

The impulse time-weighted sound descriptor is mainly used in South Africa to define sound and noise

levels. Fast-weighted equivalent sound levels are included in this report as this is the sound

descriptor used in most international countries to define the Ambient Sound Level.

The LA90 level is presented in this report to define the “background ambient sound level”, or the

sound level that can be expected if there were little single events (loud transient noises) that impacts

on average sound level.

There were some times at night when the maximum noise levels exceeded 65 dBA with the most

being 4 times during the first night. If maximum noise levels exceed 65 dBA more than 10 times at

night, it may increase the probability where a receptor may be awakened at night, ultimately

impacting on the quality of sleep2.

Table 4-15: Sound levels considering various sound level descriptors at TDCLTSL01 LAmax,i

(dBA)

LAeq,i

(dBA)

LAeq,f

(dBA)

LA90,f

(dBA90)

LAmin,f

(dBA)

Day arithmetic average - 50,6 46,7 31,2 -

Night arithmetic average - 36,0 33,7 24,0 -

Day minimum - 31,8 29,8 - 20,6

Day maximum 93,7 70,3 67,5 - -

Night minimum - 25,1 23,0 - 20,1

Night maximum 68,9 55,4 48,8 - -

Day 1 equivalent - 56,2 47,2 - -

Night 1 Equivalent - 42,5 38,6 - -





April 2021 64

The numerous 10-minute measurements are further classified for the day- and night-time periods in

terms of the SANS 10103:2008 typical noise district areas in Figure 4-17 (day) and Figure 4-18(night).

The spectral character at this ML is illustrated in Figure 4-19 to Figure 4-22. It is grouped in 3 distinctive

sets, namely low, mid and high frequency bands in the following paragraphs.

Lower frequencies (20 – 250 Hz): This frequency band is generally dominated by noises originating

from anthropogenic activities (vehicles idling and driving, pumps and motors, etc.) as well as certain

natural phenomena (wind, ocean surf splash etc.). Motor vehicle engine rpm (revolutions per minute,

1000 - 6000 rpm) mostly convert to this range of frequency. Lower frequencies (above infrasound

etc.) also have the potential to propagate much further than the higher frequencies.

Night-time data indicated a site with some low-frequency acoustic energy with peaks visible at 50

and 100 Hz with the source unknown, although an Eskom transformer may be the likely source.

Daytime data indicated a site with some acoustic energy in this frequency bandwidth with no clear

character.

Middle frequencies surrounding 1,000 Hz (200 – 2,000 Hz) – This range contains energy mostly

associated with human speech (350 Hz – 2,000 Hz; mostly below 1,000 Hz) and dwelling noises

(including sounds from larger animals such as chickens, dogs, goats, sheep and cattle). Road-tyre

interaction (from vehicular traffic) normally features in 630 – 1,600 Hz range.

Night-time data indicate significant acoustic energy in this frequency range, with no clear character.

This is indicative of various different sound sources impacting on the local soundscape at night.

Daytime data indicate significant acoustic energy in this frequency band, with noises from animals

and road traffic suspected to be the dominant source.

Higher frequency (2,000 Hz upwards) – Smaller faunal species such as birds, crickets and cicada

use this range to communicate and hunt etc.

Night-time data indicate little acoustic energy in this frequency range with no specific character.

Daytime data indicate significant acoustic energy in this frequency band with various noise sources

impacting on ambient sound levels with a broadband character. This is likely a combination of faunal

sounds and WIN (wind induced noise).


April 2021 65

Figure 4-15: Ambient Sound Levels at TDCLTSL01

Figure 4-16: Maximum, minimum and Statistical sound levels at

TDCLTSL01

Figure 4-17: Classification of daytime measurements in typical noise

districts at TDCLTSL01

Figure 4-18: Classification of night-time measurements in typical noise districts at TDCLTSL01


April 2021 66

Figure 4-19: Spectral frequencies – TDCLTSL01, Night 1

Figure 4-20: Spectral frequencies - TDCLTSL01, Day 2

Figure 4-21: Average night-time frequencies - TDCLTSL01

Figure 4-22: Average daytime frequencies - TDCLTSL01


April 2021 67

4.11.3.2 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL02: Ferreira Homestead

The equipment defined in Table 5-4 was used for gathering data


SLM Svan 955 27637 October 2018

Pre-Amplifier SV 12L 30336 October 2018

Microphone ACO 7052E 52437 October 2018

Calibrator Quest QC-20 QOC 020005 June 2020

* Microphone fitted with the RION WS-03 outdoor all-weather windshield.

The ML was selected to be reflective of ambient sound levels in the area. The ML is approximately

600 m from the tar road with no line of sight to this road (dweling blocking the road). Refer to Table

5-5 highlighting sounds heard during equipment deployment and collection.

Table 4-17: Noises/sounds heard during site visits at TDCLTSL02 Noises/sounds heard during onsite investigations


Faunal and Birds living in garage significant noise. Various large trees in

Natural area will increase WIN. WIN at times with increases winds.

Magnitude Residential

Dogs barking with movement on yard. Rooster crowing every

few minutes.

Scale Code: Industrial & Agricultural activities (people loading bales of hay) making

• Barely

Audible

• Audible

• Dominating

transportation sounds at times.


Faunal and

Natural Significant bird sounds.

Residential -

Industrial &

transportation Road traffic noise audible at times.


sound levels LAFeq,10min are presented in Figure 4-23 :Ambient sound levels at TDCLTSL02 and

summarized in Table 4-18 below. The maximum (LAmax), minimum (LAmin) and 90th percentile

(LA90) statistical values are illustrated in Figure 4-24: Maximum, minimum and statistical values at

TDCLTSL02.






on average sound level. There were very little events over the four nights when the maximum noise

levels exceeded 65 dBA. If maximum noise levels exceed 65 dBA more than 10 times at night, it may

increase the probability where a receptor may be awakened at night, ultimately impacting on the

quality of sleep3.


April 2021 68

Table 4-18: Sound level descriptors as measured at TDCLTSL02 LAmax

,i (dBA)

LAeq,i

(dBA)

LAeq,f

(dBA)

LA90,f

(dBA90)

LAmin,

f (dBA)



Day minimum - 18,3 15,3 - 9,3

Day maximum 95,8 74,5 65,8 - -

Night minimum - 15,9 10,0 - 9,1

Night maximum 70,0 47,2 43,4 - -







terms of the SANS 10103:2008 typical noise district areas in Figure 4-25 (day) and Figure 4-18 (night).

The spectral character at this ML is illustrated in Figure 4-19 to Figure 4-30 . It is grouped in 3

distinctive sets, namely low, mid and high frequency bands in the following paragraphs.









character.













impacting on ambient sound levels with a broadband character. This is likely a combination of faunal

sounds and WIN (wind induced noise).


April 2021 69



TDCLTSL02



Figure 4-26: Classification of night-time measurements in typical noise



April 2021 70






April 2021 71

4.11.3.3 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL03: Manyati Homestead



SLM Svan 977 36176 January 2020

Pre Amplifier SV 12L 25686 January 2020

Microphone ACO 7052E 49596 January 2020

Calibrator Quest QC-20 QOC 020005 June 2020 * Microphone fitted with the RION WS-03 outdoor all-weather windshield.

The ML was selected to be reflective of the ambient sound levels in the residential area north of the

proposed mining area. The developmental character is typical of a sub-urban noise district with

community sounds frequently audible. The microphone was deployed next to the property fence

away from the area where the community would spend time. Refer to Table 4-20 highlighting sounds

heard during equipment setup and collection.




Audible • Audible

• Dominating


Faunal and

Natural Birds dominant with WIN from tall grasses in area.

Residential

Voices at times clearly audible. Music just audible from one of the dwellings. Rooster in pen close by SLM.


-


Faunal and Natural

Birds dominant.

Residential Voices from houses in vicinity. Community sounds. Cattle mooing at times.

Industrial & transportation Traffic or mobile equipment audible in distance.


sound levels LAFeq,10min are presented in Figure 4-31 and summarized in Table 4-21 below. The

maximum (LAmax), minimum (LAmin) and 90th percentile (LA90) statistical values are illustrated in

Figure 4-32.






on average sound level. The LA90 level is relatively high for a sub- urban area and the reason is not

known (source not identified). Being slightly higher than the minimum sound level, it is likely that

there was a constant noise source in the area that was not audible (like a water pump in the distance

running 24/7).

There were very few times at night when the maximum noise levels exceeded 65 dBA. If maximum

noise levels exceed 65 dBA more than 10 times at night, it may increase the probability where a

receptor may be awakened at night, ultimately impacting on the quality of sleep4.


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Table 4-21: Sound levels considering various sound level descriptors at TDCLTSL03 LAmax,

i (dBA)

LAeq,i

(dBA)

LAeq,f

(dBA)

LA90,f

(dBA90)

LAmin,

f (dBA)



Day minimum - 33,5 32,7 - 31,9

Day maximum 89,9 68,4 61,2 - -

Night minimum - 32,5 32,2 - 31,6

Night maximum 92,2 70,3 63,6 - -







terms of the SANS 10103:2008 typical noise district areas in Figure 4-33 (day) and Figure 4-34 (night).











character.













impacting on ambient sound levels with a broadband character. This is likely a combination of

faunal sounds and WIN (wind induced noise)


April 2021 73



TDCLTSL03



Figure 4-34: Classification of night-time measurements in typical noise



April 2021 74






April 2021 75

4.11.3.4 Long-term Measurement Location TDCLTSL04: Sikhakhani Homestead



SLM Svan 977 34160 March 2019

Pre Amplifier SV 12L 32395 March 2019

Microphone ACO 7052E 54645 March 2019

Calibrator Quest QC-20 QOC 020005 June 2020 * Microphone fitted with the RION WS-03 outdoor all-weather windshield.

The ML was deployed just south one of the dwellings, with a direct view to a chicken pen and two

livestock pens (kraal) as well as a structure used as a hostel (around 100 m). It is located

approximately 890 m from the tar road and traffic sounds was audible the morning the instrument

was collected. Refer to Table 5-11 highlighting sounds heard during equipment setup and collection.




Audible

• Audible

• Dominating


Faunal and

Natural

Birds dominant. Wind induced noise from trees in area with light wind from

tar road towards ML.

Residential Lots of sheep and chicken sounds. Voices of residents.


Occasional road traffic noises. Traffic noises from tar road audible.


Faunal and Natural

Birds dominant.

Residential Cattle in close by kraal mooing at times. Voices from surrounding houses close and far.

Industrial & transportation Traffic noises clearly audible on road during passing.


sound levels LAFeq,10min are presented in Figure 5-26 and summarized in Table 5-12: Sound

levels considering various sound level descriptors at below. The maximum (LAmax), minimum

(LAmin) and 90th percentile (LA90) statistical values are illustrated in Figure 5-27.






on average sound level.

There were a very high number of times at night when the maximum noise levels exceeded 65 dBA.

If maximum noise levels exceed 65 dBA more than 10 times at night, it may increase the probability

where a receptor may be awakened at night, ultimately impacting on the quality of sleep5.


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Table 4-24: Sound levels considering various sound level descriptors at TDCLTSL04 LAmax,

i (dBA)

LAeq,i

(dBA)

LAeq,f

(dBA)

LA90,f

(dBA90)

LAmin,

f (dBA)



Day minimum - 27,5 25,5 - 19,7

Day maximum 93,3 81,9 72,6 - -

Night minimum - 23,1 21,4 - 19,2

Night maximum 79,5 65,0 57,7 - -







terms of the SANS 10103:2008 typical noise district areas in Figure 5-28 (day) and Figure 5-29

(night).











character.













impacting on ambient sound levels with a broadband character. This is likely a combination of

faunal sounds and WIN (wind induced noise)


April 2021 77


Figure 4-40: Maximum, minimum and Statistical sound levels at TDCLTSL04

Figure 4-41: Classification of daytime measurements in typical noise districts at TDCLTSL04

Figure 4-42: Classification of night-time measurements in typical noise districts at TDCLTSL04


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April 2021 79

4.11.4 Ambient Sound Levels – Finding and Summary

The following can be stated when considering the sounds heard as well as the results of the noise

measurements:

Measurement Location TDCLTSL01: Maritz Homestead

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (24 dBA) and daytime (31 dBA) are low indicating

that the area has a high potential to be quiet.

Most of the night-time 10-minute LAeq,f measurements fall within the rural noise district

rating level, with most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements falling in the rural to

sub-urban noise district rating level.

The arithmetic average (for the LAeq,f values) for the day- and night-time sound levels is

typical of a rural noise district.

Equivalent night-time 8-hour LAeq,f values indicate a quiet environment with equivalent

sound levels between that of a rural and sub-urban noise district.

Equivalent, the arithmetic mean and most singular 10-minute night-time sound levels (LAeq,f

values) indicate an area that complies with the International Finance Corporation’s noise

limits for residential use.

Measurement Location: Ferreira Homestead

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (22.5 dBA) and daytime (29 dBA) are low

indicating that the area has a high potential to be quiet.


rating level, with most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements similarly falling in

the rural noise district rating level.








Measurement Location TDCLTSL03: Manyati Homestead

There were several activities taking place during the daytime that influenced the sound levels at

this location:

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (32 dBA) and daytime (33.5 dBA) are high

indicating a constant noise source in the vicinity of the ML. This noise source was not

identified during the site visit.

Not-withstanding the constant noise-source, acoustic energy from this noise source is low

and did not significantly impact on the sound levels. Most of the night-time 10-minute LAeq,f

measurements fall within the rural noise district rating level, with most of the 10-minute

daytime (LAeq,f) measurements falling in the rural noise district rating level.




April 2021 80

Equivalent night-time 8-hour LAeq,f values indicate an environment with equivalent sound

levels typical of an urban noise district.

The arithmetic mean and most singular 10-minute night-time sound levels (LAeq,f values)

indicate an area that complies with the International Finance Corporation’s noise limits for

residential use (at night).

Measurement Location TDCLTSL04: Sikhakhani Homestead

There were several activities taking place during the daytime that influenced the sound levels at this

location:

The average LA90 levels for the night-time (22 dBA) and daytime (30 dBA) are low indicating

that the area have a high potential to be quiet.


rating level, with most of the 10-minute daytime (LAeq,f) measurements falling in the rural

noise district rating level.








Considering the sound levels measured in the vicinity of the proposed project, the zone sound level

would be typical of a rural noise district. The proposed project should therefore not change the

rating level with more than 7 dB, setting a noise limit of:

42 dBA at night; and

52 dBA during the day.

4.12 Visual Aspects

An initial visual baseline assessment was compiled based on observations made and photographs

taken from public roads in the project area during late February 2020.

4.12.1 Visual Characteristics of the Project Area

For the purposes of the assessment, the study area was defined as a 10 km radius around the

physical footprint of the proposed surface components of the mine. The human eye cannot

distinguish significant detail beyond this range. Although it may be possible to see over greater

distances from certain elevated locations such as hilltops, visual impacts such as manmade

structures or artificial landforms that are this far away from the viewer are no longer clearly discernible

or are mostly inconspicuous, and the visual impact beyond this range is considered to be negligible.

The study area is located within the Income sandy grassland and Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist

Grassland vegetation types of the Grassland biome (Mucina & Rutherford 2006), both of which occur

on undulating to very irregular plains, with scattered ridges and hills. The proposed infrastructure site

is located on a relatively flat area at an average elevation of 1200 mamsl, without any prominent

ridges or hills. The elevation decreases from west to east at a slope of 1:155 and from south to north


April 2021 81

at a slope of 1:330. See Figure 4-5. The area is on a water divide, with drainage lines running

northwards and south-south-eastwards from the perimeter of the infrastructure site.

The following features that contribute to the visual character of the project area and its surroundings

occur within a 10 km radius around the site:

A Dolerite rocky outcrop located about 0.8 km to the west of the infrastructure site rises to

about 70 metres above the surrounding terrain, and also south east of the property which

places the top of the outcrop at an elevation of about 80 metres higher than the site;

The edge of the urban or village area about 1 km to the north and north east;

An active Forbes underground coal mine, coal processing plant adjacent to and west of the

proposed Ericure area opencast mine.

4.12.2 Value of the Visual Resource

Apart from the active Forbes underground coal mine, coal processing plant adjacent to and west of

the proposed Ericure area opencast mine, the proposed mining and infrastructure site is

undeveloped and is covered in dense wooded grasslands (with Acacia sieberiana var woodii) and

on well-drained sites with the trees A. karroo, A. nilotica, A. caffra and Diospyros lycoides. On

disturbed sites A. sieberiana var woodii can form sparse woodlands which contributes significantly

to the “sense of place” of the area, much in evidence - see Figure 4-47 and Figure 4-48.

Due to the homogenous vegetation cover and flat topography, the project area does not have a high

visual absorption capacity (VAC), but the existing vegetation cover offers significant visual screening,

even over relatively short distances. The vegetation cover is largely undisturbed and is one of the

most appealing features of the area. There are no prominent water bodies or watercourses present

within viewing distance of the project area.

Areas such as Forbes underground coal mine, coal processing plant adjacent to and west of the

proposed Ericure area opencast mine (Error! Reference source not found.), have low visual r

esource value.


September 2020 82

Figure 4-47: Typical Acacia sieberiana var woodii) trees on undisturbed parts of proposed mining and infrastructure site


April 2021 83

Figure 4-48: typical of project area old or historic mine pits filled with water

Figure 4-49: Entrance to Forbes coal Mine within the current existing mine infrastructure.


April 2021 84

Figure 4-50: Ericure project area visual inspection for the mine infrastructure site.

4.13 Sites of Archaeological and Cultural Significance

4.13.1 Pre-historical background

The project area is located in the Dannhauser Local Municipality area in KwaZulu Natal Province of

South Africa that boosts a rich traditional history of contemporary Zulu (Huffman 2007, Prins 2014,

2017, 2019, Beater 2017, 2019). Archaeological and heritages studies in the KwaZulu Natal region

indicate that the area is of high pre-historic and heritage significance. It is in fact a cultural landscape

where Stone Age, Iron Age and Historical period sites contribute the bulk of the cultural heritage of

the region (also Bryant 1965, Maggs 1989, Huffman, 2007). The study area has been systematically

surveyed for archaeological and heritage sites in the past by the KwaZulu Natal Museum and Amafa

AkwaZulu Natal staff (Beater 2019, Prins 2019). The previous surveys recorded MSA, LSA, LIA and

historical heritage sites in the Vryheid area of KwaZulu Natal. However, none of the recorded sites

are located within the proposed project site.

The greater Dannhauser area has never been systematically surveyed for archaeological heritage

sites (Prins 2019). According to Prins (2019) only five sites are recorded in the data base of the

KwaZulu-Natal Museum. These include two rock art sites with later Stone Age material and three

Later Iron Age sites with characteristic stone walling. Oliver Davies recorded Middle Stone Age sites

between Dannhauser and Newcastle (Prins 2019). European settlement of the area started soon

after 1838 when the first Voortrekker settlers marked out large farms in the area. However, most of

these farms were abandoned in the 1840’s when Natal became a British colony only to be reoccupied

again by British immigrants.

Stone Age sites are generally identifiable by stone artefacts found scattered on the ground surface,

as deposits in caves and rock shelters as well as in eroded gully or river sections. Archaeological

sites recorded in the project region confirms the existence of Stone Age sites that conform to the

generic SA periodization split into the Early Stone Age (ESA) (2.5 million years ago to 250 000 years


April 2021 85

ago), the Middle Stone Age (MSA) (250 000 years ago to 22 000 years ago) and the Late Stone Age

(LSA) (22 000 years ago to 300 years ago). Stone Age sites in the region are also associated with

rock painting sites. Cave sites also exist on the landscape south west of the project area.

From an archaeological perspective, the south of Vryheid area, like most of KwaZulu Natal region

has potential to yield Stone Age period sites (also see Deacon and Deacon, 1997). The greater

Vryheid area has been surveyed by archaeologists from the then Natal Museum and Amafa in the

1970’s and 1980’s (Prins 2019). and later by various archaeologists attached to the Natal Museum

(Mazel 1989; Mitchell 2005). Literature in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum indicates that the Dundee and

Dannhauser areas are rich in archaeological sites covering diverse time-periods and cultural

traditions. These include Early, Middle and later Stone Age sites, Early Iron Age sites, Later Iron Age

sites, and some historical sites (Prins 2019). However, the specific affected project-receiving

environment did not yield any confirmable Stone Age sites.

Stone Age sites of all the main periods and cultural traditions occur in open air contexts as exposed

by excessive erosion in the Vryheid area. The occurrence of Early Stone Age tools in the near vicinity

of permanent water resources is typical of this tradition. These tools can be attributed to early

hominins such as Homo erectus. Based on typological criteria they most probably date back to

between 300 000 and 1.7 million years ago. A few MSA blades and flakes which date back to

between 40 000 and 200 000 years ago are on record in the project area. The later Stone Age flakes

and various rock painting sites associated with San are also on record in the general project area

(Beater 2019, Prins 2019).

The Iron Age of the KwaZulu Natal region dates back to the 5th Century AD when the Early Iron Age

(EIA) proto-Bantu-speaking farming communities began arriving in this region, which was then

occupied by hunter-gatherers. These EIA communities are archaeologically referred to as the Kwale

branch of the Urewe EIA Tradition (Huffman, 2007: 127-9). The Iron Age communities occupied the

foothills and valley lands introducing settled life, domesticated livestock, crop production and the use

of iron (also see Maggs 1984a; 1984b; Huffman 2007). Alongside the Urewe Tradition was the

Kalundu Tradition whose EIA archaeological sites have been recorded along the KwaZulu Natal

region. From about 15 00 AD the region was occupied by new coming groups of Late Iron Age

farmers of the Kalundu Tradition (ibid). The region was the centre of immigration and migration of

different African groups some of which are ancestors of the contemporary Zulu predominant in the

region. Early Iron Age sites of Mzuluzi (AD500-700), Ndondondwane (AD 700-800) and Ntshekane

(AD 800 -900) were recorded in the Ugu District Municipality (Maggs 1989:31, Huffman 2007:325-

462. LIA farmers arrived in the Vryheid area around 800 yrs ago (Bryant 1965)

Throughout the middle of the 1800s the region witnessed the Mfecane migrations and displacements

linked to Tshaka’s expansionist policy. The Voortrekkers arrived in Natal regions in the shadow of

the weakened African kingdoms and chiefdoms in the aftermath of the Mfecane. This effectively

ushered in new era of colonial occupation by succeeding Afrikaans and British colonial administration

authorities through the last half of the 1800s and into the last 1900s. By 1850s the region witnessed

the influx of more settler communities which triggered settler wars between the African chiefdoms

and the incoming Afrikaner settlers. Some of these colonial wars and battles lasted into Anglo-Boer

wars of 1899-1902. The Vryheid area was tightly contested by the local Zulu, the Boers and the

British Imperial forces. Several battles and skirmishes occurred in the Vryheid area. The battle of

Blood River between the Zulu and the invading Boers occurred further northwest of the project area

(Derwent 2006). The Anglo Zulu War of 1879 was also fought in the Dannhauser and Vryheid areas

for example the Battle of Scheepersnek and the Battle of Lancaster Hill north of Vryheid (Derwent

2006). Traces of these battles are still visible in the project area and protected as such.

The Vryheid area was at one time from 1884 to 1888 under the short-lived Nieuwe Republiek and

Vryheid was the capital. This happened when the Boers assisted Dinizulu to reclaim his throne from

his uncle Uzibhebhu. Lucas Meijer was the president of the short-lived republic. The Nieuwe

Republiek became defunct in 1888 when it was absorbed by the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek. The

later effectively led to complete subjugation of African communities to settler administration starting


April 2021 86

as part of the ZAR of Transvaal. There after the region was subsequently annexed by the British and

effectively placed the majority of African communities under the Union of South Africa in 1910, which

eventually ended with the establishment of the new South Africa in 1994.

The town of Dannhauser was named after Renier Dannhauser, a German settler, who purchased

the farm Palmietfontein from the Natal Government in 1872. It was proclaimed a village in 1937.

Contemporary Dannhauser covers five farms, namely Tweediedale, Gleneagles, Rocky Branch,

Cornwall and Klipkuil. Dannhauser, like Newcasle, is a former coal mining town. Some historical

buildings in town includes the post office and residential homes older than 60 years old.

Hancox and Gotz (2014:86) have posited that the coalfields of KZN have historically played an

important role in the coal industry of South Africa for the high quality of the coals produced.

Historically the Vryheid Coalfield was an important producer of high-quality coking coal and

anthracite, producing the highest quality anthracite in South Africa. The coalfields in the project area

have been extensively mined. The earliest recorded commercial exploitation in the Vryheid Coalfield

was in 1898, with coal being mined from the Hlobane and Zuinguin mountains. The rail line only

reached Vryheid in 1906 and it took the creation of a branch line in 1908 to open up the development

of the Hlobane coal mining sector.

In the early seventies, the Anglo-American Corporation acquired the Enyati and Natal Anthracite

Collieries, which were located in the Enyati and Ngwibi mountains in the Vryheid district. Since then

most of the production came from Natal Anthracite Colliery until it ceased production at the end of

March 1992. Natal Anthracite provided direct employment for up to a 1000 people over a period of

50 years.

4.13.2 Intangible Heritage

As defined in terms of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural

Heritage (2003) intangible heritage includes oral traditions, knowledge and practices concerning

nature, traditional craftsmanship and rituals and festive events, as well as the instruments, objects,

artefacts and cultural spaces associated with group(s) of people. Thus, intangible heritage is better

defined and understood by the particular group of people that uphold it. In the present study area,

very little intangible heritage remains because no historically known groups occupied the study area

and most of the original settler descendants moved away from the area.

4.13.3 SAHRIS Data Base and Impact Assessment Reports in the project area

The SAHRIS website was consulted for previous heritage surveys and heritage site data covering

the project area. Various heritage surveys have been conducted in the region. Prins (2012, 2013,

2017, 2018, 2019) Beater (2017, 2019), Pelser and Van Vollenhoven (2011) and Van Schalkwyk

(2009,2015) conducted HIA studies for infrastructure developments in the Dannhauser area. The

studies confirmed the occurrence of archaeological and heritage sites Spanning from the LSA to the

historical period. These studies did not indicate any heritage sites or features on the footprint of the

proposed development site. Several colonial battles and skirmished between the Boers and British,

the Boers and the Zulu and the British and Zulu were fought in the project area. Traces of these

battles and skirmishes are still visible and protected by KwaZulu Natal Amafa and Research Institute

in collaboration with Natal Museum. The recorded Anglo Boer War stone walled fortress is one such

remarkable example.

4.13.4 Findings of the heritage study

The findings of the Phase I HIA study which was conducted around June 2020, have been

incorporated on this report and will also be included on the EIA report.


April 2021 87

4.14 Traffic

4.14.1 Traffic survey

A traffic count and a service level evaluation of intersections on the proposed transport route for the

mine’s personnel and product, as shown on Figure 4-51, is currently being undertaken and the finding

after completion will be incorporated in the EIA report.

The road network planning in the area entails realignment of the existing tarred road dissecting the

two mining properties from Dundee with two interchanges of gravel roads in the vicinity of the mine

site, one from Buffalo coal west of the paved road forming a junction or connecting to Dundee and

Newcastle and other one to the south of the site boundary. The mine site will be accessible from

Buffalo coal gravel road in Avalon farm for the Western Pit ( Pit1) and also from the D114 gravel road

from Dannhauser Joining the Paved road in the project area and also traversing east towards the

Ericure Mining Permit Area.

Manual traffic counts were undertaken during the weekday morning and afternoon peak hour periods

(06h30 – 07h30 and 15h45 – 16h45 respectively) at the key intersections shown in Figure 4-51. A

capacity analysis was carried out using Sidra Intersection 6, a traffic engineering software package,

to determine which intersections already have capacity problems, if any, and to define geometric

upgrades that would be required to restore the intersections to acceptable performance.

The following definitions from the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual are applicable:

Capacity - c: The maximum hourly rate at which vehicles can reasonably be expected to

traverse a lane or roadway during a given period under prevailing conditions;

Volume - v: The hourly rate of vehicle arrivals at an intersection;

Volume to capacity ratio - v/c: The ratio of volume to capacity;

Level of service - LOS: The LOS is defined in terms of delay, which affects driver discomfort,

frustration, fuel consumption and lost travel time. The levels of service for signalised and

non-signalised intersections as defined in the Highway Capacity Manual are tabulated in

Table 8.1 below.

Table 4-25: Delay & v/c (HCM 2010) definitions for LOS Based on delay and v/c ratio

Level of Service for v/c≤1.0

Rating

Average delay per vehicle in seconds (d) Level of Service for v/c>1.0

Signals SIDRA Roundabout LOS option

Priority Control (HCM2010 default for roundabouts)

All Intersection Types

A Excellent d ≤ 10 d ≤ 10 d ≤ 10 F

B Very Good 10 < d ≤ 20 10 < d ≤ 20 10 < d ≤ 15 F

C Good 20 < d ≤ 35 20 < d ≤ 35 15 < d ≤ 25 F

D Acceptable 35 < d ≤ 55 35 < d ≤ 50 25 < d ≤ 35 F

E Poor 55 < d ≤ 80 50 < d ≤ 70 35 < d ≤ 50 F

F Very Poor 80 < d 70 < d 50 < d F

Note: V/c (demand volume / capacity) ratio or degree of saturation: v/c > 1.0 represents oversaturated

conditions.

An intersection is deemed to be operating acceptably at levels of service A to D. If an intersection

operates at a level of service E or F or has a volume to capacity ratio higher than 0.95 the intersection

is considered to be operating at capacity.


April 2021 88

The existing levels of service based on current traffic volumes being undertaken after completion will

be incorporated in the EIA report. However, with reference to the level of service ratings as explained

in Table 4-25, all three intersections are rated as having an excellent (A) LOS during both the morning

and afternoon peak hours.

Figure 4-51: Intersections where traffic counts were undertaken

4.14.1.1 P272 Provincial Road

P272 Provincial Road is a provincial road and is classified as class-2 major arterial road. The property

will gain access from this road. The speed limit is 100-km/h. The road is a single carriageway road

and a two-way with one lane per direction. The road pavements are covered with asphalt and has

no shoulders. The road connects with the town of Dundee on the south and Perth Farm/Dorset

villages on the north of the study property.

4.14.1.2 D114 Road

D114 Road is a collector road and is classified as class-4 collector street. The speed limit is 80-km/h.

The road is a single carriageway road and a two-way with one lane per direction. The road is a gravel

road and connects P272 Provincial Road with the Nguqunguqu/Kliprots villages as well as Buffalo

Mine (Aviemore Branch) on the west.

4.14.1.3 D301 Road

D301 Road is a collector road and is classified as class-4 collector street. The speed limit is 80-km/h.


road and connects P272 Provincial Road with the Chester/Nyanyadu villages on the east.

4.14.1.4 Road-A

Road-A is a collector road and is classified as class-4 collector street. The speed limit is 80-km/h.



April 2021 89

road and connects P272 Provincial Road with the Buffalo Mine (Magdalena Colliery branch) on the

west.

4.14.1.5 Road-B

Road-B is a collector road and is classified as class-4 collector street. The speed limit is 80-km/h.


road and connects P272 Provincial Road with the Buffalo Mine (Magdalena Colliery branch) on the

west.

4.14.2 Public Transport Facilities

The public transport facilities, as shown on Error! Reference source not found., are installed at the i

ntersection of P272 Provincial Road and Road-B in the form of bus shelters. They are installed on

the shoulders of the road and there are no laybys. This node is also used by minibus taxi as a transfer

point to exchange passenger from the surrounding villages to Dundee Town and vice versa.

Fewer bus movements we observed in the morning and afternoon periods. The bus operations are

for the scholar transport, mines transport as well as ferrying passengers between surrounding

villages and Dundee Town.

Figure 4-52: Bus Shelters

4.14.3 Pedestrian Facilities

There are no provisions for the pedestrian facilities.

4.14.4 Latent Rights

There are no latent rights at the surrounding area.

4.14.5 Traffic Flow Information

TMH-17, 2013, has no trip generation information for this type of development. To understand the

current traffic flow patterns, the traffic flow was acquired at four study intersections as shown on

Error! Reference source not found.. The data collection was conducted on Friday, of the 04 S


April 2021 90

eptember 2020 for the 12-hours manual traffic counts between 06:00 and 18:00 at the intersections

of:

P272 Provincial Road and D114

P272 Provincial Road and D103

P272 Provincial Road and Road-A

P272 Provincial Road and Road-B

Figure 4-53: Intersections to Acquire Traffic Flow Information

The vehicles that were captured for was the modes of transport as listed below:

Light vehicles,

Taxis,

Buses, and

Heavy vehicles.

The traffic flows obtained were captured depending on the vehicles approaching and leaving the

intersections. The 12-hours manual traffic counts were captured in 15-minutes intervals and

converted into hourly traffic volumes. The common peak hour volumes were selected as follows:

AM peak : 06:00 – 07:00

Midday peak : 13:00 – 14:00

PM peak : 16:00 – 17:00


April 2021 91

The chart showing a daily traffic flow for all intersections is contained in Error! Reference source n

ot found. while the schematic layout showing the AM, Midday and PM hourly peak volumes is shown

on Error! Reference source not found.. The hourly traffic counts for all vehicles are contained.

Figure 4-54: Daily Traffic Chart for All Intersections

0

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:00

-18

:00

TRA

FFIC

VO

LUM

E (V

/H)

HOURLY TIME INTERVAL

HOURLY TRAFFIC VOLUME CHART FOR ALL INTERSECTIONS


April 2021 92

AM PEAK TRAFFIC

PM PEAK TRAFFIC

Figure 4-55: Schematic Layout for AM, Midday and PM Hourly Peak Volumes

0% 15% 0%

4 40 5

1 2 3

0% 2 12

0% 4 10

9 8 7

2 57 4

0% 7% 25%

0% 15%

0 40

1 2

0% 2 6

0% 2 5

4 3

0 57

0% 7%

26% 43%

53 7

1 2

3 5 0%

4 2 0%

6 5

79 6

14% 33%

0% 25%

0 55

1 2

0% 5 6

17% 6 5

4 3

0 79

0% 14%

P272 R

OA

D4

D301 ROAD

D114 ROAD

ROAD-A

ROAD-B

P272 R

OA

D

1

P272 R

OA

D

3

P272 R

OA

D

2

N 0% 2% 20%

2 109 5

1 2 3

0% 1 12

0% 2 10

9 8 7

4 51 5

0% 10% 0%

0% 2%

0 109

1 2

0% 6 6

0% 6 5

4 3

0 51

0% 10%

3% 25%

112 4

1 2

3 3 33%

4 1 0%

6 5

51 6

8% 17%

0% 3%

1 112

1 2

0% 1 6

0% 0 5

4 3

2 51

50% 8%

P272 R

OA

D

1D114 ROAD

P272 R

OA

D

4

3ROAD-A

ROAD-B

P272 R

OA

D

2D301 ROAD

P272 R

OA

D

N


April 2021 93

4.14.6 Trip Generation

As narrated in the preceding sections, TMH-17,2013, does not contain trip generation for the mining

type of developments. This is because mining’s are unique type of land-use. The trip generation for

these land use will be established in two phases being:

Construction phase; and

Production phase.

4.14.6.1 Construction Phase

The construction phase will consist of trips that are made by staff and delivery vehicles.

4.14.6.1.1 Trip Generated by Staff during Construction Phase

It is assumed that about 130 staff would be employed during the construction phase. Out of which

7% would be the managerial staff who will be expected to be using private vehicles. The remaining

93% of the staff would be using buses that would be provided by the mine. The composition of trip

generated by staff is contained in Table 4-26 while the split for the trips generated by staff is

contained in Table 4-27.

Table 4-26: Composition of Trips Generated by Staff During Construction Phase

Description Number of staff Managerial Labourers

Total Staff 130

Staff Split 7% 93%

Number of Staff 130 9 121

Vehicle Occupancy 1 10

Trips 9 12

Table 4-27: Split for the Trips Generated by Staff During Construction Phase

Description Total Trips In Out

AM Split 90% 10%

AM Trips 21 19 2

PM Split 10% 90%

PM Trips 21 2 19

4.14.6.1.2 Trip Generated by Construction Delivery Vehicles

It is assumed that 100 trips of delivery trucks would be made daily during the construction phase for

the provide material. It is further assumed that 10% of the trips would be made during peak hours.

Table 4-28 contains the split of trips generated by delivery vehicles.

Table 4-28: Split of Trips Generated by Construction Delivery Vehicles


AM Split 70% 30%

AM Trips 10 7 3

PM Split 30% 70%

PM Trips 10 3 7


April 2021 94

4.14.6.1.3 Trips Generated during Construction Phase

The trips generated during construction phase consists of the combination of trips generated by staff

and delivery vehicles and the data is contained in Table 4-29.

Table 4-29: Trips Generated during Construction Phase


AM Trips 31 26 5

PM Trips 31 5 26

4.14.6.2 Production Phase

The production phase will consist of trips that are made by staff and production or operation vehicles.

4.14.6.2.1 Trips Generated by Staff during Production Phase

It is assumed that about 700 staff would be employed during the production/operation phase of the

mine. Out of which 7% would be the managerial staff who will be expected to be using private

vehicles. The remaining 93% of the staff would be using buses that would be provided by the mine.

The composition of trip generated is contained in Table 4-30, while the split of trips generated by

staff during production phase is contained in Table 4-31.

Table 4-30: Composition of Trips Generated by Staff During Production Phase

Description Number of staff Managerial Labourers

Total Staff 700

Staff Split 7% 93%

Number of Staff 700 49 651

Vehicle Occupancy 1 15

Trips 49 43

Table 4-31: Split of Trips Generated by Staff During Construction Phase


AM Split 90% 10%

AM Trips 92 83 9

PM Split 10% 90%

PM Trips 92 9 83

4.14.6.2.2 Trips Generated by Haulage Vehicles

In the production phase, the mine will generate trips that will emanate from the hauling of coal. The

mine production details were obtained from the scoping report, which indicates that the mine will

produce 1,800 kilotons per month, operates 24 hours over average of 30 days per month.

TR60 type of truck would be used in the coal mine area, while coal hauler truck would be used for

the transportation of coal to and from the mine. Table 4-32 contains the composition of trips

generated by the hauling trucks, while the split of trips generation is contained in Table 4-33. There

is no rail system at the vicinity of the mine and therefore the rail transportation is ignored.


April 2021 95

Table 4-32: Composition of Trips Generated by Hauling Trucks

Description Quantities Units

Production of mine 1 800 kl/month

Number of days per Month 30 days

Production per day 60 000 t/day

Tonnage per truck 30 truck average

Trips/Truck/day 2 000 trips/day

% of Peak hour trips 10%

Total AM and PM Trips 200

Table 4-33: Split of Trips Generated by Hauling Trucks


AM Split 60% 40%

AM Trips 200 120 80

PM Split 40% 60%

PM Trips 200 80 120

4.14.6.2.3 Trips Generated during Production Phase

The trips generated during production phase consists of the combination of trips generated by staff

and delivery vehicles and the data is contained in Table 4-34.

Table 4-34: Trips Generated during Production Phase


AM Trips 292 203 89

PM Trips 292 89 203

4.14.7 Trip Distribution

According to the mining limits in relation to the P272 Provincial Road, two accesses are proposed

for the development. One access road would be to the mining area and offices on the western side

of P272 Provincial Road, while the other access would be to the mining area only on the east. It was

assumed that the traffic for both construction and production phase would be distributes 70/30 for

the mining area/offices and mining area only.

The accesses will distribute the trips generated by the proposed development. The analyses for the

development trips were distributed based on the location of the two site accesses. The existing traffic

volumes were used to determine the percentage of the distribution of development trips at the

intersections. Table 4-35 shows the morning and afternoon directional splits.

Table 4-35: Directional Split of Traffic

Description Morning (AM) Afternoon (PM)

To Dundee To Villages To Dundee To Villages

Total Traffic 202 286 451 215

Directional Split 41% 59% 68% 32%

Round-off 40 60 70 30


April 2021 96

4.14.8 Traffic Growth Rate

The TMH-17, 2013, contains various traffic growth rates for the various developments. The traffic

growth rate of between 0% and 3% for the development area, which is low growth areas, was

selected. The selection was based on the locality and the surrounding developments. The traffic

growth rate of 1.5% would be applied to the background traffic (2020) to estimate the future traffic

(2025).

4.14.9 Capacity Analysis

To determine the expected intersection capacity, the analysis was conducted using SIDRA traffic

engineering software package to determine the level of service (LOS), with LOS A being acceptable

and LOS F being unacceptable. The analysis was conducted at the nearby intersections as well as

the accesses to the development for the base (2020) and horizon (2025) years. The intersection

capacity analysis was conducted for the background traffic, construction phase and production phase

as discussed in the subsequent paragraphs.

4.14.9.1 Background Traffic

Two scenarios are applicable for the background traffic and would be analysed for the morning and

afternoon peak periods. The scenarios are discussed in the subsequent paragraphs.

4.14.9.1.1 Scenario-1: Year 2020 Background Traffic without Proposed Development

Scenario-1 entails the capacity analysis for the background traffic for the base year 2020 without the

proposed development and using the existing geometric layouts. Table 4-36 contains the results of

the intersection capacity analysis. The results of the capacity analysis have shown that the

intersections are operating at an acceptable level of services for both morning and afternoon peak

periods.

Table 4-36: Level of Services for Scenario-1 (2020 Background Trips)

Description AM PM

P272 and D114 Roads A A


P272 Road and Road-A A A

P272 Road and Road-B A A

4.14.9.1.2 Scenario-2: Year 2025 Background Traffic without Proposed Development

In this scenario, the background traffic for the horizon year 2025 without the proposed development

and using the existing geometric layouts are analysed. The results of the intersection capacity

analysis are contained in Table 4-37. The data analysis shows that the intersection operates at an

acceptable level of services for both morning and afternoon periods.

Table 4-37: Level of Services for Scenario-2 (2020 Background Trips)

Description AM PM



P272 Road and Road-A A A



April 2021 97


One scenario is applicable for the traffic generated during construction phase and would be analysed

for the morning and afternoon peak periods. The scenario is discussed in the following paragraphs.

4.14.9.2.1 Scenario-3: Year 2020 Trips for Construction Phase with Background Traffic

Scenario-3 contains the data analysis for the trips that are generated during construction phase. The

trips are combined with the background traffic acquired during traffic counts surveys. Table 4-38

contains the results of the intersection capacity analysis which reveals that the intersections will

operate at an acceptable level of services for the morning and afternoon peak periods.

Table 4-38: Level of Services for Scenario-2 (Background and Construction trips)

Description AM PM


P272 and new D301 Roads A A

P272 Road and new Road-A A A


4.14.9.3 Production Phase

Two scenarios are applicable for the trips generated during production phase and would be analysed

for the morning and afternoon peak periods. The scenarios are discussed in the succeeding

paragraphs.

4.14.9.3.1 Scenario 4: Year 2020 Background Traffic with Proposed Development

In this scenario, the background traffic for the base year 2020 with the proposed development and

using the proposed geometric layouts are analyses. The data analysis, as contained in Table 4-39

has shown that the existing and proposed intersections will operate at an acceptable level of services

for the morning and afternoon peak periods.

Table 4-39: Level of Services for Scenario-4 (2020 Background and Production Trips)

Description AM PM


P272 and new D301 Roads B B



4.14.9.3.2 Scenario 5: Year 2025 Background Traffic with Proposed Development

This scenario represents the future traffic for the horizon year 2025 with the proposed development

and using the proposed geometric layouts.

Table 4-40: Level of Services for Scenario-5 (2020 Background and Production Trips)

Description AM PM


P272 and new D301 Roads B B




April 2021 98

4.14.10 Access And Road Improvements

According to the scoping report, it was established that portion of D301 and Road-A falls withing the

mining limits area as shown in Figure 4-56. This portion of the road will be closed and diverted to the

new intersections. The subsequent paragraphs detail the new location of the intersection, proposed

intersections layout and the type of intersection control.

Figure 4-56: Relocation of Roads and New Roads

4.14.10.1 P272 Provincial Road and D114 Road

The are no road improvements that are proposed at this intersection. The intersection layout for this

intersection is contained in Figure 4-57. The type of intersection control would be side stop with P272

Provincial Road being a priority road


April 2021 99

Figure 4-57: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and D114 Road

4.14.10.2 P272 Provincial Road and D301 Road

The existing T-junction of P272 Provincial Road and D301 Road will be closed. The eastern leg of

D301 Road will be relocated to a new intersection where it will make a cross-junction to make access

to the mine offices on the west. The private property along the existing D301 Road will make use of

the proposed intersection to access the property.

The residents of Chester and Nyanyadu will no longer make use of this intersection to access their

residents. The accesses to the private properties on the west will be closed to make use of this

intersection to access their properties. The intersection layout is contained in Figure 4-58. The type

of intersection control would be side stop with P272 Provincial Road being a priority road


April 2021 100

Figure 4-58: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and D301 Road

4.14.10.3 P272 Provincial Road and Road-A

The existing Road-A will be closed and relocated to a new intersection to form a cross-junction. The

new intersection will provide access to Buffalo Mine (Magdalena Colliery branch) on the west as well

as Chester/Nyanyadu villages on the east. The proposed intersection layout is shown on Figure 4-59.

The type of intersection control would be side stop with P272 Provincial Road being a priority road.


April 2021 101

Figure 4-59: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and Road – A

4.14.10.4 P272 Provincial Road and Road-B

The are no road improvements that are proposed at this intersection. The intersection layout for this

intersection is contained in Figure 4-60. The type of intersection control would be side stop with P272

Provincial Road being a priority road.


April 2021 102

Figure 4-60: Intersection Layout for P272 Provincial Road and Road – B

4.14.10.5 Intersection Spacing

According to TRH-26, 2012, the required intersection spacing along class-2 road is 5 km on rural

area. The intersection spacing as shown on Figure 4-61 does not meet the minimum requirements.

The access will not have an effect to the through traffic and it is proposed that the intersection spacing

be acceptable and approved.


April 2021 103

Figure 4-61: Intersection Spacing

4.14.11 Public Transport Facilities

The development will provide sufficient parking bays for the buses that would be used to transport

staff to and from work. About 45 parking bays should be allocated within the boundaries of the

development. The site development plan (SDP) will be provided on the later stage for municipal

approvals.

4.14.12 Non-Motorised Facilities

The pedestrian facilities shall be provided on site. The pedestrian walkways of at least 1.8m wide,

with a buffer strip between 2.5 and 0.6m, will be provided within the property at dedicate pedestrian

areas.

4.14.13 Parking Provision And Design

There are no parking requirements for the mines. The parking bays were calculated based on the

number of managerial staff assumed in the preceding sections. A minimum of 50 parking bays should

be provided for the standard vehicles.

Total number of standard vehicle parking bays.

Total number of bus parking bays.

Out of 50 parking bays, three should be disabled parking bays.

Standard bus parking bays has a dimension of 13 x 2.5.

Standard parking bays has a dimension of 2.5 x 5m.

Disabled parking bays has a dimension of 3.5 x 5m.

The parking bays are placed perpendicular to the direction of traffic flow.

The minimum aisle width is 7.5 meters; and


April 2021 104

The parking bay shall not exceed a gradient of 3%.

4.15 Socio-economic

This section aims to present a description of the existing social environment at a provincial, municipal

and ward level. Aspects of population demographics, infrastructure and services as well as economic

profiles are discussed.

4.15.1 Administrative Setting

Amajuba District Municipality is demarcated as DC 25 as per the Municipal Demarcation Board and

is one of the eleven (11) District Municipalities and one (1) Metro that constitute Kwa-Zulu Natal

Province. Amajuba District is a Category C Municipality which is made up of three local municipalities

namely:

Newcastle Local Municipality (KZN 252) – 1 855 km2;

Dannhauser Local Municipality (KZN 253) – 1 516 km2; and

Emadlangeni Local Municipality (KZN 254) – 3 539 km2.

Amajuba District Municipality (ADM) is located to the north-western corner of the KwaZulu- Natal

Province. It comprises of Newcastle, Emadlangeni and Dannhauser local municipalities. The main

transportation route linking the district to its surroundings, is the N11. This is also an alternative route

to Johannesburg from Durban. The R34 bisects the district in an east-west direction and provides a

linkage from the port city of Richards Bay to the interior. The district has a total surface area of 6 910

km2, it is divided into Newcastle Municipality which covers 1855 km2, Emadlangeni Municipality which

has a surface area of 3539 km2 and Dannhauser Municipality which covers 1516 km2.

The geographic location of Amajuba District Municipality along the border of KwaZulu-Natal, Free-

State and Mpumalanga Provinces establishes the area as gateway (entry and exit) point to these

provinces. The main transportation routes linking the District to its surroundings includes the N11

which is the alternative route to Johannesburg from Durban, and the rail line which is the main line

from the Durban harbour to Gauteng. The R34 also bisects the District in an east-west direction and

provides a linkage from the port city of Richard Bay to the interior. The P483 provincial road forms

the major access road from Newcastle to Madadeni, Osizweni and Utrecht all located to the east of

Newcastle.

4.15.2 Economic Activities

KwaZulu-Natal, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province", is a province of South

Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu)

and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, enjoying a long

shoreline beside the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries

of Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg and its largest city is Durban.

It is the second most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng.

KwaZulu-Natal is divided into eleven districts. One of these, eThekwini (Durban and surrounding

area), is a metropolitan municipality and the other ten are district municipalities. Durban is a rapidly

growing urban area and is by most measures the busiest port in Africa. A good railway network links

the city to other areas of Southern Africa. Sugar refining is Durban's main industry. Sheep, cattle,

dairy, citrus fruits, corn, sorghum, cotton, bananas, and pineapples are also raised. There is an

embryonic KwaZulu-Natal wine industry. Other industries (located mainly in and around Durban)

include textile, clothing, chemicals, rubber, fertiliser, paper, vehicle assembly and food-processing

plants, tanneries, and oil refineries. There are large aluminium-smelting plants at Richards Bay, on

the North Coast.


April 2021 105

KZN is the second largest provincial economy in the country, KwaZulu-Natal, is a coastal province

and home to two of Africa’s largest and busiest seaports. Dube Trade Port, home of the Greenfield

King Shaka International Airport, is a catalyst for global trade and a portal between KwaZulu-Natal

and the world. It is the only facility in Africa that brings together and international airport, a cargo

terminal, warehousing, offices, a retail sector, hotels and an agricultural area. Located 30km north of

Durban, Dube Trade Port is positioned between the two largest seaports in Southern Africa and

linked to the rest of Africa by road and rail.

Agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal is extremely diverse and is reflected in the patterns of its topography.

Most of the world's agricultural activities may be practised here. Given the region's good and reliable

rainfall, together with fertile soils, KwaZulu-Natal's agricultural sector has become extremely

productive and is known for its specialist capabilities across a number of types of farming. KwaZulu-

Natal has a total of 6,5 million hectares of land for farming purposes, of which 82% is suitable for

extensive livestock production, while 18% comprises arable land.

The cane-growing sector is one of the biggest agricultural industries in KwaZulu-Natal and comprises

approximately 22 500 registered sugarcane growers. The industry produces an estimated average

of 2,2 million tons of sugar per season. About 60% of this sugar is marketed in the Southern African

Customs Union (SACU), the remainder being exported to markets in Africa, Asia and the Middle

East. The industry makes an important contribution to employment, particularly in rural areas, to

sustainable development and to the national economy. It generates an annual estimated average

direct income of R8 billion, which constitutes R5,1 billion in value of sugarcane production.

4.15.3 Population Demographics

Dannhauser Local Municipality is largely dispersed in its distribution of population, this is due to its

rural nature. The population densities are highest in Tribal Authority Council areas situated within the

north-eastern portion of the municipal area and Dannhauser Town. The other towns that exist in the

municipal jurisdiction with noticeable populations are Hattingspruit, Inverness, Kilgethe, Kilpbank,

Milford, Normandien, Nyanyadu, Rutland Tendeka and Witteklip. The Urban population is 7 436 while

the Non-Urban population is 97 905. The north-eastern corner of Dannhauser municipal area is

largely land under traditional council authorities which are mainly Nyanyadu Community Authority

and Ubuhlebomzinyathi Traditional Council are traditional council authorities.

Majority (56.7%) of the population in Dannhauser are between the ages of 15 – 64 years, which is

slightly lower compared to the KwaZulu Province (63.1%) and South Africa (65.5%) on the same age

bracket. The people within this age group are also considered economically active (employed or

unemployed) and are a source of labour. Likewise, the age bracket also accommodates the youth

age bracket. The municipality is considering this age bracket when making strategic decisions. Youth

empowerment programs and other programs that are likely to create employment opportunities

would help in curbing social and economic challenges that individuals within this age group

experience.

Approximately 38.2% of the population is below the age of 15 years and 5% are over 65 years. The

population below the age of 15 is a crucial asset for the municipality and the country at large since it

is the generation that the country will rely on in terms of driving its long-term development plans. It is

therefore very important to build a strong foundation for this age structure. The municipality should

thus consider providing essential services such as playing lots, youth feeding schemes, adequate

schools, healthcare, and any other facilities that are important and can help build a healthy and

educated generation. Likewise, pension points and any other public facilities that are lacking in the

municipal area that senior citizens can benefit from, should also be considered by the municipality in

their strategic decisions.

The ratio of males to females in Dannhauser has not changed significantly since 2011 to 2016. In

2011 there were 90 males in every 100 females, and a similar trend in 2016. In 2011 there was a


April 2021 106

total of 49 860 males and 55 482 females, and in 2016 there was a total of 48 380 males and 56 961

females.

Africans account for the majority of the population of Dannhauser municipality and represent 96.8 %

of the total population and are mainly situated within the rural areas. However, in some of the semi

urban wards, other races are present, and their percentage representation of total population is

Coloureds 0.4%, Indians 1.2% and Whites constitute 1.6%.

Table 4-41: Population Profile

Black Coloured Indian White Total

Amajuba 93.20% 0.60% 2.80% 3.40% 531327

Newcastle 92.30% 0.70% 3.60% 3.50% 389117

eMadlangeni 91.90% 1.00% 0.00% 7.10% 36869

Dannhauser 96.90% 0.40% 1.20% 1.60% 105341

* Stats SA, 2016

4.15.4 Levels of Education

Education plays an important role in economic development. It provides skilled labour that is key in

producing goods and services in an economy. In 2016, of the total population of 105 341, only 1.9%

had obtained tertiary educational attainments and only 16.4% had matriculated. People with no

schooling increased to 14.7% 2011. This can be attributed to a lower level of primary school

enrolment that was experienced in the municipal area in 2014-2015. Only a handful of those who

finish matric pursue further studies. It is important to address this challenge. There is a need to

develop a program that will monitor or ensure that pupils that enrol in primary education are

encouraged to complete secondary education and further their studies. Addressing this challenge is

fundamental to creating a strong base that the municipality can use to stimulate economic growth

and development.

Understanding the education status of a specified geographic area gives an indication of the level of

education the local population has attained. Error! Reference source not found. reflects that 43% o

f the local population has some secondary education while 22% has completed secondary education.

On average, 6% of the local population have completed higher education.

Table 4-42: Average Education Levels

Level of Education Average Level Education Achieved Likely

Education

Levels of

Workforce

Newcastle eMadlangeni Dannhauser Amajuba LM

No Schooling 11% 24% 13% 12% 15%

Primary Education 6% 9% 11% 7% 9%

Some Secondary 76% 60% 74% 75% 71%

Higher Education 7% 7% 2% 6% 5%

Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

* Stats SA, 2016

The results indicate that out of 3 186 025 residents in KwaZulu-Natal, about 17% have no formal

education, while only 5,8% attained a higher education qualification. More than two thirds (70,9%) of

the population in the province have a secondary education whereas 6,7% have a primary education.

uMgungundlovu District Municipality showed the highest proportion of persons with a higher

education (9,1%), while the proportion of persons with a secondary education is highest in eThekwini

Metropolitan Municipality (79,5%). uMzinyathi District Municipality has the highest proportion of those

without a formal education (39,9%). The lowest proportion of persons with a primary education is

observed in Uthungulu (5,4%). The lowest proportion of persons with a secondary education is


April 2021 107

observed in uMzinyathi District Municipality (50,8%). At local municipal level, Msinga, Nkandla,

Maphumolo, uMhlabuyalingana and Jozini show higher proportions of those without a formal

education.

4.15.5 Health and HIV/AIDS Prevalence

In terms of the Amajuba District, figure 9 lists the HIV-prevalence rates for each constituent local

municipality in 2010. The district only has slightly more individuals who are HIV-positive than the

province 16.8%). Emadlangeni Local Municipality recorded the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates

in 2010 (17.5%), with Dannhauser recording the lowest rate of 16.1%. Between 1.2-1.3% of the

province, district and local municipal populations died from AIDS, compared to 0.8% from other

deaths. The increase in the HIV-prevalence rate between 2005 and 2009 was 0.2% in Amajuba, in

comparison to the province which experienced a 2% increase over the same period. Between 2005

and 2009, the number of AIDS-related deaths increased by 1.4% for the Amajuba District. KZN

increased by 2.9% per annum between 2005 and 2009. Table 4-43 below summarises the HIV

prevalence in Amajuba from 2005 to 2009.

Table 4-43: Estimated HIV prevalence (%) among antenatal clinic attendees – KZN Province

District HIV Positive AIDS Related Deaths Other Deatth

KZN 16.10% 1.20% 0.80%

Amajuba 16.80% 1.30% 0.80%

Newcastle 16.90% 1.30% 1%

eMadlangeni 17.50% 1.30% 1%

Dannhauser 16% 1.30% 0.80%

*2010 Amajuba HIV prevalence rate

Table 4-44 summarises the number of antenatal women living with HIV from 2009 to 2010. The age

group with the highest (53.9%) antenatal HIV prevalence are women in the age bracket of 30-34

years. Women under the age of 24 have the lowest (29%) antenatal HIV prevalence.

Table 4-44: HIV prevalence among antenatal women by age group, KZN, 2008 to 2010

Age Group Population of Antenatal Women Living with HIV

2008 2009 2010

Number % HIV+ Number % HIV+ Number % HIV+

15-24 Year(s) 3940 29 3831 31 3849 29.2

10-14 Years 23 13 15 20 26 19.2

15-19 Years 1649 19.2 1547 22 1570 20.5

20-24 Year(s) 2291 36.1 2284 37.2 2275 35.2

25-29 Year(s) 1551 52 1487 50.4 1583 50.9

30-34 Year(s) 848 53.9 842 56.1 862 57.8

35-39 Year(s) 466 50 433 46.2 433 52.7

40-44 Year(s) 113 35.4 116 37.9 114 46.5

45-49 Year(s) 11 18.2 12 25 13 38.5

>49 Year(s) 1 0 2 100 4 50

*Quantec Data, 2010


April 2021 108

4.15.6 Levels of Employment

It is noted that 33.7% of Amajuba’s working age population, are either formally or informally

employed, with 34 % for Newcastle, 39% for Emadlangeni, and 22% for Dannhauser. Dannhauser

Local Municipality has the highest proportion of its population that are unemployed at 39.6%. Key

areas of concern are the significant gaps between the percentage of working age population,

employment and the large numbers of not economically active residents, indicating high dependency

levels.

Table 4-45: Strict and Expanded unemployment rate in 2017

Newcastle Emadlangeni Dannhauser Amajuba

Strict definition 30 22 36 30

Expanded definition 33 34 45 35

The strict definition of the unemployment rate excludes those who are not-economically active, i.e.

those who have become discouraged from seeking employment. The expanded definition includes

all people who are within the working age population. It is noted that up to 35% of those within the

working age population in Amajuba are unemployed according to the expanded definition. In

Dannhauser, 45% of all those willing and able to work, are unemployed. Overall however, the high

unemployment rates are a reflection of a large portion of the working age population that have either

been discouraged from seeking employment due to a lack of opportunities, or who are actively

seeking employment but cannot find any opportunities.

Figure 4-62: Employment Distribution in the Regional and Local Study Area (National Treasury, 2017)

4.15.7 Household Income

Table 4-46 below reflects annual household income figures for the Amajuba District and its

constituent local municipalities. The figures indicate low annual household income figures for the

District in 2011, with about 70% of the population earning below R38 200 per annum (approximately

R3 200 per month). In Dannhauser and Newcastle, the majority of their local households earn below

R19,600 per annum (i.e. R1 600 per month). For Emadlangeni, the majority of the population (25%)

earn up to R38 200 per annum.


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Table 4-46: Annual Household income by local Municipality- 2017

Income Amajuba Newcastle Emadlangeni

Dannhauser

0-2400 0,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%

2400-6000 0,2% 0,2% 0,1% 0,2%

6000-12000 2,4% 2,4% 1,5% 2,5%

12000-18000 4,7% 4,7% 3,0% 5,0%

18000-30000 13,1% 12,8% 10,9% 15,1%

30000-42000 12,9% 12,5% 11,3% 14,7%

42000-54000 10,8% 10,3% 11,4% 12,8%

54000-72000 11,5% 11,0% 12,6% 13,6%

72000-96000 9,9% 9,6% 11,3% 10,8%

96000-132000 8,7% 8,5% 10,2% 9,0%

132000-192000 7,7% 8,0% 8,3% 6,3%

192000-360000 8,9% 9,6% 9,4% 5,9%

360000-600000 5,1% 5,6% 5,3% 2,6%

600000-1200000 3,1% 3,6% 3,3% 1,2%

1200000-2400000 0,9% 1,0% 1,0% 0,3%

2400000+ 0,1% 0,1% 0,1% 0,0%

Figure 4-63: Average Regional Household Income (KZN Provincial Treasury, 2017)

4.15.8 Infrastructure

A summary of the infrastructure conditions for roads, water, sanitation, energy and housing

conditions for the relevant municipality and ward areas are discussed in this section.


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4.15.8.1 Roads

There are five classes of roads in Amajuba, namely national, provincial, district, and local. Amajuba

is mainly served by the N11 North-South corridor between Ladysmith, Newcastle and Volksrust. The

P37 provincial road to the north of Newcastle provides further access to Utrecht and Vryheid. The

P483 provincial road forms the major access road from Newcastle to Madadeni, Osizweni and

Utrecht all located to the east of Newcastle. The rest of Amajuba are served by lower order provincial

surfaced roads as well as gravel roads.

The total length of road in Amajuba is 2255km. The national and provincial main roads that run

through the District are mainly surfaced whilst the majority of district and community access roads

are not.Table 4-47 below gives an indication of the length of surfaced and gravel roads for each local

municipality.

Table 4-47: Amajuba District Municipality Surface roads-2017

Local

Municipality

Surfaced Roads (km) Unsurfaced Roads (km) Total Length

(km) Length (%) Length (%)

Newcastle 162,7 44,4% 203,9 55,6% 366,6

Utrecht 115,2 16,3% 592,9 83,7% 708,1

Dannhauser 240,5 46,5% 277,2 53,5% 517,7

Amajuba 518,4 32,6% 1 074,0 67,4% 1 592,4

Most community access unsurfaced roads are not constructed to proper geometric design standards

due to the rough terrain and limited funding available. Several of these access roads are used by

public transport vehicles, resulting in high maintenance cost of vehicles and unsafe travel conditions

for passengers. Unsurfaced roads are often very slippery during the rainy season due to flooding

and poor in-situ soil conditions, which results in the rural communities having no vehicle access or

an unreliable public transport service.

In terms of traffic volumes, the highest number of vehicles in Amajuba is on the N11 south of

Newcastle, with high traffic volumes on the main provincial road P483 between Newcastle, Madadeni

and Osizweni. The N11 between the P204 (turn-off to Dannhauser) and Newcastle carries in excess

of 10 000 vehicles per day while the P483 carries between 5 000 and 10 000 vehicles per day.

4.15.8.2 Rail

The main rail link between Gauteng and eThekwini passes through Ladysmith, Newcastle,

Charlestown and Volksrust. The railway line is a freight railway line serving the Iscor area and runs

parallel to and abutting the road, linking Newcastle, Madadeni, Osizweni and Utrecht. Spoornet is

the landowner of the station as well as the rail line.

No commuter rail service currently exists within the Amajuba area and is mainly the result of the

location of the Newcastle station in relation to the actual residential areas and the employments

centers. Although the alignment of the railway line lends itself to the provision of a rail commuter

service several factors hamper the actual provision of such a service. These include:


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It is however important to further investigate the possibility of establishing a rail commuter service

that will complement the existing public transport service and become significant in terms of

settlement expansion.

4.15.8.3 Bulk Water Supply

According to Census 2011 statistics, 92.3% of the district population has access to piped (tap) water

(either on dwelling or site). Despite the relatively high level of water provision, the figures hide wide

disparities among the three local municipalities. Up to 91% of households with piped water supply

either to dwelling or on site, reside in Newcastle Municipality, while 46% of households in

Emadlangeni Municipality are reliant on natural and other water supplies. Almost 20% of households

in Dannhauser Municipality are reliant on natural and other water supplies. To ensure improvement

in Water service delivery, we have embarked on eradicating aging Infrastructure for water. We have

developed the Operation and Maintenance Plan for Water Infrastructures. This Plan is being

implemented and will be reviewed as and when deemed necessary by the Council of the ADM and

as per legislative requirements.

Based on the 2016 Stats SA Community Survey, the following emerged because of numerous

projects that are underway within the Amajuba District Municipality.

While it appears that a large percentage of households have access to sources of water, it cannot

be confirmed that these households have access "to a secure source of water for human

consumption".

Many people have to travel a distance to collect water from a public tap, based on the Basic level of

service, the Strategic Framework for Water Services of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry,

September 2003, defines a basic water supply facility as “the infrastructure necessary to supply 25

litres of potable water per person per day within 200 meters of a household and with a minimum flow

of 10 litres per minute (in case of communal water points) or 6000 litres of potable water supplied

per formal connection per month (in case of yard or house connections).”

High capital investment for the provision of rolling stock

Increase in the annual maintenance of the rail line because of the inclusion of passenger

transport service and not only freight service

High capital investment for the provision of suitable stations along the rail line in the areas of

Madadeni and Osizweni

Remote location of the current station in terms of residential areas and employment

opportunities.

111632 of households have piped water supply either to inside the home or on site

17 % of households rely on communal stand pipes.

7, 9% of households are reliant on boreholes or springs as opposed to the previous and are

reliant on other sources of water. The quality of the water obtained from these sources is

unknown and cannot be guaranteed, thus possibly leading to health problems.


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Therefore, eMadlangeni has been the most challenged municipality with a water backlog of 41%.

4.15.8.4 Housing

The majority of urban settlements were located in the Newcastle Municipality. Dannhauser has the

highest proportion of its population residing in the tribal/traditional authority areas. Most of the district

populations, who live in urban areas, are located in Newcastle, Utrecht and Dannhauser.

Dannhauser Municipality is predominantly rural in character with urban areas limited to Dannhauser

and surrounding areas that formed part of the coal mining activities. The locality is also characterized

by vast commercial farmlands populated at very low densities by commercial farmers and farm

dwellers. The development in most of the area is scattered with an absence of a strong nodal

hierarchy. Uneven topography, membership of the community and traditional land allocation

practices are the major factors that shape this settlement pattern.

In Emadlangeni, the main urban settlements are situated in Utrecht, where an urban edge has been

demarcated. Other significant settlements are Groenvlie, Amantungwa Kingsley, Blue Mountain,

Nzima and Mabaso. Scattered settlement patterns exist throughout the municipality and this mainly

occurs along roads.

The settlement pattern in Newcastle has largely followed access routes thus forming an economic

system with definite interdependencies between and among various elements. However, it has also

been highly influenced by the past apartheid planning and segregationist policies. The current

settlement pattern reflects a continuum of settlements from a highly urban Newcastle town through

peri-urban settlements in the JBC to extensive commercial farmlands with small isolated farm-dweller

settlements.

The main issues facing Amajuba Municipality is a poor settlement pattern, which manifests in the

form of the dominance of small towns as a regional service centres and economic hubs, as well as

the expansive farming areas and a general rural character of the area. The net effect of this is the

inability to decentralize and coordinate service delivery at a localized level.

Almost 90% of the Amajuba District households (97 342) reside in formal dwellings an increase from

75 154 in 2001. In 2011, some 4.6% of households resided in informal dwellings (5 099 households)

and 7.2% (7 949 households) resided in traditional dwelling - representing significant decreases from

the 2001 figures.

Despite the relatively high level of water provision, the figures hide wide disparities among

the three local municipalities.

Up to 83 % of households with piped water supply either to dwelling or on site are residing

in Newcastle Municipality,

Up to 80 % of households with piped water supply either to dwelling or on site is residing in

Dannhauser Municipality, Unauthorized households’ connections are largely contributing to

increased number of households with yard connections.

Up to 39 % of households with piped water supply either to dwelling or on site are residing

in eMadlangeni Municipality,

While 46% of households in Emadlangeni Municipality are reliant on natural and other water

supplies. Almost 13% of households in Dannhauser Municipality are reliant on natural and

other water supplies.


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Figure 4-64: Housing Summary (Statistics SA, Community Survey 2016)

The Amajuba Comprehensive Infrastructure Plan (2009) indicated that 34 694 households within the

District fall below RDP standards. This figure has since decreased since 2016 to an estimated 19

92617.

All the Local Municipalities have completed their Housing Sector Plans. However, some of these

plans are outdated and need to be reviewed and updated. It is therefore important for the District to

adopt a coordinated and sustainable approach to human settlements, with appropriate service levels

and strategies for addressing the needs of scattered settlements and the more densely populated

rural nodes and corridors, in order to ensure sustainable infrastructure planning and alignment.

Table 4-48: Estimated Housing Backlogs-2012/13

Local

Municipality Estimated Total No. Housing Housing

of Households No. of Households

Newcastle 102 861 23 000 22%

Emadlangeni 6 803 5 646 83%

Dannhauser 20 800 17 264 83%

Total 130 464 45 910 35%

4.15.8.5 Water and Sanitation

It must be noted that the Newcastle and Amajuba Municipalities are both Water Services Authorities

(WSA) with Amajuba serving the Emadlangeni and Dannhauser municipal areas, and Newcastle

being responsible for its own municipal area.

With regards to sanitation, access to flush toilets and the number of VIP toilets in the Emadlangeni

municipal area have increased between 2001 and 2011, which indicates positive service delivery.


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However, it is a concern to note 15.3% of the local population still does not have access to sanitation

facilities (according to Census 2011 figures).

Census 2011 data shows that approximately 3% of the households within the Dannhauser municipal

area do not have access to sanitation facilities. Rural settlements use pit latrines for sanitation

purposes, whilst most commercial farms have on-site septic tanks. The sewerage system is

concentrated mainly in town, but the infrastructure in this regard is old and requires upgrading and

maintenance.

4.15.8.6 Energy Source

There are 8 sub-stations in the Newcastle Municipality that supply electricity to the areas of

Newcastle, Madadeni and Osizweni. Emadlangeni Municipality has 6 sub-stations that service the

settlements within the municipality for residential purposes whilst Utrecht would most like be for

economic factors albeit a declining economy. Dannhauser Municipality has 3 sub-stations situated

within its jurisdiction servicing the settlements of Mdakane and Osizweni. The Amajuba IDP

(2017/18) provides an overview of the estimated electricity backlogs in the district, as shown below:

Table 4-49: Estimated Electricity Backlogs-2018/19

Local Municipality Estimated Total No. Electricity

of Households No. of Households Percentage

Newcastle 102 861 11 300 11%

Emadlangeni 6 803 3 742 55%

Dannhauser 20 800 5 408 26%

Total 130 464 20 450 16%

The Amajuba District Municipality is in the process of completing its Electricity Supply Development

Plan (ESDP). The purpose of the ESDP is to formulate a rational basis for extending grid and non-

grid electricity service supply to the population of the Amajuba District Municipality within as short a

time as possible, within the national as well as provincial electrification guidelines and budget

available.

The ESDP has identified a grid backlog of 9739 connections and 472 non-grid connections within

the DM. The increase from the previous number of 8771 is mainly due to the addition of farm worker

housing outside of the rural areas. The farm worker housing was divided into grid and non-grid

electrification in accordance with the availability of grid in the areas.

4.15.9 Economic Activities

The economy in the ADM is dominated by three active sectors which include agriculture, mining &

quarrying, manufacturing and tourism.

4.15.9.1 Agriculture

The Amajuba District Municipality is one of the most fertile regions within KwaZulu-Natal, and

therefore has a comparative advantage in terms of agriculture. The agricultural sector accounts for

approximately 3% of total GVA in the Amajuba District, while the contribution of this sector to total

formal employment is 4%. Although the sector only contributes a small proportion to the total output

in the district, the importance of agricultural development and sustainability in the province has been

prioritized recently in many of the provincial and national policies and strategies.

The sector has experienced a substantial improvement in GVA growth over the period 2010-2016,

with a 0.4% average annual growth rate over this period. In light of the slight improvement, the sector

is still declining in the region and this can be attributed to a number of factors including:


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According to the Amajuba Agricultural Plan (2006) the main commercial crops that are produced in

Amajuba are Maize, soybeans, peanuts, wheat, dry beans, potatoes, cabbage and barley. The

agricultural activities occurring within the district are crop farming (varied vegetables and seedling 21

production), dairy production, aquaculture, poultry and livestock.

The Dannhauser Local Municipality contributes almost 40% to total agricultural production in the

district and has experienced the smallest decline of -2% between 2005 and 2009. Newcastle and

Emadlangeni contribute 33% and 28% respectively to total agricultural output in the district and have

both experienced a decline in growth of -6% from 2005 – 2009. However, agricultural activities

contributed 10% and 9% to total employment in the Emadlangeni and Dannhauser municipalities in

2009, indicating the importance of ensuring growth and development within this sector.

Large areas of the region have comparatively low agricultural potential, as they are included within

the relatively unproductive Bioresource group TUc122. This is evident in terms of the land resource

potential of the District, 11.2% (77 514ha) is considered to be high potential, whilst 4.1% (28 333ha)

is categorized as good potential land. The majority of the district (40.6% or 280 490 ha) is regarded

as moderate potential land.

Therefore, the conclusion is that good potential agricultural land needs to be kept productive and

lower potential land will have to be well managed (i.e. not overstocked) to conserve the limited

production potential that does exist.

4.15.9.2 Mining and Quarrying

Mining and quarrying only contributes a small amount to total GVA in the district (3.4% in 2010). The

area has experienced a significant decline in formal commercial mines over the past 5-10 years

(largely due to the downscaling of coal mining in Dannhauser), with small-scale mining accounting

for more recent growth. The only substantial product that is still mined within the district is coal.

In terms of employment, this sector accounts for approximately 1% of total employment in the district,

a substantial long-term decline from 7% contribution in 1996, and a smaller short-term decline from

a 2% contribution to employment in 2000.

An alarming issue is the large number of coal mines that have been abandoned within the Newcastle

and Emadlangeni municipalities, with only 1 significant commercial coal mine remaining in

Newcastle. As mentioned above, the mining industry has however experienced positive growth off a

small base within the district due to an increase in small-scale coal operations.

4.15.9.3 Manufacturing

Manufacturing contributes 25.2% to the total district GVA, making it the largest contributor to the

district economy. The sector has undergone changes over the past 30 years. During the apartheid

era Newcastle was established as an industrial de-concentration point primarily for the processing of

Uncertainty about the large number of pending land claims;

Lack of support for small-scale and informal farming operations;

Lack of relevant skills and training programmes;

Access to markets;

Access to funding for investment into new machinery and equipment;

Increasing input costs and competition;

Poor institutional support and assistance in the region.


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iron and steel products at ISKOR. While government subsidies and policies remained in place, the

iron and steel industry continued to operate in this area. During the 1970s and 1980s, the production

of textiles and clothing entered into the area as an additional manufacturing sub-sector along with

chemicals and associated steel processing plants (e.g. galvanizing, fabrication etc.). Over the last

10-15 years the economy has undergone a further change, with the decline of the textile industry in

Newcastle, the decline of the iron and steel industry and the emergence of large-scale retailing.

Over this period there has been a shift from large scale plants to a variety of smaller scale

manufacturing and processing units. A large number of the manufacturing companies in the greater

Newcastle area produce for national and international markets (mainly Gauteng at national level).

Most large industry is located within Newcastle, which accounts for over 83% of total GVA in the

Amajuba manufacturing industry, followed by Dannhauser with 12.7% and Emadlangeni with 3.8%

of GVA Newcastle has a strong base of existing infrastructure geared towards manufacturing, and is

considered an important node within the wider provincial manufacturing sector. The sector consists

of strong clusters of manufacturing industries and has historically attracted a large number of foreign

(mainly Chinese and Taiwanese) manufacturers due to incentives offered. The sector is however

dominated by a few large firms, which presents the opportunity to diversify the manufacturing base

to promote the growth of SMME’s within the sector.

The dominant sub-sectors within the district’s manufacturing sector include

Metals, metal products, machinery and equipment - contributes almost 45% to total GVA,

and 30% to total employment within the industry. This is largely due to the presence of two

major producers of primary metal within the Amajuba, both located in Newcastle, namely,

ArcelorMittal Steel (Newcastle Steel) and Xstrata/Silicon Technologies (Glencore).

Petroleum products, chemicals, rubber and plastic – this sub-sector contributes about 15.4%

to total GVA, but only contributes 6.7% to total employment in the district, indicating the

capital-intensiveness of the industry. The industry has experienced a decline since 2005 (-

1.7%).

Clothing, textiles and leather goods - accounts for approximately 12.5% of GVA and over

36% to total employment in the sector. Newcastle accounts for approximately 86% of all

textile and footwear manufacturing operations in the district. However, due to non-

compliance with labour regulations, many of the Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers in

the area have been shut down. This has damaged the textile industry substantially, with

thousands of jobs being shed in the industry.

Furniture manufacturing - this industry contributes 8.9% to GVA in the manufacturing sector

within Amajuba. The industry has experienced a -3.7% average annual decline between

2005 and 2009. Approximately 1267 people are employed in this industry (8.8% of total

manufacturing employment) which is in line with the province (8.2% of employed in

manufacturing).

Food, beverages, tobacco contributes 8.2% to GVA in Amajuba. The industry has

experienced growth, with an average annual growth rate of 1.6% in Amajuba. The industry

accounts for 6.6% of total employment in manufacturing.

4.15.9.4 Tourism

It is difficult to measure the contribution of tourism to the district economy, since GVA from the tourism

industry is spread across a number of other sectors. However, catering and accommodation within

Amajuba contributed 0.6% to total GVA in 2010. This is expected to be only a portion of the total

GVA generated from the industry. The contribution of this sector to total employment is 1.5%.

The Amajuba District is not considered to be a major tourism destination within KZN due to its

historical association with industrial and mining activities. However, it is a key sector that presents


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opportunities for economic development within the region. Tourism within the town has grown over

the past years, which is justified by the growing number of accommodation facilities and activities

offered within the region.

Major tourist attractions in Amajuba include avi-tourism/birding tourism; nature and game reserves;

adventure and sports tourism; and natural, cultural and historical attractions (e.g. Battlefields) . These

attractions present a clear opportunity for the district to position itself to take advantage of this sector.

The district has a large number of accommodation facilities, which range from lodges, to B&B’s, to

self-catering facilities and hotels. However, most of these facilities are located within Newcastle, with

only a limited number of facilities within the Emadlangeni and Dannhauser Municipalities.

During the LED Strategy review process in 2012, the following issues were identified as being

constraints to the sector:

Historical association of the district as a mining and industrial centre;

Lack of coordinated promotion of the region and attractions offered;

Run-down and lack of tourism facilities;

No specific draw-card attraction to make the district a priority for tourists;

Lack of sufficient signage along the N3 and also within the district to promote tourism facilities

and attractions; and

Loss of tourists to larger tourist attractions such as the Durban beachfront, Drakensberg

Mountains, and the north and south coast.

4.15.9.5 Tertiary Services (including Government Services)

The tertiary services sector includes communications, finance and insurance, business services,

community and social services, and general government. Average growth for these sectors has been

8% per annum from 2005 - 2009, far surpassing growth in the primary and secondary sectors of the

district. These sectors contribute over 45% to total GVA in Amajuba district. In terms of employment,

over 62,000 people are employed within these sectors, which accounts for 74.5% of total

employment in the sector. This indicates the significance of these tertiary sectors within Amajuba.

Wholesale and retail trade are the largest contributing sector to tertiary services, accounting for

almost 20% of total GVA within the district. General government spending and community, social

and personal services contribute 18.5% and 17.6% respectively. This trend indicates the need to

diversify the district economy in order to create a wider economic base in support of long-term

sustainable job creation.

4.15.9.6 Informal Trade

Within the Amajuba District Municipality, informal trade accounts for over 20% of total employment

within the region. Over 74% of informal trade in the district occurs within the Newcastle Local

Municipality, with only 7.5% in Emadlangeni, and 17.6% in Dannhauser. Informal trade is

predominately clustered around public transport facilities and along main transport corridors,

although there are a number of activities that occur in backyards and on the periphery of each of the

towns.

Informal traders face a number of constraints which make it difficult for them to successfully operate,

expand their business, or formally register. These are factors such as:

Lack of financial and business skills

Lack of access to funding


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Lack of access/finance for trading premises;

Low turnovers;

Harsh trading conditions and crime.

It is important that the above issues be addressed in order to create a more conducive environment

for small informal business within the district to function, expand and thrive.

4.16 Community Development Planning

4.16.1 Amajuba District Municipality/ LED Needs

Amajuba LED Strategy notes that the district's economic growth potential is in agriculture, Mining

and Quarrying, Manufacturing and tourism. Through its Supply Chain Policy, the ADM endeavours

to encourage procurement from local business, thereby driving economic transformation among

Historically Disadvantaged Individuals.

One of the most important purposes of a District Growth and Development Planning policy and

strategy is to ensure that national, provincial and local initiatives and programs are integrated and

sustainable to maximize the growth and employment impact of economic and social development

projects and programs. At a district level, economic and social development policy is directly the

rationalization of some of the existing provincial and local institutional structures, the suggestion of

new institutions:

(a) to target direct programs to those areas where it would have the greatest impact on local

economies;

(b) to consolidate funding that flows into local areas for economic development; and

(c) to provide support services that would assist local communities in realizing their economic goals

and visions.

The province of Kwa-Zulu-Natal has reviewed the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy,

which was developed in 2011, and was adopted by the Cabinet in September 2016, and the Plan in

December 2016. The 2016 Provincial Growth and Development Strategy provides a strategic

framework for development in the Province; it has seven strategic goals and 31 strategic objectives

which some have been changed and also added new ones, and also key specific targets linked to

each strategic goal which have to be achieved by 2035. The reviewed PGDS has reworded two of

its goals and added 4 new objectives to goals 1, 3, 4 and 5 as outlined below:

Goal 1 - Enhance spatial economic development

Goal 3 - Promote youth, gender, disability advocacy and the advancement of women

Goal 4 - Enhance KZN waste management capacity

Goal 5 - Expand the application of green technologies

The municipality adopted the District Growth and Development Plan in December 2014. As the ADM

has commenced with the review process, we have identified some gaps with goals as they require

the input from various sector departments. It is of importance that gaps be acknowledged as part of

the existing DGDP, such gaps are a result of poor input from sector departments. Sector

Departments were to serve as a base to set the key performance indicators and targets for 2025,

2030 and 2035 in areas that concern the basic needs of the communities.


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The prevailing objective of the Amajuba DGDP is that before Amajuba District proposes future

initiatives toward Growth and Development within its jurisdiction, it must have undertaken a thorough

status quo review to assess the potential economic and social issues that exists. To this end the

status quo assessment is a set of logical steps which helps Amajuba District to do this. It is a process

that prepares evidence for sound decision-making on the advantages and disadvantages of possible

empowerment options by assessing past practices and their impact. Further, this status quo review

forms the basis of a sustainability plan for future growth and development initiatives.

Amajuba DGDP is a description of the strategic goal areas, objectives and related indicators and

targets to the year 2035. These statements describe the goal, the rationale for its inclusion in the

provincial plan and how the achievement of the goal will contribute to KwaZulu-Natal’s growth and

development trajectory. It is imperative that during this process, a comfortable alignment between

the proposed strategic goals of the Amajuba DGDP and the 7 provincial outcomes set by the KZN

Provincial Cabinet.

4.16.1.1 SMME Development

SMME’s are greatly dependent on the existing economic base. Without an established economic

base consisting of medium and large industry, backward linkages are limited, and this reduces the

potential opportunities available for small business to become involved in the supply chain. Although

there is a significant industrial base within the district, growth has not been sufficient enough to

stimulate supporting industries and attract new SMME’s into the market. Additionally, SMME’s and

Cooperatives are often unsuccessful due to challenges such as low levels of access to finance and

other support services, access to markets, and a lack of business and management skills. These

challenges all exist within the ADM and need to be addressed to ensure that conditions are right to

stimulate both the establishment of SMME’s and Cooperatives.

Given the growth potential within the ADM in regard to tourism, manufacturing and agriculture, a

number of opportunities that are expected to be created for SMME’s and Cooperatives in support of

these sectors. Within tourism, accommodation and tourism facilities are predominately operated by

SMME’s while opportunities exist for cooperatives within catering and event management. However,

the relevant support and skills are required should small business be able to take full advantage of

the opportunities that might exist. Within manufacturing, SMME’s generally develop in response to

demand from new industry, and given the anticipated growth in the sector, SMME’s must inhibit the

relevant skills, expertise and resources to take advantage of new opportunities that might arise.

Within agriculture, opportunities exist for cooperatives to become more involved in small and medium

scale commercial farming. This will require skills and resources, as well as training and assistance,

in order to establish cooperative structures that are able to achieve economies of scale and access

commercial markets.

Skills development and training, as part of capacity building, is a crucial element to the success of

both SMME’s and cooperatives within the ADM. Most SMME’s and cooperatives lack the necessary

skills and capacity to successfully undertake financial, management and marketing activities,

effectively reducing their potential to succeed as a viable commercial entity. The ADM, through this

programme, must ensure that SMME’s and cooperatives are able to access skills development and

training programmes on offer through institutions such as SEDA, as well as mobilise funding to

undertake private sector training and skills development programmes.

Both cooperatives and SMME’s currently lack support in key areas such as access to finance, access

to markets, and marketing and promotion of activities. This programme is designed to ensure that

the relevant assistance and support for cooperatives and SMME’s is made available. This will require

the ADM to identify and assess current support mechanisms to ensure that these are operating in

the desired manner, and to develop an institutional framework which provides guidelines on how to

best provide assistance and support to SMME’s and Cooperatives.


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4.16.1.2 Local Economic Development Challenges for the District Municipality

The major challenge facing the LED Unit in ADM is that local economic development is no longer

priority for the municipality. There is no budget allocated for LED Unit, and the SMME Development

portfolio is vacant. There are currently no plans to fill that vacancy. Suggestions to merge Poverty

Alleviation and SMME Development Portfolios were turned down by management. As it stands, that

crucial portfolio remains vacant.

The 2011 LED Strategy was outsourced and is outdated requiring it to be developed and not

reviewed. And in all likelihood the new document will also have to be outsourced given the capacity

constraints within the organization. The process of identifying the relevant stakeholders should not

be a challenge as the municipality has a number of structures which bring together all the roles-

players required for economic development. There is IDP-RF, IGR and AFLED (which has since

collapsed). Those are all the structures that the municipality will utilize to mobilize the development

of the new LED Strategy. Once the municipality is in a position to start the process of developing the

new plan, all the MEC inputs will be addressed.

4.17 Dannhauser Local Municipality/ LED Needs

Through a detailed analysis and consultations with various relevant local stakeholders and role-

players, a list of high priority focus areas were identified that require immediate attention in the

Dannhauser Local Municipality (Dannhauser LM IDP, 2018/2019). These priority focus areas are set

out below in Error! Reference source not found.:

Table 4-50: High priority focus areas

Industry Programme Potential development

Agricultural

Development

and

Diversification

Agricultural Support

and Skills

Development

LED SMMEs & Co-ops Programme

LED SMMEs & Co-ops Programme – Purchasing of Farms

Strategic arrangement with DARD on agricultural support

Dannhauser Food security program

Promote skills development through existing agric institutions

Commodity

Development

Undertake research into new potential commodities and develop business plans (incl areas for agri-processing)

Engage with EDTEA and TIKZN quarterly to identify markets

Poultry incubation Programme

Develop two dairy farms in Normandien

Set up a cheese processing plant


April 2021 121

Expand the mechanization project to include small scale farmers

Grain crop production p

Vegetable production

Potatoes projects

Sugar-beet production

Herbs and medicinal plants project

Orchard Project

Mushrooms project

Aquaculture and Aquaponics Project

Irrigation projects

Fencing projects

Tannery Project in Dannhauser

Sawmill project

Laying hens projects

Broiler projects

Community garden projects

Establishment of a Tannery Incubator in Dannhauser

Land Reform

Resolution of Land Claims

Resuscitation of agricultural activities in “land reform” farms

Engage with DARD to develop mentorship programmes for land reform beneficiaries

Mechanization

Establish a Mechanisation unit at a district level

Establish an Agro-Processing Unit

Start – Up Co-operatives various Industries

Corridor and Nodal

Development Development of Mdakane and Hattingspruit as key

secondary economic nodes


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Expansion of

Infrastructural

capacity

Development of the Tourism Strategy to promote Dannhauser tourism product to benefit from the Battlefields Route Development

Development of New Taxi Rank

Tourism Implementation

Investment Promotion & facilitation Strategy

Infrastructure for

trade and industry

redress density

The roll out of ICT Broadband

Enhancement of bulk infrastructure to capacitate upcoming industrial developments

The development of a new Mall in Dannhauser redress

Human Settlements

Facilitate establishment of a mining township.

Facilitate establishment of middle income housing development to attract higher income base residents

Rejuvenation

of Mining

Activity

Rehabilitation of

abandoned mines

Undertake an assessment of abandoned mines to identify potential for rehabilitation

Develop business plans for identified viable mining rehabilitation projects

New mining

opportunities

Find investors in large scale mines

Establish a washing plant

Training small scale miners

Develop business plans for new opportunities identified

Identify and encourage the use of new alternative mining technologies

Social Labour Plans

Assessment of local mining companies in terms of level of compliance with Section 23, 24 and 25 of (MPRDA 28 of 2008

Facilitate alignment of SLP projects with municipal development programmes

Application of M&E mechanisms for implementation of SLPs

Support and

Assistance Undertake and SMME baseline study to determine

sector development gaps


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Enhancing

SMME

Development

Facilitate establishment of SMMEs coherent units e.g.: Hawkers Association

Establishment of a Small Business Support Centre

Identify potential market opportunities for SMME's and provide assistance in establishing operations and receiving funding

Cooperatives support and development program

Support and Management of Informal Economy Sector

Skills and capacity

development and

training

Establish a forum with SEDA & SETA to implement and monitor skills development and training programmes

4.17.1 Local Economic Development Challenges

Key constraints to growth in the DLM local economy include (Dannhauser LM IDP, 2018/2019):

4.17.1.1 Agriculture

The main agricultural activities in Dannhauser are subsistence farming. This type of farming is mostly

concentrated in the more rural parts of the municipality. The current decline in agricultural production

in the region can be attributed to a number of factors including:

Uncertainty about the large number of pending land claims;

Lack of support for small-scale and informal farming operations;

Lack of relevant skills and training programmes;

Access to markets;

Access to funding for investment into new machinery and equipment;

Increasing input costs and competition; and

Poor institutional support and assistance in the region.

Investment opportunities:

Crop & Livestock farming;

Irrigation schemes;

Mechanisation;

Feed processing;

Cold storage;

Storage facilities;

Supply of seeds;

Agro-logistics;


April 2021 124

Skills development; and

Investment in other agricultural technology.

4.17.1.2 Mining

The municipality has consented to mining activities being undertaken within its jurisdiction, this is in

line with the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002 as amended from time

to time. Dannhauser has one of the largest coal reserves within the district, and the quality of the

coal is high grade, known as “Anthracite”. The coal is mainly exported to international countries and

or blended with other grades of coal and used locally.

ADM has experienced a significant decline in formal commercial mines over the past 5-10 years

(largely due to the downscaling of coal mining in Dannhauser), with small-scale mining accounting

for more recent growth. In terms of employment, this sector employs about 800 formal employees,

approximately 1% of total employment in the district, a substantial long-term decline from 7%

contribution in 1996, and a smaller short-term decline from a 2% contribution to employment in 2000.

Further challenges include:

Difficult mining conditions as a result of narrow seams, large topographic differences, highly

faulted ground conditions and numerous occurrences of dolerite dykes. This resulted in low

extraction rates and tonnages, high mining costs and few opportunities for opencast mining;

and

The abolition of the coal marketing controls which took place in the early 1990’s. These

controls had prevented the sale of coal produced within a province from being sold outside

of that particular province. This abolition resulted in the cheap coal produced in Mpumalanga

being sold into the KwaZulu-Natal market. Although the Mpumalanga coals had further to

travel to reach the KwaZulu- Natal market, the combined mining and transportation costs for

this coal were still significantly less than the high cost coal produced within KwaZulu-Natal;

4.17.1.3 Manufacturing

Infrastructure is critical for the success of growth and development and has a direct bearing on the

socio-economic status of any given population. A number of challenges are clearly identifiable with

regards to infrastructure such as the capacity of existing roads, lack of roads to support farming and

mining activities, lack of water for irrigation, a lack of commercial and industrial space, informal

trading facilities, lack of housing and uncoordinated human settlement delivery.

The municipality has a responsibility to develop its industrial area and provide enough space,

adequate bulk infrastructure and efficient waste management services to investors including the

currently hanging opportunity from the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs. The

industrial site will have to be well serviced and marketed to potential investors.

Dannhauser is a nodal agro-industrial producer, with a malt processing factory, grain silos and mill.

An opportunity exists to expand the agro-processing industry but the unavailability of adequate

infrastructure within the municipality is a constraint. Currently there are four identified agro-

processing industries around which are namely the waterfall poultry, Dannhauser malt, Roadside

Abattoir and Leicester Mill.

The municipality has been fortunate to be beneficiary to the COTGA Small Towns Development

Program, where it has seen the realization of the development and improvement of the CBD area

through the implementation of phase 1 and 2 of the Dannhauser Precinct Plan. These phases

included rehabilitation of the industrial park roads, storm water drainage system and installation of


April 2021 125

street lights. A number of vacant sites exist within the industrial park and still need to be surveyed

and registered accordingly. These sites will be earmarked primarily for activities that are meant to

stimulate the economy of Dannhauser.

The implementation of phase 4 of the Precinct Plan which intends joining Cambrine Road with R621

as the main connecting road to Dundee as well as the construction of a new taxi rank, which is

expected to commence towards the end of this current financial year anticipates realizing a number

of opportunities especially to SMMEs as well as to the Informal Economy sector.

The municipality intends embarking on a corridor and nodal development program as a means to

stimulate economic activity along key secondary nodes and corridors within the municipal area,

particularly in the KwaMdakane and Hattingspruit areas. The planning process of these nodes has

been prioritised as the first step toward stimulating and decentralizing economic activities within its

jurisdiction. The infrastructure for trade and industry programme has seen the successful

establishment of eleven trading stalls in the Dannhauser CBD and KwaMdakane, aimed at

accommodating local traders. However, the major challenge currently experienced is the non-

commitment by local traders, who have not utilized the trading stalls. This challenge shall be

overcome by the development of a new taxi rank which will be built next to these trading stalls. The

program continues to suggest a number of projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure for trade and

industry related activities within the DLM.

Housing is an ongoing concern for the district. Human settlements needs to be addressed in a

manner that is sustainable to ensure that sufficient housing is provided for the growing population,

as well as ensuring that settlements are inclusive, and provide the necessary facilities required by

the expected population.

The development of housing will stimulate the manufacturing industry, as this will enable SMME’s to

produce products and services that will be utilized such as tiles, tables, chairs, window-frames, etc

The municipality will institute middle-income housing development through private developers which

is aimed at attracting communities of higher income into the area thereby improve the rate of higher

buying power and disposable income, which will have positive spinoffs in strengthening the

confidence of investors with retail development interest.

Challenges:

Lack of major investors;

Lack of integration with Regional Economic Zones;

Lack of proper marketing;

Poor signage from main routes, and

Lack of greater institutional support and capital investment from the municipality.

4.17.1.4 Tourism

The municipality has identified tourism as a potential economic sector, although no major tourism

activities are currently being undertaken, there are biological, heritage and historical assets that

exist within the jurisdiction.

Challenges:

Lack of major international tourists’ attractions;

Lack of enough individual attractions to keep tourists occupied during their stay in the area;

Dannhauser is not located along a major tourism route;

Poor signage from main routes, and


April 2021 126

Lack of greater institutional support and capital investment from the municipality.

4.17.1.5 Medium-Term Strategic Framework Priorities

The new Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) which outlines the priorities, strategic

objectives and targets of government for the period 2009 – 2014, indicates that National

Government’s strategic intent is to improve the quality of life of South African communities in all districts and municipalities (See Error! Reference source not found.).

Table 4-51: MTSF Strategic Priorities

Strategic Priority Area

Description

SP1 Speeding up growth and transforming the economy to create decent work and sustainable

livelihoods.

SP2 Massive programme to build economic and social infrastructure.

SP3 Comprehensive rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food

security.

SP4 Strengthen the skills and human resource base.

SP5 Improve the health profile of all South Africans.

SP6 Intensify the fight against crime and corruption.

SP7 Build cohesive, caring and sustainable.

SP8 Pursuing African advancement and enhanced international cooperation.

SP9 Sustainable Resource Management and use.

SP10 Building a developmental state including improvement of public services and strengthening

democratic institutions.

4.17.2 Proposed Local Economic Development Projects

The priority LED focus areas are indicated in Table 4-52 below. Ericure would like to direct their LED

investment to a variety of the selected projects below. Ericure is willing to form partnerships with

other local stakeholders to ensure that a sustainable calculated impact is made locally. Ericure is

waiting for the final IDP from the Dannhauser LM for the next financial period (2018/19) before they

can finalise and align their project designs with other LED initiatives and stakeholders. Provisional

project plans are provided in Table 4-53 and Table 4-54. The proposed LED projects are still in their

developmental design stages. Municipal community consultation and research is ongoing and must

be finalised before Ericure can align their LED project initiatives to the local municipal LED plans.

Table 4-52: LED High Priority Focus Areas

Programme Focus Area

Agricultural Support and

Skills Development Strategic arrangement with DARD on agricultural support

Dannhauser Food security program

Promote skills development through existing agric institutions

Commodity Development Grain crop production p


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Vegetable production

Fencing projects

Tannery Project in Dannhauser

Laying hens projects

Broiler projects

Land Reform Resolution of Land Claims

Resuscitation of agricultural activities in “land reform” farms

Engage with DARD to develop mentorship programmes for land reform beneficiaries

Infrastructure for trade and

industry redress density The roll out of ICT Broadband

Enhancement of bulk infrastructure to capacitate upcoming industrial developments

The development of a new Mall in Dannhauser redress

Human Settlements Facilitate establishment of a mining township.

Facilitate establishment of middle income housing development to attract higher income base residents

Rehabilitation of abandoned

mines Undertake an assessment of abandoned mines to identify potential for

rehabilitation

Develop business plans for identified viable mining rehabilitation projects

New mining opportunities Find investors in large scale mines

Establish a washing plant

Training small scale miners

Develop business plans for new opportunities identified

Identify and encourage the use of new alternative mining technologies

Social Labour Plans Assessment of local mining companies in terms of level of compliance with

Section 23, 24 and 25 of (MPRDA 28 of 2008

Facilitate alignment of SLP projects with municipal development programmes

Application of M&E mechanisms for implementation of SLPs

Support and Assistance Undertake and SMME baseline study to determine sector development gaps

Facilitate establishment of SMMEs coherent units e.g.: Hawkers Association

Establishment of a Small Business Support Centre


April 2021 128

Identify potential market opportunities for SMME's and provide assistance in establishing operations and receiving funding

Cooperatives support and development program

Support and Management of Informal Economy Sector

Skills and capacity

development and training Establish a forum with SEDA & SETA to implement and monitor skills

development and training programmes

Source: Dannhauser Local Economic Development Strata


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Table 4-53: Project 1

Project name The name of the project: Classification of project:

Background

Geographical

location of

project

District

Municipality:

Amajuba DM

Local Municipality:

Dannhauser LM

Community:

Dannhauser

Project Start Date: End of 2021

(provisional date)

Project End date: To be

confirmed (TBC)

Output Key Performance

Area:

Key Performance

Indicator:

Completed plan.

Budget spent.

Responsible entity:

Ericure

Quarterly

timelines and

year:

Quarterly timelines

and year:

Quarterly

timelines and

year:

Budget:

(TBC)

TBC

Classification

of jobs

No of jobs to be

created:

Male Adults: Female Adults: Male Youth: Female Youth: Total: Comment

s

Short Term TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC None

Medium-Term TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC

Long-Term TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC

Completion date and exit strategy: TBC


April 2021 130

Table 4-54: Project 2

Project name The name of the project: Classification of project:

Background

Geographical

location of

project

District

Municipality:

Amajuba DM

Local Municipality:

Dannhauser LM

Community:

Dannhauser

Project Start Date: Start of 2022

(provisional date)

Project End date: To be

confirmed (TBC)

Output Key Performance

Area:

Key Performance

Indicator:

Completed plan.

Budget spent.

Responsible entity:

Ericure

Quarterly

timelines and

year:

Quarterly timelines

and year:

Quarterly

timelines and

year:

Budget:

(TBC)

TBC

Classification

of jobs

No of jobs to be

created:

Male Adults: Female Adults: Male Youth: Female Youth: Total: Comment

s

Short Term TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC None

Medium-Term TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC

Long-Term TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC

Completion date and exit strategy: TBC


April 2021 131

5.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS IDENTIFIED

The following potential impacts were identified during the scoping phase:

1) Groundwater: Abstraction of groundwater to provide safe mining conditions and water for use in the

mine and plant will result in two cones of depression (lowering of the groundwater table) around the

two mines. The use of explosives and spillages of hydrocarbons could cause groundwater pollution.

The profiles of these cones of depression will change as the mining progresses. The project may be

expected to have an impact of moderate significance on the groundwater regime and groundwater

users during the life of the mine;

2) Surface water: Runoff from the overburden, waste rock, and tailings storage areas could have a

high silt load, low pH, high sulphate and metal levels, and runoff from the plant and workshop areas

could be contaminated with hydrocarbons. Such dirty runoff from the project area could cause

surface water pollution in the local watercourses. Without appropriate mitigation measures, the

project could have a high impact on the surface water regime during the life of the mining operations;

3) Ecology: The project will result in the temporary removal of vegetation from the combined footprint

area (opencast mines and infrastructure) of about 311.19 ha. Due to ongoing rehabilitation in

accordance with the rollover method of mining (see section 2.5.1), less than half of the

aforementioned surface area will be bare at any particular time during the life of the mine. Due to the

destruction of their habitat, the current faunal population in the project area will have to relocate until

suitable habitat has been restored by the rehabilitation programme. The long term impact is expected

to be moderate to low;

4) Air Quality: Particulate mobilisation by drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, stockpiling, backfilling and

tailings storage has the potential for an impact of moderate significance on air quality within and in

the vicinity of the project area, particularly in the downwind direction. Gaseous emissions due to

blasting and the diesel engines on mining vehicles are expected to have an impact of low significance

on air quality.

5) Noise: The noise impact could range from high to moderate significance during the operational life

of the mine. The noise from the mining machinery will be audible, but will not exceed the daytime

level for urban districts, beyond the 500 m blast zone boundary and at some sensitive areas. If

opencast mining operations are undertaken during the night time, exceedances of all but the

guidelines for industrial districts would be experienced and the noise levels at the nearest sensitive

receptors would be objectionable;

6) Blasting and vibration: High air blast sound pressure levels may be expected within 500 to 1 000m

of the mines. The duration at any particular receptor will depend on the detailed mining operations

at the time. Blasts will have to be designed and monitored with the objective of avoiding any damage

from fly rock, air blast and ground vibration at these or any other identified potentially vulnerable

receptors. Some sensitive receptors may experience impacts of high significance. Vibration levels

experienced at surface from underground blasting are expected to be well below the levels at which

structural damage could occur;

7) Visual: Due to the flat terrain and the screening vegetation on adjacent areas, the opencast mine

and infrastructure will have a high visual impact at close range only;

8) Cultural and heritage: The cultural and heritage fieldwork has yet to be done. Unless unknown

graves are unearthed during construction or mining, the expected impact on cultural and heritage

resources is likely to be of negligible significance; and

9) Socio-economics: The mine will provide employment for about 50 people and the total wage bill

will be about R35.3 million per annum. Given the levels of unemployment in the area, the impact is

expected to be of moderate significance.


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6.0 EIA PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY

The overall process and methodology that was followed for the scoping phase of the EIA was based

on best practice guidelines and the requirements of South African legislation (specifically NEMA and

MPRDA).

The approach included the following key stages:

Gap Analysis of existing information against the regulatory requirements;

Project Definition and Analysis of Alternatives – inclusive of data review, red flag and

constraints mapping, input to alternatives analysis and preferred layout planning and project

description;

Screening (legal and process review) – review of all applicable compliance criteria;

Environmental and Social Baseline Studies – carrying out monitoring, data collection and

fieldwork to determine the baseline conditions of the environment that could be affected by

the Project;

EIA Scoping (identification of key issues and development of plan of study for carrying out

the impact assessment). This report is presented to the public and to relevant South African

Government departments for comment and to the DMR for a decision on whether the scope

proposed for the EIA is appropriate;

Stakeholder Engagement – was undertaken throughout the Scoping process to record

issues and comments received from the public. These issues and comments are integrated

into the process and will be considered in the impact assessment phase of the EIA.

The following activities will be undertaken during the next phase of the EIA:

Impact Assessment – evaluation of potential impacts and benefits of the Project utilising

qualitative and quantitative evaluation as determined by the scoping phase;

Environmental and Social Management Systems Development – establishment of a system

for the management of environmental and social impacts supported by action plans;

Preparation of an EIA report – documenting all processes and presenting the findings of the

impact assessment. The EIA report will be presented to the public and to the relevant South

African Government departments for comment and to the DMR for a decision on whether the

Project may proceed and if so, under what conditions; and

Stakeholder Engagement – will continue throughout the remainder of the EIA process to

record issues and comments received from interested and affected parties. All issues and

comments will be integrated into the process and considered during the EIA.

The overarching principles that guide the EIA include:

Sustainability – development that meets the needs of the present generation without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs;

Duty of care towards the environment and affected people; and

Mitigation hierarchy – a step-wise approach that illustrates the preferred approach to

mitigating adverse impacts as follows (the governing principle is to achieve no net loss and

preferably a net positive impact on people and the environment as a result of the Project):


April 2021 133

i. The preferred mitigation measure is avoidance;

ii. Then minimisation;

iii. Then rehabilitation or restoration; and

iv. Finally, offsetting of residual, unavoidable impacts.

The assessment of the impacts of the proposed activities will be conducted within the context

provided by these principles and objectives.

Figure 6-1: Mitigation Hierarchy Adapted from BBOP, 2009

6.1 Scoping Methodology

The methodology specifically adopted for the scoping phase included the following:

Stakeholder consultation as described in section 3.8.2;

Review of existing data;

Fieldwork by the EIA specialist team to obtain additional baseline data;

Workshops with the specialist team to identify key impacts and issues and to outline the

plan of study; and

Compiling the Scoping report.

Predicted Impact

Offsets

Offsets

Predicted Impact

Predicted Impact

Additional Enhancement

Avoidance Avoidance

Minimisation

Predicted Impact

Avoidance

Minimisation

Restoration / Rehabilitation

Positive Benefit

Negative Impact

Residual Impact

Net Positive Impact


April 2021 134

6.2 Impact Assessment Methodology

The specialist studies that were undertaken over the project area appear in APPENDIX to this report.

The significance of each identified impact was determined using the approach outlined below

(terminology from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Guideline document on EIA

Regulations, April 1998). This approach incorporates two aspects for assessing the potential

significance of impacts, namely occurrence and severity, which are further sub-divided as follows:

Occurrence Severity

Probability of occurrence Duration of occurrence Scale / extent of impact Magnitude (severity) of impact

To assess each of these factors for each impact, the following four ranking scales are used:

Probability Duration

5 - Definite/don’t know 5 - Permanent

4 - Highly probable 4 - Long-term

3 - Medium probability 3 - Medium-term (8-15 years)

2 - Low probability 2 - Short-term (0-7 years) (impact ceases after the operational life of the activity)

1 - Improbable 1 – Immediate

0 - None

SCALE MAGNITUDE

5 - International 10 - Very high/don’t know

4 - National 8 - High

3 - Regional 6 - Moderate

2 - Local 4 - Low

1 - Site only 2 - Minor

0 - None

Once these factors are ranked for each impact, the significance of the two aspects, occurrence and

severity, is assessed using the following formula:

SP (significance points) = (magnitude + duration + scale) x probability

The maximum value is 100 significance points (SP). The impact significance will then be rated as

follows:

SP >75 Indicates high environmental significance

An impact which could influence the decision about whether or not to proceed with the project regardless of any possible mitigation.

SP 30 – 75 Indicates moderate environmental significance

An impact or benefit which is sufficiently important to require management, and which could have an influence on the decision unless it is mitigated.

SP <30 Indicates low environmental significance

Impacts with little real effect and which should not have an influence on or require modification of the project design.

+ Positive impact An impact that constitutes an improvement over pre-project conditions


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6.3 Assessment of potential impacts and risks

The findings of the specialist studies, which guided the selection of the preferred site and final site

layout, are presented in section 7.0 of this EIA/EMPr report. The complete specialist reports are

attached as APPENDIX . The specialists’ findings were used to assess the project’s impacts and

risks during its complete life cycle, from the construction phase, through the operational phase, to

the closure and rehabilitation phase.

6.4 Positive and negative impacts of initial site layout and alternatives

All infrastructure site layouts must avoid the sterilisation of open cast minable Coal reserves. They

must therefore be located adjacent to, but not on the footprint of such reserves. The layout of the

infrastructure components as shown on Figure 2-3 reflects areas that are not underlain by shallow

coal reserves for which opencast mining would be suitable.

See section 6.6 for a discussion on the alternative layouts and their positive and negative impacts.

6.5 Possible mitigation measures and levels of risk

The issues discussed with I&APs during the scoping process were as follows:

1) Air Quality: The project’s main potential effect on air quality will be particulate mobilisation by

drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, dumping, stockpiling, crushing and screening of the coal and

by tailings storage. Wet suppression will be employed in the mine, on haul roads, at stockpiles

and on the tailings storage facility. The objective will be to maintain a low risk of exceeding

national standards for PM10 concentrations and rates of dust fall.

2) Soil, Land Capability and Land Use: The risk of causing a significant degradation of topsoil

quality and associated loss of land capability after rehabilitation will be minimised to a low level

by:

a. Taking care to strip and stockpile topsoil, subsoil and overburden layers selectively and to

prevent mixing of especially topsoil with any of the other layers;

b. Backfilling the opencast void with discard material, overburden, subsoil and topsoil, in that

order;

c. Analysing the topsoil, fertilising it appropriately and re-vegetating it with locally indigenous

flora to re-establish the pre-project land use, which was natural veld suitable for grazing.

3) Ecology: Successful restoration of the land capability will encourage natural re-colonisation of

the rehabilitated area by mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, but it may require re-introduction

of some species over time in order to reduce the risk of a low-functioning or unbalanced

ecosystem to a low level.

4) Surface water: The proposed opencast mining and infrastructure establishment areas are

located on a topographical high. There are no perennial watercourses within this area, only

ephemeral drainage lines. The risk of contaminated runoff from the project area reaching the

Buffels River is moderate. It will be reduced to a low level by constructing clean water diversion

berms to divert uncontaminated runoff around potential sources of contamination and collection

channels to transport contaminated water to a pollution control dam, as required by Regulation

704 under the National Water Act.

5) Groundwater levels, availability and quality: The abstraction of groundwater via boreholes

for mine dewatering purposes will be aimed at controlling, but not eliminating, seepage into the


April 2021 136

mine workings. Safe and acceptable working conditions will be maintained by pumping out the

seepage. This approach will minimise the cone of depression around the mine, but it will

increase the risk of flooding in the unlikely event that undetected pockets of groundwater are

encountered. Accordingly, the risk of significant pollution of groundwater as a result of the

opencast mining project is considered to be low. Mitigation measures such as the following

could be implemented:

a. Regular pH monitoring of runoff from waste rock and ore stockpiles;

b. Regular inspection of acid containment systems;

c. Monthly sampling of monitoring boreholes with regard to water levels and water quality;

d. Placing drip trays under vehicles when parked;

e. Servicing vehicles in a workshop, not in the field;

f. If in-field refuelling is done from a tanker, doing it in a designated dirty area and keeping a

spill kit and clean-up team available on site; and

g. Providing environmental awareness training for workers on site.

6) Noise: The closest residential area is located about 1 km to the north to north-east of the

proposed mining area opencast mine and the waste rock stockpile. There are a few farmhouses

to the south to be used as part of the mine offices, within about 500 metres of the proposed

opencast mining area. The risk of members of the public being exposed to unacceptable levels

of noise is moderate. Off-site noise levels will be mitigated by:

a. Selection of mining vehicles and coal beneficiation equipment for lower sound levels;

b. Regular maintenance of sound attenuation equipment;

c. Locating topsoil and overburden stockpiles to act as acoustic barriers between the

opencast mine and receptors where practical; and

d. Enclosing noisy equipment, such as crushers, in buildings clad with sound-absorbing

materials where necessary.

7) Blasting and vibration: South African opencast mines typically consider a buffer zone of 500

metres as an area within which it is practical to reduce the probability of damage from fly rock

to acceptable levels.

Blasts will be monitored and each blast will be designed to avoid exceedances of guidelines for

air blast, fly rock and ground vibration. Vibration levels experienced depend on distance from

the blast, the energy density of the blast and the characteristics of rock formations between the

blast and the observer. The ground vibration levels will be controlled by monitoring each blast

and taking the results into account when designing subsequent blasts. Residential buildings of

sound construction can safely withstand a peak particle velocity (PPV) of 50 mm/s. Poorly

constructed buildings should not be subjected to PPVs of more than 10 mm/s. There are no

residential areas on or closer than 500 metres from the proposed mining area, but the blasts

will be designed for off-site PPVs < 50 mm/s. If underground mining is undertaken at a later

stage, the underground blasts would not result in any air blast effects on the surface.

The risk of causing injuries or vehicle damage by fly rock will be minimised by closing off sections

of public road within 500 metres of a blast, immediately prior to each blast.

8) Visual aspects: The terrain is quite flat and not much of the opencast mine will be visible from

the local roads. The haul trucks traveling over the haul roads along the perimeter of the mining

areas to and from the coal beneficiation plant will be visible from the local public roads. Judicious


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placement of topsoil and overburden stockpiles can screen the mine from certain viewshed

areas, but the stockpiles would also be visually prominent and potentially intrusive, unless they

were vegetated to mitigate the visual impact. The main visibility risk is inadequate dust

suppression, when dust plumes will be highly visible above the mine from distances of up to 7

km. Diligent application of wet suppression or chemical binders on unpaved roads would reduce

this risk to a low level.

9) Cultural and Heritage aspects: From a heritage perspective supported by the findings of the

study, the proposed mining development may be feasible if appropriate measures are taken to

deal with all recorded heritage sites. The Anglo Boer War Fortress must be mapped and

documented before mining commences. A management plan for the site must be drawn for

effective protection of the site. In accordance with DMR regulations on blasting, no blasting is

permitted to take place within 500m of a heritage site because blasting causes excessive

vibrations which will cause collapse of dry-stone walls. The identified burial sites must be

mapped and preserved in situ, however, should it become necessary to relocate them, proper

procedures must be followed in accordance with KwaZulu Natal Amafa and Research Institute

Act of 2018, the NHRA and the Human Tissue Act. Should the recorded burial sites be preserved

in situ, the mine must provide access to the sites for families who want to perform rituals and

cleaning at their family burial site. Should it be necessary to relocate the sites, then appropriate

procedures must be followed in accordance with the Human Tissue Act since all the graves are

younger than 60 years. Buildings and structures that are older than 60 years must not be

destroyed or altered without a permit from KwaZulu Natal Amafa and Research Institute.

Landowners must be requested to declare all burial sites, buildings older than 60 years and

suspicious stone piles located within their plots. The footprint impact of the proposed

development and associated infrastructure should be kept to a minimal to limit the possibility of

encountering chance finds. Mine workers must be inducted on the possibility of encountering

archaeological resources that may be accidentally exposed during subsurface construction prior

to commencement of work on the site in order to ensure appropriate mitigation measures and

that course of action is afforded to any chance finds. Should chance archaeological materials

or human remains be exposed during subsurface construction work on any section of the

proposed mining development laydown sites, work should cease on the affected area and the

discovery must be reported to the heritage authorities immediately so that an investigation and

evaluation of the finds can be made. The overriding objective, where remedial action is

warranted, is to minimize disruption in mining scheduling while recovering archaeological and

any affected cultural heritage data as stipulated by the NHRA regulations. Subject to the

recommendations herein made and the implementation of the mitigation measures and adoption

of the project EMP, there are no significant cultural heritage resources barriers to the proposed

development. The Heritage authority may approve the proposed mining right application to

proceed as planned with special commendations to implement the recommendations here in

made (Phase 1 AIA/HIA for Mining Right Application Dannhauser Coal Project (DCP): T Mlilo-June 2020)

10) Socio-economics: The mine will employ about 50 people, at a cost of R 96 million per annum

and provide employment for about 450 contractor employees and service providers, with a wage

bill of about R 20 million per annum. Given the levels of unemployment in the area, the impact

is expected to be of moderate significance.

Capital expenditure over the first 5 years has been estimated at R90 million and annual

replacement capital at about R 2.5 million. Annual operating costs are expected to be in the

region of R 180 - 200 million. These expenditures are expected to have an impact of moderate

significance on the economy of the Dannhauser Local Municipality.


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6.6 Site selection matrix and final site layout plan

Alternative site layouts to the one illustrated in Figure 2-3 were evaluated on the basis of the following

criteria:

Sterilisation of opencast minable coal reserves. If infrastructure is placed on an area that

contains ore that can be mined by opencast methods, Ericure (Pty) Ltd will be unable to mine

the reserves underneath the footprint of the infrastructure;

Size of area available for infrastructure. About 311.19 ha is needed to accommodate the run-

of-mine (RoM) ore stockpile, topsoil and waste rock stockpiles, coal beneficiation plant,

tailings storage facility, workshops, offices, change rooms, access roads etc.;

Environmental features. The aim is to minimise the environmental impacts; and

Traffic considerations for transport of equipment and personnel to the mine and plant and for

transporting coal product away from the mine.

6.6.1 Mine layout

The layout of the opencast mining areas and the infrastructure areas as shown on Figure 2-3 is

dictated by the mining costs, which are in turn determined by the thickness of the overburden, the

depth and quality of coal, the ratio of waste rock to coal and the mining equipment chosen.

Opencast mining will be done to a maximum depth of about 30 metres on the two areas shown as

West and East of the road on Figure 2-3.

The in-pit haul roads will move around as the pit geometry develops, but the locations of the exterior

haul roads are dictated by the perimeter of the final open pits shown on Figure 2-3. Topsoil and

overburden berms will be constructed between the perimeter of the open pits and adjacent public

roads.

6.6.2 Site Location and Layout

Alternatives to the preferred site and layout shown on Figure 2-3 included:

Placing the waste rock stockpiles to the south and north of the two opencast areas ( West

and East of the road);

Swapping around the positions of the coal processing plant; and

Various combinations of the above.

The alternative infrastructure layouts were evaluated by means of the selection matrix shown in Table

6 1. The evaluation criteria included sterilisation of coal reserves, the size of the area available for

the establishment of infrastructure, environmental impact and the haul distances for coal and waste

rock. Ratings were assigned for each criterion on an acceptability scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the

least desirable. The total score for each alternative was calculated as the sum of the individual ratings

Table 6-1: Site and layout selection matrix

Site Available area

Environmental Coal and waste rock haulage

Pumping of tailings and return water

Total score

Preferred layout 8 7 8 8 31

Waste rock stockpiles to the south of opencast areas

8 7 8 3 26

Swapping coal processing plant around

2 4 6 8 20


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6.7 Motivation for not considering alternative sites

Not applicable. Alternative sites were considered as discussed in section 6.6.2 above.

6.8 Statement motivating the preferred site and layout

The sites and infrastructure layout shown on Figure 2-3 represent the best overall option as

determined via the site selection and layout matrix – see Table 6-1.

7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The proposed mining of the coal reserves on the three farm portions indicated in Table 2-2 has a

potential to impact on some biophysical and socio-economic aspects of the local environment.

One of the main purposes of the EIA process is to understand the significance of these potential

impacts and to determine to what extent they can be minimised or mitigated. Based on experience

with past studies on similar mining operations, supported by site-specific specialist studies, it should

be possible to predict the impacts on soils, surface water, groundwater, air quality, the ecology and

the local socio-economic fabric and to formulate appropriate mitigation measures.

The EIA process for this project has been designed to comply with the requirements of the MPRDA

and the EIA Regulations that commenced on 8 December 2014 (See section 3.2). Cognisance has

also been taken of the following key principles contained in the National Environmental Management

Act (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA), which is South Africa’s framework environmental legislation:

Sustainability – development that meets the needs of the present generation without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs;

Mitigation hierarchy – avoidance of environmental impact, or where this is not possible,

minimising the impact and remediating the impact; and

The duty of care of developers towards the environment.

The assessment of the impacts of Ericure’s proposed mining operations on the three farm portions

listed in Table 2-2 will be conducted in accordance with these principles.

Based on the findings of the EIA, a comprehensive Environmental Management Programme (EMPr)

will be developed and implemented to control and minimise the impacts during the construction,

operation and decommissioning of the proposed mining operations.

7.1 Project Phases and Activities

The environmental impacts of the project were considered and assessed for the following phases:

Planning and design.

Pre- construction.

Construction.

Operational; and

Closure and rehabilitation.

Potential cumulative impacts were also identified and assessed for each component, where

applicable.


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7.1.1 Planning and design

Planning and design, which was undertaken in consultation with AB Global Mining Consultants, was

informed by the findings of the EIA process and changes were made as necessary throughout the

process. Field work undertaken by the various specialists had negligible environmental impacts

7.1.2 Pre-construction

The project is still in the pre-construction phase and will remain so until the DMR grants an

environmental authorisation and a mining right. Until then, Ericure will not undertake any physical

project work on the site and will therefore not cause any environmental impacts.

Potential cumulative impacts were also identified and assessed for each component, where

applicable.

7.1.3 Construction

The Construction Phase marks the beginning of physical changes to the site. During this phase,

the following activities will take place:

Surveying and pegging out of the construction areas for the coal processing plant and

infrastructure, such as diesel storage, workshops, office and ablution facilities, access

routes, power supply, diversion berms, dirty water collection routes and pollution control

dam;

Clearing of vegetation where necessary.

Construction of upslope berms to divert clean runoff around the site;

Construction of the “dirty water” collection channels;

Excavation and shaping of the pollution control dam;

Temporary stockpiling of excavated topsoil and spoil;

Construction of facilities for production, machine maintenance and administration;

Demarcation of the area to be mined and the storage areas for topsoil, overburden and

waste rock; and

Construction at the waste rock dump and coal discard areas.

It is estimated that a total of 12 months will be required to develop the mine and its supporting

infrastructure before production activities will commence.

7.1.4 Operations

During the Operational Phase, the project components will be commissioned and mining, coal

processing and product delivery will commence. Activities will comprise:

Clearing of vegetation, followed by stripping, and stockpiling of topsoil and overburden,

ahead of the opencast mining front.

Drilling and blasting.

Opencast mining for coal.

Underground Mining of Coal deposit

Hauling the coal to the processing plant.

Placing waste rock berms around the perimeters of the two opencast pits to act as enviro

bunds - a barrier against people and animals accidentally falling into the pits during


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operations and after closure, leaving only the access ramp as a relatively safe means of

entry.

Depositing small amounts of topsoil onto the outer slopes of the enviro bunds to encourage

the establishment of locally indigenous tree species that grow on rocky outcrops.

Crushing, screening, and processing the run-of-mine ore

Transporting the products off site; and

Maintenance of mining equipment and infrastructure.

The operational phase will comprise about 15 years of opencast mining.

7.1.5 Closure and Rehabilitation

The activities during the Closure and rehabilitation Phase will include:

Dismantling of the coal processing plant and removal of all metal structures.

Demolition of buildings and other infrastructure and disposal of the rubble.

Shaping the remaining exposed surface for coal discard to be free-draining and covering it

with an evapo-transpirative cover of subsoil, topsoil and locally indigenous grass to minimise

the potential for water ingress that could lead to the leaching of contaminants.

Cladding the coal discard side slopes with waste rock and constructing waste rock cross

walls (1 m high x 5 m wide, with a slope of 1:2, at 30 m intervals) on the upper surface of the

dump.

Emptying and backfilling of the pollution control dam and “dirty” water collection channels.

Ripping and shaping all compacted areas to be free draining, followed by re-vegetation; and

Monitoring until vegetation has re-established properly and a lack of groundwater pollution

attributable to the mining project has been demonstrated.

7.2 Geology

7.2.1 Construction

Construction associated with the proposed mining activities will disturb only the near-surface geology

in a relatively small area and the impact is assessed as being of moderate (SP = 40) significance.

No mitigation is possible during the construction stage, but careful separation of topsoil and subsoil

during stripping and stockpiling is necessary to effect mitigation during the closure and rehabilitation

phase.

7.2.2 Operation

The economically viable coal will be removed by the mining operations, resulting in a permanent

impact of high (SP = 80) significance on the geology of the project area. No practicable mitigation

measures are possible. The pits are too small to apply the rollover mining method, which would allow

for continuous backfilling and rehabilitation. Limited backfilling will be done at the end of the mine

life.


The closure and rehabilitation phase will have no impact on the geology of the project area (SP = 0).


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7.3 Topography

7.3.1 Construction

Vegetation clearing, soil stripping and stockpiling. excavation of the dirty water collection channels

and the basin of the storm water control dam and construction of the diversion berm and other

infrastructure will result in topographical changes of moderate (SP = 55) significance, which cannot

be mitigated.

7.3.2 Operation

Opencast mining typically results in permanent topographical changes of high (SP = 80) significance

by leaving behind large mining voids and stockpiles of overburden and waste rock. The tailings

storage facility will also contribute to the changes in local topography. Reducing the height of the

stockpiles and shaping them to have side slopes of no more than 1:3 will increase their footprints,

but will reduce erodibility, soften the visual impact, and reduce the topographical impact to one of

moderate (SP = 70) significance.


Without proper landscaping, the residual topographic impact will retain a moderate (SP = 70)

significance. Infilling of the PCD basin, shaping the surface of the site to be free draining and to

resemble the original topography, and final rounding off of the WRD will reduce the topographical

impact to one of moderate (SP = 60) significance.

7.4 Air Quality

7.4.1 Ambient air quality standards

National standards for ambient air quality were set in terms of the National Environmental

Management: Air Quality Act 2004 (Act 39 of 2004) (NEM:AQA) by the publication of Government

Notice 1210 in Government Gazette no 32816 on 24 December 2009. The National Ambient Air

Quality Standards (NAAQS) for common pollutants are listed in Table 7-1

Table 7-1: South African Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Pollutants

Pollutant Averaging

Period Limit Value

(µg/m3) Limit Value

(ppb) Frequency of Exceedance

Compliance Date

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)(a)

10 minute 500 191 526 01/01/2010


24 hours 125 48 4 Immediate


Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)(b)

1 hour 200 106 88 01/01/2010


Particulate matter <10 micrometres in diameter (PM10)(c)

24 hour 75 - 4 01/01/2015


Particulate matter <2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5)(d)

24 hours 65 - 4 01/01/2016

24 hours 40 - 4 01/01/2030

24 hours 25 - 4 01/01/2016

1 year 25 - 0 01/01/2030

1 year 20 - 0 01/01/2010

1 year 15 - 0 01/01/2010

Ozone (O3)(e) 8 hours 120 61 11 01/01/2010

Lead (Pb) (f) 1 year 0.5 - 0 Immediate

Carbon monoxide (CO)(g)

1 hour 30,000 26,000 88 01/01/2015

8 hour (1 hour

averages) 10,000 8,700 11 01/01/2010

Benzene (C6H6) (h) 1 year 5 1.6 0 01/01/2015


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Guidelines provide a basis for protecting public health from adverse effects of air pollution and for

eliminating, or reducing to a minimum, those contaminants of air that are known or likely to be

hazardous to human health and well-being (WHO, 2000). Once the guidelines are adopted as

standards, they become legally enforceable. The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), in

collaboration with DEA, established ambient air quality standards for gravimetric dust fallout and is

listed in the Table 7-2 below.

Table 7-2: Limits for PM10 in ug/m³

Average period Concentration (µg/m³) Frequency of exceedances

Target 24 h 75 4

1 year 40 0

Table 7-3: Four-band scale evaluation criteria for dust deposition in mg/m²/day

Band Band Dust Fall Rate (mg/m²/day Comment

Number Description Label - 30 day average)

1 Residential D<600 Permissible for residential and light commercial.

2 Industrial D < 1200 Permissible for heavy commercial and industrial.

3 Action 1200 < D < 2400 Requires investigation and remediation if two sequential months lie in this band, or more than three occur in a year.

4 Alert D > 2400

Immediate action and remediation required following the first incidence of the dust fall rate being exceeded. Incident report to be submitted to the relevant authority.

Table 7-4: Target, action and alert thresholds for dust deposition in mg/m²/day

Level Dust Fall Rate (mg/m²/day - 30 day average)

Average Period Permitted frequency of exceeding dustfall rate

Target 300 Annual

Action Residential 600 30 days 2 within any year, no 2 sequential months.

Action Industrial 1 200 30 days 2 within any year, not sequential months.

Alert Threshold 2 400 30 days

None. First incidence of dust fall rate being exceeded requires remediation and compulsory report to the relevant authorities.

At the time of this report no monitoring campaign has been established as this is a Greenfields

project. It is recommended that at least a baseline dust monitoring campaign be run before the

commencement of the project. The samples can then be compared to the guidelines and standards

as well as the modelling results while giving attention to the relevant referencing sites of a similar

nature in the vicinity of the proposed project area to determine the impacts that have been

experienced before.


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Passive Sampling in the form of Dust Buckets lack crucial information such as wind direction to

determine the direction of the source of the emissions. To help fill this lack of information, Eco-E

developed a cost effective solution that incorporates the latest technology to offer a real time

indicative monitoring solution to help in the management of dust emissions. Passive, active and real-

time sampling techniques to be used for the baseline determination is explained below.

At the time of this report, no passive sampling campaign do exist for the proposed Dannhauser

project. It is highly recommended that a passive sampling campaign be run before the

commencement of the project. Below is the features of a passive sampling campaign:

At each gravimetric dust fallout gauge/receptor point there is a stand built according to specification

containing the dust sample collection bucket. Samples are collected after a 1 month running period

(+-30 day’s exposure). After sample collection, the samples are taken to the relevant SANAS

accredited laboratory as required. A visual site investigation is done where after correlations are

drawn and findings identified and reported on.

Dust buckets of a standard size and shape are prepared and set up at locations related to the eight

main compass points on the borders of the property so that dust can settle in them for periods of 30

+/-2 days. The dust buckets are then sealed and replaced with new empty ones and send away to

the SANAS accredited laboratory for analysis. The masses of the water-soluble and –insoluble

components of the material collected are then determined and results are reported as mg/m²/day.

This methodology is described according to South African National Standards 1929:2004 and the

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Designation: D 1739-98 (2010). The results for

this method of testing are obtained by gravimetrical weighing. The apparatus required include open

top buckets/containers not less than 150 mm in diameter with a height not less than twice its

diameter. The buckets must be placed on a stand at a height of 2 +/-0.2 m above the ground.

For the Active Sampling the new DUSTTRAK II Dust Monitor can be used is a battery-operated,

data-logging, light-scattering laser photometer that gives you real-time aerosol mass readings. This

active sampling machine uses a sheath air system that isolates the aerosol in the optics chamber to

keep the optics clean for improved reliability and low maintenance. Site layout for the sampling points

has been carried out according to the eight main compass directions; the site layout and equipment

placement is done in accordance with the ASTM standard, D 1739 – 2010, thereafter relevant

sampling reference numbers were allocated to the receptors accordingly.

7.4.2 Emissions inventory

Table 7-5 below describes the through put rates on which the calculations were based. In the

quantification of the emissions the emission factor equations published by the US.EPA as well as

the NPI compiled by the Australian Government were used. See Table 7-21. Table 7-22shows the

summarised Emissions Inventory.

Table 7-5: Modelling Parameter Summary

Project Specific Information Type Spec Quantity Unit

Material ROM 51 833 tpm

OVB** 233 249 tpm

Material Bulk Density ROM* 1.4 g/cm³

OVB* 2.65 g/cm³

Operations Hours 24 Days 30

Stockpile - Topsoil Height* 15 m

Stockpile - OVB Height* 30 m

Access Road Width* 9 m

Length* 0.9 km

Haul Road Width* 9 m


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Length* 2.1 km

Commercial Trucks

Type* Side Tipper Interlink

Height* 3.1 m

Width* 2.6 m

Payload* 38 t

Trips 3.79 per h

VKT 3.41 per h

Haul Trucks Type Bell B40D

Type

Spec Quantity Unit

Height 4.2 m

Width 3.8 m

Payload 37 t

Trips 3.89 per h

VKT 8.17 per h

Note:

* Assumed ** 4.5 Strip Ratio

Table 7-6: NPI Emission Factors

NPI Emission Factors

Operation TSP PM10 Units Rating

Excavators Shovels Front-end Loaders (Overburden) 0.025 0.012 kg/t U

Excavators Shovels Front-end Loaders (ROM) 0.029 0.014 kg/t C

Wind Erosion 0.4 0.2 kg/ha/h U

Haul Road 4.23 1.25 kg/VKT B

Truck Dumping (Overburden) 0.012 0.0043 kg/t U

Truck Dumping (ROM) 0.01 0.0042 kg/t U

Loading Stockpiles 0.004 0.0017 kg/t U

Unloading Stockpiles 0.03 0.013 kg/t U

Primary Crushing 0.0027 0.0012 kg/t

Secondary Crushing 0.0027 0.0012 kg/t

Primary Crushing (Controlled) 0.0006 0.00027 kg/t

Secondary Crushing (Controlled) 0.0006 0.00027 kg/t

Note: Controlled = Water Sprays used

Many published emission factors have and associated emission factor rating (EFR) code. These

EFR codes are based on rating systems developed by the USEPA and by the European

Environmental Agency. See Table 13 below.

Table 7-7: Emission Factor Ratings

Factor Ratings

A Excellent

B Above Average

C Average

D Below Average

E Poor

U Unrated


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7.4.3 Dispersion modelling

Emission factors are quantified using the Australian National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) which is an

improvement on the US Environmental Protection Agency (US.EPA) AP-42 document of Air Pollution

Emission Factors for Australian conditions, for fugitive dust deriving from material handling, on-site

roads, milling and crushing operations, drilling and blasting, and wind erosion from exposed surfaces.

Various mitigation measures were incorporated into the project design as discussed in the emission

factor section.

Dispersion models represents the most likely outcome of experimental results; it does not contain all

the features of a real world system but contain the feature of interest for management of an issue.

Gaussian plume models have an uncertainty range of between -50% to 200%.

There will always be some error in any geophysical model, the total uncertainty can be described as

the sum of three components:

Uncertainty due to errors in the model physics;

Uncertainty due to data errors; and

Uncertainty due to the atmospheric conditions.

7.4.3.1 Model Selection

Increasing reliance has been placed on estimates from models as the primary basis for

environmental and health impact assessments. It is therefore important to carefully select a

dispersion model for the purpose. Dispersion models compute ambient concentrations as a function

of source configurations, and meteorological characteristics, providing a tool to calculate the spatial

and temporal patterns in the ground level concentrations arising from the emissions of emissions

sources.

Gaussian-plume models are best used for near-field applications where the steady-state

meteorology assumption is most likely to apply.

The most widely used Gaussian plume model is the US.EPA AERMOD model.

The regulatory model of the US.EPA, AERMET/AERMOD dispersion model suite, was chosen for

the study. AERMET uses both surface and upper air data. The model also has a terrain pre-processor

(AERMAP) for including a large topography into the model. The AERMET

AERMOD suite was developed with the support of the AMS/EPA Regulatory Model Improvement

Committee (AERMIC), whose objective was to include state-of the-art science in regulatory models.

1. AERMOD is an advanced new-generation model. It is designed to predict pollution

concentrations from continuous point, flare, area, line, and volume sources.

2. AERMET is a meteorological pre-processor for AERMOD. Input data can come from hourly

cloud cover observations, surface meteorological observations and twice-a-day upper air

soundings. Output includes surface meteorological observations and parameters and vertical

profiles of several atmospheric parameters.

3. AERMAP is a terrain pre-processor designed to simplify and standardise the input of terrain

data for AERMOD. Input data includes receptor terrain elevation data which are used for the

computation of air flow around hills.

A disadvantage of the model is the range of uncertainty of the model predictions could to be -50% to

200% and spatial varying wind fields, due to topography or other factors cannot be included. The


April 2021 147

accuracy of the model improves with fairly strong wind speeds and during neutral atmospheric

conditions.

The stochastic uncertainty includes all errors or uncertainties in data such as source variability,

observed concentrations, and meteorological data. Model evaluation studies suggest that the data

input error term is often a major contributor to total uncertainty. Even in the best tracer studies, the

source emissions are known only with an accuracy of ±5%, which translates directly into a minimum

error of that magnitude in the model predictions. It is also well known that wind direction errors are

the major cause of poor agreement, especially for relatively short-term predictions (minutes to hourly)

and long downwind distances. All of the above factors contribute to the inaccuracies not associated

with the mathematical models themselves.

Input data required for the AERMOD model include:

Source emissions and type data;

Meteorological data (pre-processed by the AERMET model);

Terrain data; and

The receptor g

7.4.3.2 Meteorological Data

AERMOD requires two specific input files generated by the AERMET pre-processor. AERMET is

designed to be run as a three-stage processor and operates on three types of data (upper air data,

on-site measurements, and the national meteorological database).

Use was made of the MM5 AERMET ready weather data as provided by Lakes Environmental for

the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

7.4.3.3 Source Data

AERMOD is able to model point, area, volume, pit and line sources. Wind erosion sources such as

stockpiles and unpaved roads modelled as area sources. Material transfer points and crushing and

screening were modelled as volume sources. With the input sources using pit retention factors

applied to the emission as described in the Australian NPI.

7.4.3.4 Sensitive Receptor Grid

The pollutant dispersion is setup for a modelled domain of 10 km (north-south) by 10 km (east-

west) with the centre of the proposed project area in the centre of the modelling domain. The area

was divided into a variable grid with the following resolutions:

1 km from Centre: 50 m (north-south) by 50 m (east-west).

2.5 km from boundary of first grid box: 100 m (north-south) by 100 m (east-west).

4 km from the boundary of the second grid box: 200 m (north-south) by 200 m (east-west).

7.4.3.5 Modelling Runs

Modelling was undertaken for two proposed operational phase scenarios.

1. Unmitigated – Material handled dry.

2. Mitigated – Mitigation measures applied as per Table 7-8.

The construction and decommissioning phases were qualitatively assessed.


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Table 7-8: Calculated Source Emission Rates Summary Emissions Released

Unmitigated Mitigated

Operation TSP PM10 Unit TSP PM10 Unit Reduction Method

Excavator ROM 0.58 0.28 g/s 0.29 0.14 g/s 50% Water Sprays

Excavator (Overburden) 2.25 1.08 g/s 1.125 0.54 g/s 50% Water Sprays

Wind Erosion

1.11E-05 5.56E-06 g/s/m² 5.56E-06 2.78E-

06 g/s/m² 50%

Water Sprays

1.11E-06 5.56E-

07 g/s/m² 90%

Revegetation on

OB and Topsoil

Pit Haul Road 1.07E-03 3.15E-04 g/s/m² 1.07E-04 3.15E-

05 g/s/m² 90%

Sealed or Salt-

Encrusted roads

Access Road 4.45E-04 1.32E-04 g/s/m² 4.45E-05 1.32E-

05 g/s/m² 90%

Sealed or Salt-

Encrusted roads

Truck (Overburden) Dumping 1.08 0.387 g/s 0.54 0.193 g/s 50% Water Sprays

Truck (ROM) Dumping 0.2 0.084 g/s 0.1 0.042 g/s 50% Water Sprays

Inpit Operations 3.909 1.747 g/s 1.955 0.873 g/s 50% Inpit

Loading Stockpiles 0.08 0.034 g/s 0.04 0.017 g/s 50% Water Sprays

Unloading Stockpiles 0.012 0.005 g/s 0.006 0.003 g/s 50% Water Sprays

Primary Crushing 0.054 0.024 g/s 0.012 0.005 g/s Controlled

Secondary Crushing 0.054 0.024 g/s 0.012 0.005 g/s Controlled

7.4.3.6 Modelling Results

Dispersion modelling was undertaken to determine 2nd highest daily and annual average ground

level concentrations (GLCs) for PM10 Total daily dust fallout rates were also simulated. These

averaging periods are selected to draw comparisons between PM10 predicted concentrations /

deposition with relevant air quality guidelines and dust fallout limits, respectively.

Isopleths plots are also generated, to visually display the interpolated values from the concentrations

predicted by the model for each of the receptor grid points. Plots reflecting daily averaging periods

contain only the 2nd highest predicted ground level concentrations for the daily concentration, over

the entire period for which simulations were undertaken. It is therefore possible that even though a

high hourly or daily average concentration is predicted at certain locations, this may only be true for

one day during the modelling period.

Isopleth plots are shown in the images below to visually show the predicted ground level

concentrations of PM10 and dust fallout levels.


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Figure 7-1: Predicted average annual concentrations for PM10 for the proposed Dannhauser

Coal project when unmitigated.

Figure 7-2: Predicted average annual concentrations for PM10 for the proposed Dannhauser

Coal project operations when mitigated.


April 2021 150

Figure 7-3: Predicted 2nd Highest daily concentrations for PM10 for the proposed project

operations when unmitigated.

Figure 7-4: Predicted 2nd Highest daily concentrations for PM10 for the proposed Dannhauser

Coal project operations when mitigated.


April 2021 151

Figure 7-5: Predicted average annual deposition for TSP for the proposed Dannhauser Coal

project operations when unmitigated.

Figure 7-6: Predicted average annual deposition for TSP for the proposed Dannhauser Coal

project operations when mitigated.


April 2021 152

Figure 7-7: Predicted highest monthly deposition for TSP for the proposed Dannhauser Coal

project operations when unmitigated.

Figure 7-8: Predicted highest monthly deposition for TSP for the proposed Dannhauser Coal

project operations when mitigated.


April 2021 153

7.4.4 Predicted Impact


The following activities during the Construction Phase are identified as possible fugitive emission

sources and may impact on the ambient air quality at the relevant environmental sensitive receivers:

Activity 1 - Site clearing, removal of topsoil and vegetation. (Table 7-9)

Activity 2 - Construction of surface infrastructure (e.g. access roads, pipes, storm water

diversion berms, change houses, admin blocks, drilling blasting etc.). (Table 7-10)

Activity 3 - General transportation, hauling and vehicle movement on site. (Table 7-11)

Table 7-9: Activity 1: Site Clearing, removal of topsoil and vegetation Mining Phase Construction Phase

Impact description

During this activity, a number of operations take place such as land clearing, topsoil removal, loading of

material, hauling, grading, stockpiling, bulldozing and compaction. Initially, topsoil and subsoil will be

removed with large scrapers. The topsoil will be stockpiled for rehabilitation in the infrastructure area. It is

anticipated that each of the above mentioned operations will have its own duration and potential for dust

generation. Fugitive dust (containing TSP (total suspended particulate, will give rise to nuisance impacts as

fallout dust), as well as PM10 and PM2.5 (dust with a size less than 10 microns, and dust with a size less

than 2.5 microns giving rise to health impacts)) It is anticipated that the extent of dust emissions would vary

substantially from day to day depending on the level of activity, the specific operations, and the prevailing

meteorological conditions. This activity will be short-term and localised, seizing after construction activities.

Material will be removed by using a bulldozer and then storing this material separately for use during

rehabilitation at end of life of mine when the operation cease. These construction sites are ideal for dust

suppression measures as land disturbance from clearing and excavation generates a large amount of soil

disturbance and open space for wind to pick up dust particles and deposit it elsewhere (wind erosion). Issues

with dust can also arise during the transportation of the extracted material, usually by truck and shovel

methods, to the stock piles. The dust can further be created by the entrainment from the vehicle itself or due

to dust blown from the back of the bin of the trucks during transportation of material to and from stockpiles.


Assessment Criteria

Severity [Insignificant / non-harmful (1); Small / potentially harmful (2); Significant / slightly harmful (3); Great / harmful (4); Disastrous / extremely harmful / within a regulated sensitive area (5)]

2 2

Spatial Scale [Area specific (at impact site) (1); Whole site (entire surface right) (2); Local (within 5 km) (3); Regional / neighbouring areas (5 km to 50 km) (4); National (5)]

1 1

Duration [One day to one month (immediate) (1); One month to one year (Short term) (2); One year to 10 years (medium term) (3); Life of the activity (long term) (4); Beyond life of the activity (permanent) (5)]

2 2

Frequency of Activity [Annually or less (1); 6 monthly (2); Monthly (3); Weekly (4); Daily (5)]

4 4

Frequency of Incident/Impact [Almost never / almost impossible / >20% (1); Very seldom / highly unlikely / >40% (2); Infrequent / unlikely / seldom / >60% (3); Often / regularly / likely / possible / >80% (4); Daily / highly likely / definitely / >100% (5)

4 3

Legal Issues [No legislation(1); Fully covered by legislation (5)] 5 5

Detection [Immediately(1); Without much effort (2); Need some effort (3); Remote and difficult to observe (4); Covered (5)]

2 2

Consequence Severity + Spatial Scale + Duration 5 5

Likelihood Frequency of Activity + Frequency of impact + Legal issues + Detection 15 14

Risk Consequence * Likelihood MODERATE -75

MODERATE -70

Mitigation Measures

- Various measures can be implemented to mitigate the impacts of construction activities on atmospheric

- environment.


April 2021 154

Mining Phase Construction Phase

- Topsoil should not be removed during windy months (August to January) due to associated wind erosion heightening dust levels in the atmosphere.

- Area of disturbance to be kept to a minimum and no unnecessary clearing of vegetation to occur.

- Topsoil should be re-vegetated to reduce exposure areas.

- During the loading of topsoil onto trucks or stockpiles, the dropping heights should be minimised.

- Water or binding agents such as (petroleum emulsions, polymers and adhesives) can be used for dust suppression on earth roads.

- When using bulldozers and graders, minimise travel speed and distance and volume of traffic on the roads.

- Stockpiles should not be left for prolonged periods as wind energy generates erosion and causes more dust to form.

- Emissions generated by wind are dependent on the frequency of disturbance of erodible surfaces and by covering the stockpiles with vegetation would reduce the negative erosion effect.

- Any crusting of the surface binds the erodible material.

- All stockpiles to be damped down, especially during dry weather or re-vegetated (hydro seeding is a good option for slope revegetation).

- Successful trialling of broad acre temporary rehabilitation of unshaped overburden emplacement areas by aerial sowing of a cover crop, providing an established vegetative stabilisation to minimise the potential for windblown dust generation.

- Constricting the areas and time of exposure of pre-strip clearing in advance of mining development.

Table 7-10: Construction of surface infrastructure (e.g. access roads, pipes, storm water diversion berms, change houses, admin blocks, drilling, drilling blasting and development of box cut for mining, etc.)


Impact description

During this phase, it is anticipated there will be construction of infrastructure. This will include, access roads, pipes, storm water diversion berms, change houses, admin blocks, drilling, blasting and development of box cut for mining, etc. Activities of vehicles on access roads, levelling and compacting of surfaces, as well localised drilling and blasting will have implications on ambient air quality. The above mentioned activities will result in fugitive dust emissions containing TSP (total suspended particulate, giving rise to nuisance impacts as fallout dust). Opencast mining will commence with the stripping of the vegetation for the initial box cut. Topsoil and overburden need to be removed and stockpiled separately by means of truck and shovel methods (front end loaders, excavators and haul trucks). Once the rock has been reached will blasting be required to further remove material to the point where the mineral can be extracted. Bulldozing, excavation, drilling and blasting operations will result in the emission of dust to atmosphere. The construction of roads take place through removing the topsoil and then grading the exposed surface in order to achieve a smooth finish for vehicles to move on. Temporary stockpiles will be created close to the edge of the road in order to be backfilled easily once the road has expired or need to be rehabilitated.


Assessment Criteria


2 2


1 1


2 2


4 4


4 3



2 2




April 2021 155


Risk Consequence * Likelihood MODERATE -75

MODERATE -70

Mitigation Measures

- Dust emitted during bulldozing activity can be reduced by increasing soil dampness by watering the material being removed thus increasing the moisture content.

- Another option would be to time the blasting with wind to ensure the dust will not be blown to the sensitive receptors or especially the community.

- Blasting should also not take place when poor atmospheric dispersion is expected i.e. early morning and late evening.

- Material need to be removed to dedicated stockpiles to be used during rehabilitation.

- This hauling of materials should take place on roads which is being watered and/or sprayed with dust suppressant.

- To reduce the amount of dust being blown from the load bin in the haul roads, the material being transported can be watered or the back of the vehicles can be covered with plastic tarpaulin covers.

- Constricting the areas and time of exposure of pre-strip clearing in advance of construction to limit exposed soil surfaces.

Table 7-11: General transportation, hauling and vehicle movement on site. Mining Phase Construction Phase

Impact description

Transportation of the workers and materials in and out of mine site will be a constant feature during the construction phase. This will however result in the production of fugitive dust (containing TSP, as well as PM10 and PM2.5) due to suspension of friable materials from earth roads. It is anticipated this activity will be short-term and localised and will seize once the construction activities are finalised. Haul trucks generate the majority of dust emissions from surface operations. Observations of dust emissions from haul trucks show that if the dust emissions are uncontrolled, they can be a safety hazard by impairing the operator’s visibility. Substantial secondary emissions may be emitted from material moved out from the site during grading and deposited adjacent to roads. Passing traffic can thus loosen and re-suspend the deposited material again into the air. In order to minimize these impacts the stockpiles should be vegetated for the duration that it is exposed.


Assessment Criteria


2 2


1 1


2 2


4 4


4 3



2 2



Risk Consequence * Likelihood MODERATE (75)

MODERATE (70)

Mitigation Measures

- Hauling of materials and transportation of people should take place on roads which is being watered and/or sprayed with dust suppressant.

- To reduce the amount of dust being blown from the load bin in the haul roads, the material being transported can be watered or the back of the vehicles can be covered with plastic tarpaulin covers.

- Application of wetting agents or application of dust suppressant to bind soil surfaces to avoid soil erosion.

- The drop heights should be minimised when depositing materials to the ground.

- Encourage car-pool and bulk delivery of materials in order to reduce the number of trips generated daily.


April 2021 156

7.4.4.2 Operational Phases

The following activities during the Operational Phases are identified as possible fugitive emission

sources and may impact on the ambient air quality at the relevant environmental sensitive receivers:

1. Use and maintenance of access road.

2. Dust from material handling Inside and outside the pit area.

3. Haul roads; for transporting the ROM to the Processing plant.

4. Wind erosion from stockpiles.

5. Crushing and Screening

These sources were uses as inputs in the AERMOD model as unmitigated and mitigated, as

discussed earlier.

7.4.4.2.1 PM10

For the unmitigated Daily PM10 concentrations it was predicted to be higher than the 75 µg/m³ limit

for 20 of the sensitive receptors as can be seen in Table 7-12.

When comparing the Daily Mitigated PM10 modelled concentrations, the sensitive receptors

exceeding the 75 µg/m³ limit dropped to 2 of the identified sensitive receptors. This as well is the 2nd

highest levels predicted for a 24 hour period within the period. Due to site specific atmospheric

conditions these exceedances may still occur within the limit of 4 per year.

The annual average PM10 limit of 40 µg/m³ are predicted not to exceed at any of the identified

sensitive receptors for the unmitigated or mitigated scenarios.

Table 7-12: PM Concentrations at sensitive receptors

Receptor PM10 2nd Highest Daily (µg/m³) PM10 Annual Average (µg/m³)

Unmitigated Mitigated Unmitigated Mitigated

1 22.2 3.7 535.6 79.1

2 20.5 3.3 417.8 82

3 18 2.7 417.8 48.5

4 14.2 1.8 427.9 43.3

5 11.7 1.5 385.9 40.8

6 8.9 1.2 193.2 30.4

7 7.9 1 177 23.4

8 5.9 0.8 152.2 20.9

9 4.6 0.8 173.1 21.1

10 4.6 0.7 167 23.2

11 5.7 0.8 179.2 17.9

12 6 0.9 113 13.1

13 6.5 1 105.4 14.1

14 1.9 0.3 16.1 2.5

15 4 0.6 33.7 5.2

16 4.7 0.8 35.8 6.1

17 4.9 0.8 41.3 7.4

18 4.6 0.7 38.4 6.6

19 6.1 1 63.1 11.1

20 6 1 82.2 13.3

21 5.5 0.9 75.4 13.3

22 0.8 0.1 7.4 1.1

26 2.5 0.4 44.8 6

27 8.9 1.4 105.7 13.2

28 6.3 0.8 36.8 3.8

29 21.8 4.1 282.3 54.7

30 23.1 4.1 363.3 74.4

31 17.2 3 314.2 56.2

32 14.8 2.4 312.8 55.2


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7.4.4.2.2 Total Dust Fallout

In the unmitigated and mitigated scenarios, no sensitive receptors are predicted to exceed the

monthly dust fallout for the highest month residential limit of 600 mg/m²/day.

The predicted annual dust fall out for the unmitigated and mitigated scenarios are not predicted to

exceed the annual limit of 300 mg/m²/day at any of the sensitive receptors.

Table 7-13: TSP Deposition rates at the sensitive receptors

Receptor TSP Highest Monthly (mg/m²/day) TSP Annual Average (mg/m²/day)

Unmitigated Mitigated Unmitigated Mitigated

1 8 0.9 2.9 0.4

2 7.1 0.8 2.9 0.4

3 5.9 0.7 2.8 0.3

4 5.7 0.6 2.8 0.3

5 5.6 0.6 2.6 0.3

6 4.7 0.5 2.3 0.3

7 4 0.4 2.2 0.3

8 3.3 0.4 1.8 0.2

9 2.6 0.3 1.7 0.2

10 3.3 0.4 2.4 0.3

11 6 0.7 4 0.5

12 6.7 0.7 4.4 0.5

13 7.9 0.9 4.9 0.6

14 9.8 1.2 5.2 0.6

15 10.9 1.3 5.2 0.6

16 12.8 1.5 6 0.7

17 12 1.5 5.7 0.7

18 11.6 1.4 5.6 0.7

19 11.4 1.4 5.7 0.7

20 10.5 1.3 5.3 0.7

21 10.3 1.3 5.3 0.6

22 5.3 0.7 2 0.2

26 4.7 0.6 3 0.4

27 16.2 2 11.6 1.5

28 26.3 3 20.4 2.3

29 7.4 1.1 4.7 0.6

30 5.5 0.8 3.5 0.4

31 3.6 0.4 2.1 0.3

32 4.2 0.5 1.6 0.2


April 2021 158

7.4.4.3 Decommissioning and Closure Phase

It is assumed that the decommissioning activities will only take place during daylight hours. The

following activities during the Decommissioning and Closure phase are identified as possible air

impacting sources and may impact on the ambient air quality at the relevant sensitive receivers:

1. Activity 4 - Demolition & Removal of all infrastructure . (Table 7-14)

2. Activity 5 - Rehabilitation (spreading of soil, revegetation & profiling/contouring). (Table 7-15)

The decommissioning phase is associated with activities related to the demolition of infrastructure

and the rehabilitation of disturbed areas. The following activities are associated with the

decommissioning phase (US-EPA, 1996):

Existing buildings and structures demolished, rubble removed and the area levelled;

Remaining exposed excavated areas filled and levelled using overburden recovered from

stockpiles;

Stockpiles to be smoothed and contoured;

Topsoil replaced using topsoil recovered from stockpiles; and

Disturbed land prepared for revegetation.

Possible sources of fugitive dust emission during the closure and post-closure phase include:

Smoothing of stockpiles by bulldozer;

Grading of sites;

Transport and dumping of overburden for filling;

Infrastructure demolition;

Infrastructure rubble piles;

Transport and dumping of building rubble;

Transport and dumping of topsoil; and

Preparation of soil for revegetation – ploughing and addition of fertiliser, compost etc.

Exposed soil is often prone to erosion by water. The erodibility of soil depends on the amount of

rainfall and its intensity, soil type and structure, slope of the terrain and the amount of vegetation

cover (Brady, 1974). Revegetation of exposed areas for long-term dust and water erosion control is

commonly used and is the most cost-effective option. Plant roots bind the soil, and vegetation cover

breaks the impact of falling raindrops, thus preventing wind and water erosion. Plants used for

revegetation should be indigenous to the area, hardy, fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing, provide high plant

cover, be adapted to growing on exposed and disturbed soil (pioneer plants) and should easily be

propagated by seed or cuttings.


April 2021 159

Table 7-14: Activity 4: Demolition & Removal of all infrastructure Mining Phase Construction Phase

Impact description

During this activity, there is demolition of buildings and foundation and subsequent removal of rubbles generated. There is cleaning-up of workshops, fuels and reagents, removal of power and water supply, removal of haul and access roads. Potential for impacts during this phase will depend on the extent of demolition and rehabilitation efforts during closure as well as features which will remain. The impacts on the atmospheric environment during the decommissioning phase will be similar to the impacts during the construction phase. The process includes dismantling and demolition of existing infrastructure, transporting and handling of topsoil on unpaved roads in order to bring the site to its initial/rehabilitated state. Demolition and removal of all infrastructures will cause fugitive dust emissions. The impacts will be short-term and localised. Any implication or implications this phase will have on ambient air quality will seize once the activities are finalised.


Assessment Criteria


3 3


2 2


2 2


4 4


4 3



2 2




MODERATE (70)

Mitigation Measures

Demolition should not be performed during windy periods (August, September and October), as dust levels and the area affected by dust fallout will increase.

The area of disturbance must be kept to a minimum, as demolition should be done judiciously avoid the exposure of larger areas to wind erosion.

Speed restrictions should be imposed and enforced.

Cabs of machines should be swept or vacuumed regularly to remove accumulated dust.

Exhaust pipes of vehicles should be directed so that they do not raise dust.

Engine cooling fans of vehicles should be shrouded so that they do not raise dust.

Hard surfaced haul roads or standing areas should be washed down and swept to remove accumulated dust.

Dust suppression of roads being used during rehabilitation should be enforced.


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Table 7-15: Activity 5: Rehabilitation (spreading of soil, revegetation & profiling/contouring) Mining Phase Construction Phase

Impact description

During this activity, there is the reshaping and restructuring of the landscape. Since this is an opencast operation mainly, the area to be reconstructed will be limited to the opencast areas. Topsoil can be imported to reconstruct the soil structure. There is less transfer of soil from one area to other therefore negligible chances of dust through wind erosion. Profiling of dumps and waste rock dump to enhance vegetation cover and reduce wind erosion from such surfaces post mining.


Assessment Criteria


4 3


2 2


2 2


5 5


5 4



2 2




MODERATE (112)

Mitigation Measures

- Revegetation of exposed areas for long-term dust and water erosion control is commonly used and is the most cost-effective option.

- Plants with roots that bind the soil, and vegetation cover should be used that breaks the impact of falling raindrops, thus preventing wind and water erosion.

- Plants used for revegetation should be indigenous to the area, hardy, fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing, provide high plant cover, be adapted to growing on exposed and disturbed soil (pioneer plants) and should easily be propagated by seed or cuttings.

- The area of disturbance must be kept to a minimum, as demolition should be done judiciously avoid the exposure of larger areas to wind erosion.

- Spreading of soil must be performed on less windy days.

- The bare soil will be prone to erosion and therefore there is need to reduce the velocity near the surface of the soil by re-vegetation.

- Leaving the surface of soil in a coarse condition reduces wind erosion and ultimately reduces dust levels.

- Additional mitigation measures include keeping soil moist using sprays or water tanks, using wind breaks.

- The best time to re-vegetate the area must be linked to the distribution and reliability of rainfall.

- Cabs of machines should be swept or vacuumed regularly to remove accumulated dust.

- Exhaust pipes of vehicles should be directed so that they do not raise dust.

- Engine cooling fans of vehicles should be shrouded so that they do not raise dust.

- Hard surfaced haul roads or standing areas to be washed down and swept to remove accumulated dust.

- Dust suppression of roads being used during rehabilitation should be enforced.

- It is recommended that the rehabilitation by vegetating should begin during the operational phase already as the objective is to minimise the erosion.

- These measures should be aimed to reduce the potential for fugitive dust generation and render the impacts on ambient air quality negligible.


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7.5 Soils, Land Capability and Land Use

7.5.1 Construction

When vegetation is removed and soil cleared and stripped, the chemical and physical properties are

changed and this impacts on the soil health. The main impacts associated with the establishment of

the proposed open pit, water storage dam, topsoil stockpiles, WRD, processing plant and other

associated infrastructure are:

Soil compaction and topsoil loss leading to reduced soil fertility.

The change of land use from natural vegetation and cultivated areas to mining within the

project areas.

Soil loss because of wind and water erosion and sediment release to water and land.

During the construction phase site clearing is necessary for the preparation of surface infrastructure

development where vegetation will be removed, and topsoil stripped. When soil is removed, the

physical properties are changed, and the soils’ chemical properties will deteriorate unless effectively

managed. When organic matter is removed, either by the clearing of an area for development or by

erosion, the soils’ fertility is reduced due to no nutrient input to the soils. Vehicles will drive on the

soil surface during the establishment phase, thereby causing compaction of the soils. This reduces

infiltration rates and ability for plant roots to penetrate the compacted soil.

Soil will be prone to erosion where vegetation has been removed during the construction phase. The

loss of vegetation cover will exacerbate the impact as runoff potential will be increased and leading

to erosion. Once the soil is eroded it reduces the overall soil depth and as a result the land capability

reduces. Soils should be handled with care from the construction phase through to the

decommissioning phase.

During the construction phase, chemical soil pollution should be minimised as follows:

Losses of fuel and lubricants from the oil sumps and steering racks of vehicles and

equipment should be contained by using a drip tray with plastic sheeting filled with

absorbent material.

Using biodegradable hydraulic fluids, using lined sumps for collection of hydraulic fluids,

recovering contaminated soils, and treating them off-site, and securely storing dried waste

mud by burying it in a purpose-built containment area.

Avoiding waste disposal at the site wherever possible, by segregating, trucking out, and

recycling waste.

Containing potentially contaminating fluids and other wastes.

Cleaning up areas of spillage of potentially contaminating liquids and solids.


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Table 7-16: Loss of topsoil as a resource

Site Clearing and Topsoil Removal - During any excavation activity, the soil chemical and physical properties are impacted on. The movement of heavy machinery on the soil surface causes compaction which reduces the vegetation’s ability to grow and as a result erosion could occur.

Impact Rating Without Mitigation Impact Rating with Mitigation

Extent (Local, Regional, International) 1 1

Duration (Short term, Medium term, Long term) 3 2

Magnitude (Major, Moderate, Minor) 4 3

Probability (Definite, Possible, Unlikely) 4 3

Calculated Significance Rating (Low, Medium, High) Very High (16) Moderate (9)

Impact Status: (positive or negative) Negative Negative

Reversibility: (Reversible or Irreversible) Irreversible

Irreplaceable loss of resources: (Yes or No) Yes

Can impacts be enhanced: (Yes or No) Yes

Mitigation measures

If any erosion occurs, corrective actions must be taken to minimise any further erosion from taking place. This may entail planting vegetation

(indigenous) or constructing barriers to prevent further erosion.

Only the designated access routes are to be used. This will assist in reducing any unnecessary compaction.

The handling of the stripped topsoil should be minimised to ensure the soil’s structure does not deteriorate significantly.

The stockpiles must be vegetated indigenous grass to reduce the risk of erosion, and to reinstitute the ecological processes within the soil.

Ensure proper storm water management designs are in place to prevent soil erosion.

Table 7-17: Loss of land capability and land use

Removal of soil layers will impact on land capability and potential land use. The land capability during this phase will be reduced from classifiable to non-classifiable.


Extent (Local, Regional, International) 1 -

Duration (Short term, Medium term, Long term) 4 -

Magnitude (Major, Moderate, Minor) 4 -

Probability (Definite, Possible, Unlikely) 4 -

Calculated Significance Rating (Low, Medium, High) High (13) -

Impact Status: (positive or negative) Negative -





April 2021 163

Mitigation measures

Topsoil should be stripped when the soil is dry, to reduce compaction.

Topsoil stockpiles are to be kept to below the maximum height of 3 to 4 m.

Topsoil (first 0.3 m of the soil profile) must be stripped first and stockpiled separately from subsoil as the topsoil contains the seedbank and

natural fertility.

Soils to be stripped according to the soil stripping methodology.

7.5.2 Operation

Soil management should be an on-going strategy through the operational phase as soil disturbing

activities will continue in areas where operation of the mine continues, and new areas are developed

through operation activities.

It is recommended that concurrent rehabilitation techniques be followed to prevent topsoil from being

stockpiled too long and losing its inherent fertility, but opportunities may be limited by the layout of

the operation. Disturbed sites must be rehabilitated as soon as they have reached the end of their

life. Should there be any new developments during the operation phase operations, soil must be

removed and stockpiled for later use. Topsoil stripping and stockpiling should follow the guidelines

as stipulated under the construction phase above.

When new stockpiles are created, they should be re-vegetated immediately to prevent erosion and

resulting soil losses from these stockpiles. It is recommended that vegetation removed during land

clearance be composted during the operational phase and that this compost be used as a soil

ameliorant for soil rehabilitation purposes.

During the operational phase, the following activities will impact on the soils:

Maintenance and use of access and haul roads.

Raw coal handling and processing.

Stockpiling of coal before transporting it to the plant.

Dust from the haul roads.

During this phase, access and haul roads will be used and exposed areas will be compacted or

eroded. Haul roads will be used by haul trucks transporting the ore from the open pit to the ore

stockpiles and the ROM Pad. Access roads will also be utilised to gain access to the Project. The

movement of heavy machinery on the soil surface will cause compaction, which reduces the

vegetation’s ability to grow and as a result the risk of erosion will increase. The loss of topsoil will

have a high negative impact and the natural regeneration of few millimetres of topsoil takes hundreds

of years, thus it is important to try and conserve this valuable resource. The impacts to soils that are

stockpiled were assessed in the construction phase and rated with duration more than the project

life. Therefore, this impact has already been considered and the mitigation measures should be

implemented throughout the life-of-mine (LOM).

Managing potential soil contamination during the operational phase. The following management

measures will either prevent or significantly reduce the impact of soil chemical pollution on site during

the operation phase:

Stockpiles are managed so they do not become contaminated and then need additional

handling or disposal.


April 2021 164

A low process or storage inventory must be held to reduce the potential volume of material

that could be accidentally released or spilled.

Processing areas should be contained, and systems designed to effectively manage and

dispose of contained storm water, effluent and solids.

Storage tanks of fuels, oils or other chemicals stored are above ground, preferably with

inspectable bottoms, or with bases designed to minimise corrosion. Above-ground (rather

than in-ground) piping systems should be provided. Containment bunds should be sealed

to prevent spills contaminating the soil and groundwater.

Equipment, and vehicle maintenance and washdown areas, are contained and appropriate

means provided for treating and disposing of liquids and solids.

Air pollution control systems avoid release of fines to the ground (such as dust from dust

collectors or slurry from scrubbing systems).

Solids and slurries are disposed of in a manner consistent with the nature of the material

and avoids contamination.

Effluent and processing drainage systems avoid leakage to ground.

Table 7-18: Loss of Stockpiled topsoil and maintenance of roads

Topsoil losses can occur during the operational phase because of rainwater runoff and wind erosion from roads and soil stockpiles. Compaction of soils during operational phase will occur.






Calculated Significance Rating (Low, Medium, High) Very High (12) Moderate (9)





Mitigation measures

Ensure designed storm water management plans are in place.

Monitor dust

If any erosion occurs, corrective actions must be taken to minimise any further erosion from taking place.

Only the designated access routes are to be used to reduce any unnecessary compaction.

Disturbed areas adjacent to the haul roads must be vegetated to reduce the risk of erosion, and to reinstitute the ecological processes within

the soil.


April 2021 165


During the decommissioning phase, the following activities will take place:

Demolition of the infrastructure areas.

Ripping of compacted areas to loosen soil.

Top soiling of all disturbed areas.

Vegetation establishment in all disturbed areas.

The major impacts to consider in the rehabilitation of the site will be the loss of topsoil as a resource

through erosion and compaction. When topsoil is compacted or eroded, the soil profile loses effective

rooting depth, water holding capacity and fertility. When the decommissioning and removal of

infrastructure takes place, vehicles could drive on the rehabilitated surfaces causing compaction

them and this in turn reduces infiltration rates as well as the ability for plant roots to penetrate the

compacted soil. The management objectives are to limit the impacts that could occur on the site.

Rehabilitated areas must be assessed for compaction, fertility, and possible erosion, corrected, and

protected immediately.

Table 7-19: Impact rating during rehabilitation of infrastructure areas, and roads

Rehabilitation of roads associated infrastructure and subsided areas could cause compaction and erosion if rehabilitation is not done correctly. This could be because of poor vegetation establishment which would result in exposed surfaces and increase the risk of erosion.






Calculated Significance Rating (Low, Medium, High) Moderate (9) Low (7)



Irreplaceable loss of resources: (Yes or No) YES


Mitigation measures

Implement land rehabilitation measures as defined in rehabilitation report.

Compacted areas are to be ripped to loosen the soil and vegetation cover re-instated.

Ensure proper storm water management designs are in place to ensure no run-off or pooling occurs.

Contour slopes to minimise erosion and run-off.

Plant native vegetation to prevent erosion on the WRD and encourage self-sustaining development of a productive ecosystem.

Remove buildings to foundation level. Demolished rubble must be disposed of in accordance with Rehabilitation Plan and approval from the

South African authorities.

Only designated access routes are to be used to reduce any unnecessary compaction.

The topsoil should be shaped taking the pre-mining landscape into consideration.


April 2021 166

7.6 Terrestrial Ecology

The potential negative ecological impacts during the life of the project include:

Habitat loss and degradation as a result of vegetation clearing, earthworks, mining activities

and covering previously undisturbed areas with infrastructure such as waste rock dumps,

tailings storage facilities, ore processing plant, workshops etc. ;

Habitat fragmentation into patches with altered ecological properties that can affect

ecological processes such as flora and fauna movement and dispersal;

Establishment and spread of alien invasive species. Alien species can spread exponentially,

suppressing or replacing indigenous vegetation and leading to a breakdown in ecosystem

functioning and a loss of biodiversity;

Disturbance and mortality of general fauna; and

Disturbance and loss of species of conservation importance and hence loss of biodiversity.

In terms of Chapter 7 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 2004 (Act10 of

2004) permits must be obtained before any protected plant species can be removed or relocated.

7.6.1 Construction

Taking into consideration the footprint of the project in relation to the large areas of indigenous

vegetation with good ecological function that exist in the project area and the planned rehabilitation

programme, the potential impact on the local ecology has been assessed as being of moderate (SP

= 65) significance.

The following mitigation measures are recommended to reduce the impact to one of moderate (SP

= 55) significance:

Minimisation of the area to be cleared by proper planning of the site layout and demarcation

of the laydown and construction areas;

An Environmental Control Officer (ECO) should be on site during vegetation clearing to

monitor for and manage any wildlife-human interactions. The ECO should be suitably trained

(e.g. snake handling);

Ericure’s personnel and contractors’ staff must be made aware of the requirements of the

construction EMP, undergo training in environmental awareness and be prohibited from

causing damage to any plants other than those that have to be removed and from hunting,

capturing or harassing of fauna in any manner.

Constructing the pollution control systems first;

The destruction, harvesting, handling, poisoning and killing of on-site fauna must be strictly

prohibited;

Although no red data or protected species were observed in the project area, the removal of

indigenous trees should be minimised by careful site layout and trees that are not to be

removed should be clearly marked with barrier tape;

Large protected trees may only be removed in terms of a permit issued by the Department

of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)

If any protected faunal species are discovered within the project area they should be

relocated under the supervision of a suitably qualified specialist; and


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Mine infrastructure should be fenced off to prevent fauna gaining access to construction and

operational areas.

7.6.2 Operation

The mining operations will involve the stripping of vegetation in advance of the mining front and the

temporary stockpiling of run-of-mine ore, overburden and topsoil. Vegetation clearing will lead to a

complete, albeit temporary, loss of natural habitat in the project footprint and the probable

disturbance of adjacent vegetation. The operations will also disturb fauna in the surrounding areas,

but the constant human presence and the noise generated on the active areas of the project will

keep most fauna away for the duration of the operational phase. Hunting, trapping, killing or otherwise

harming of fauna and unnecessary disturbance of adjacent vegetation would exacerbate the impact.

In the context of the current status quo, broad, regional-scale habitat integrity and ecological

processes are unlikely to be significantly impacted by the proposed project. Without mitigation, the

impact is assessed as being of moderate (SP = 60) significance. The impact can be mitigated to one

of moderate (SP = 50) significance by implementing the following measures:

All personnel should receive training in environmental awareness and the recognition of Red

Data species. If any Red Data species are observed, the services of a suitable specialist

must be sourced to advise on their safety and whether relocation is required;

Stripping and stockpiling of topsoil, subsoil and overburden separately. To limit erosion by

wind and rain, topsoil stockpiles should not exceed 3 metres in height and side slopes must

not be steeper than 1 in 3. Berms should be placed down-gradient of the stockpiles to

impound runoff, which will allow transported soil to settle and be recovered. If storage for

more than a year is necessary on any particular stockpile, it should be seeded with locally

indigenous grass species;

Confining activities to the operational areas only and prohibiting access to and activities on

adjacent land;

A low speed limited (recommended 40 km/h) should be enforced to reduce wildlife collisions;

and

7.6.3 Closure and rehabilitation

Backfilling the stormwater collection channels and the basin of the pollution control dam and ripping,

top-soiling, fertilising and re-vegetating the compacted areas will restore the floral characteristics of

the project area to a large extent and promote the re-colonisation of the area by local small fauna,

leaving a residual impact of moderate (SP = 36) significance, which can be reduced to a residual

impact of low (SP = 14) significance by implementing the following measures:

Quarterly monitoring and maintenance of the re-vegetated areas until they have become

self-sustaining. This would restore the ecological function of the project area closer to its pre-

project condition;

If any bare patches larger than 10 m2 develop, the reasons should be investigated with the

help of an appropriate expert (e.g. a pedologist or agronomist), appropriate soil treatment

should be undertaken and the bare patches should be re-vegetated;

Eradicating weeds and invasive alien species;

Re-introducing locally indigenous large faunal species to restore a more balanced

ecosystem.


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7.7 Waste Management

The construction, operational and closure/rehabilitation activities will give rise to waste materials

which, if not properly managed, could cause pollution of air, soil, surface water and groundwater.

Wastes other than mining residues are typically generated in small enough quantities to be stored

in skips until they can be removed for recycling or disposal, and there will be no need to construct

lined waste management facilities for such wastes.

7.7.1 Construction

Typical wastes produced during construction activities include unused concrete mix, oils, lubricants,

paints, solvents, packaging materials, general domestic waste and offcuts of building materials such

as steel, wood, glass and tiles. If stored or discarded on open ground, hydrocarbons will cause soil

contamination and possibly groundwater pollution, an impact rated as being of moderate (SP = 44)

significance.

The following mitigation measures are recommended to reduce the impact to one of Low (SP = 14)

significance:

Sort the wastes and store in separate skips or other containers for hydrocarbons, recyclable

materials and non- recyclable materials. Recyclable materials should be sorted into wood,

steel, glass, plastic, paper and used oil, and stored in separate containers;

Have recyclable wastes removed by responsible recyclers; and

Have non-recyclable wastes removed by reputable contractors for disposal at appropriately

licensed landfills.

7.7.2 Operation

In terms of the National Environmental Management Amendment Act 2014, mining residues are

classified as wastes and must be managed as prescribed by the National Environmental

Management: Waste Act of 2008 and its Regulations GN R.632 and R.633, which commenced on

24 July 2015. The wastes referenced in section 7.7.1 above will also be produced during the

operational phase and must be managed as described above.

The waste rock and coal materials represent a low risk of soil and water contamination due to acid

formation and mobilisation of contaminants, and a class D barrier system, together with the

stormwater management system described, would provide an adequate level of protection for the

potentially affected surface water and groundwater resources.

Additional measures, such as liming of residues to provide neutralisation capacity, compaction to

prevent ingress of oxygen, interception and treatment of contaminated water may have to be

implemented if AMD does develop.


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Figure 7-9: Schematic illustration of liner required for a Class D landfill

Based on the information provided in this report, the potential for pollution of the soil, surface water

and groundwater is assessed as being of moderate (SP = 48 significance. The following mitigation

measures are recommended to reduce the impact to one of low (SP = 20) significance:

Manage waste in accordance with Regulations GN R.634 – 636, i.e. provide PCD with HDPE

liner, WRDs and TSF with Class D liners and heap leach pads with at least class B liners;

Undertake regular inspection and maintenance of waste management facilities;

Monitor groundwater and surface water quality down-gradient of waste management

facilities; and

Take such corrective action as may be required.


Wastes expected to result from the decommissioning and rehabilitation activities include scrap

metals, building rubble, oils, lubricants, paints, solvents, contaminated soils, PCD dam silt and liners,

tailings dam, waste rock dumps and potentially recyclable materials such as steel, wood, plastics,

glass and tiles. If stored or discarded on open ground, hydrocarbons will cause soil contamination

and possibly groundwater pollution, an impact rated as being of moderate (SP = 60) significance.

The following mitigation measures are recommended to reduce the impact to one of Low (SP = 20)

significance:

Identify areas of possible soil contamination, sample such areas, analyse and determine

degree of soil contamination. Remove and dispose of soil with contamination levels

exceeding then prevailing standards/guidelines;

Remove silt, synthetic liners and contaminated non-synthetic liner materials from PCD and

dispose at appropriately licenced landfill. Liner materials and building rubble with

contamination levels below prevailing standards/guidelines may be backfilled into the last

portion of the opencast void;

Sort the remaining wastes and store in separate skips or other containers for hydrocarbons,

recyclable materials and non- recyclable materials. Recyclable materials should be sorted

into wood, steel, glass, plastic, paper and used oil, and stored in separate containers;



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Have non-recyclable wastes removed by reputable contractors for disposal at appropriately

licensed landfills

7.8 Surface Water

The impact assessment was done by exploring and predicting the effects of the proposed mining

project on the pre-project baseline conditions described in section 4.8 and acceptable conditions as

defined by standards, guidelines and good practice. The surface water study also took cognisance

of Regulation 704 under the National Water Act (Act No. 36 of 1998) (NWA) and developed

recommendations for achieving compliance with the requirements of this regulation.

7.8.1 Determination of floodlines

7.8.1.1 Methodology

The floodline determination and assessment methodology followed is discussed in subsections

below and summarised in Figure 7-10

7.8.1.2 Topographical Data

As stated in section 2.2, the NASADEM has been adopted in describing the baseline topography.

The same DEM is used in the floodlines assessments. , The result obtained using the NASADEM

are reliable and can be used as an indicative measure during planning and design

7.8.1.3 Design Flood Peaks

Three methods were used to determine design flood peaks for the delineated catchments at the site.

The underlying assumption is that the largest possible peak flow is obtained when the storm rainfall

event has a duration equal to the time required for the whole catchment to contribute runoff at the

outlet (SANRAL, 2013). The three methods which were used to evaluate the relevant design flood

peaks for the site are as follows:

Rational Method Alternative 3;

Standard Design Flood Method; and

Empirical Method (Midgley and Pitman).

A short description of each of the methods is provided in the following subsections.

Rational Method Alternative 3

The Rational Method Alternative 3 (RM3) uses storm rainfall and catchment characteristics to

generate flood peaks. The Rational Method formula indicates that Q = CiA, where the product of

rainfall intensity (i) and catchment area (A) is equal to the inflow rate of the system (iA) and C is the

runoff coefficient. The Rational Method yields a design peak only, and the flood response is a function

of the catchment slope, land-use, land cover, MAP (i.e. point precipitation) and returns interval (RI).

The time of concentration (Tc) of the flood peak is a function of the catchment dimensions, specifically

the watercourse length and slope. The Rational Method was developed for small catchments

(<15km2) but can be used on large catchments by experienced engineers (SANRAL, 2013).

Standard Design Flood Method

The Standard Design Flood Method (SDF) specifically addresses the uncertainty in flood prediction

under South African conditions. The runoff coefficient (C) used in the Rational Method is replaced by

a calibrated value based on the subdivision of the country into 29 regions or Water Management

Areas (WMAs) by using the 2-year mean of the annual daily maximum rainfall and the average

number of days per year on which thunder was heard. The method is generally a more conservative


April 2021 171

estimate than the Rational Method. The SDF Method can be applied to catchments from 10km2 to

40 000km2 in area.

Empirical Method

Empirical Methods (MIPI) are based on the correlation between peak flows and some catchment

characteristics. Regional parameters have been mapped for South Africa based on these

correlations. These methods are most suitable for medium to large catchments (SANRAL, 2013).

The MIPI method was employed within this study to determine the design flood peaks and is suitable

for obtaining an advance indication of the order of magnitude of peak discharges, thus serving as a

rough check on the results of non-statistical methods (SANRAL, 2013).

7.8.1.4 Floodlines Hydraulic modelling

Floodlines for the watercourses were analysed for the 1:50-year and 1:100-year recurrence interval

storm events. The main rivers and streams included in the analysis were that agreed-upon in the

proposal phase of this study, augmented by further rivers and streams identified in the DWS

database (DWS, 2016).

7.8.1.5 Choice of Software

HEC-RAS 5.0.7 was used for the purpose of modelling the flood elevation profile for the 1:50-year

and 1:100-year flood event. HEC-RAS is a hydraulic programme designed to perform one-

dimensional hydraulic calculations for a range of applications, from a single watercourse to a full

network of natural or constructed channels. The software is used worldwide and has consequently

been thoroughly tested through numerous case studies. The flood inundation from HEC-RAS is

mapped in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

In these assessments, the following software was used:

Arc GIS 10.5 for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) work and mapping (ESRI, 2012);

RAS Mapper hydraulic model (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2020).


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Figure 7-10: Summary of Floodline Methodology

7.8.1.6 Flood hydrology

7.8.1.6.1 Catchment delineation

Nineteen sub-catchments were delineated for modelling purposes of the stream the streams that

would be influenced by the proposed Ericure Project. The sub-catchments characteristics are shown

Table 7-20 and Error! Reference source not found..

Table 7-20: Sub-Catchment Characteristics

Catchment ID Area (km2) Length (km) LC* (km) Slope

SC1 4.98 3.62 1.36 0.0351

SC2 18.64 13.91 8.31 0.0085

SC3 6.08 3.79 1.85 0.0192

SC4 3.49 2.46 1.30 0.0215

SC5 1.46 0.95 0.36 0.0301

SC6 0.77 0.72 0.36 0.0397

SC7 0.65 0.47 0.47 0.0304


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Catchment ID Area (km2) Length (km) LC* (km) Slope

SC8 1.89 1.65 0.86 0.0277

SC9 0.31 0.57 0.20 0.0276

SC10 0.75 0.93 0.18 0.0461

SC11 0.35 0.87 0.36 0.0328

SC12 8.64 6.73 2.69 0.0193

SC13 6.70 4.47 2.59 0.0294

SC14 1.87 2.10 0.88 0.0245

SC15 4.22 4.47 2.59 0.0259

SC16 1.43 1.29 0.61 0.0310

SC17 0.08 0.32 0.13 0.0357

*LC – is the distance from catchment centroid to the catchment outlet along the longest stream.

Figure 7-11: Delineated Sub catchments


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7.8.1.7 Flood Peak Estimates and boundary conditions

Design peak flows for the 1: 50-year and 1:100-year recurrence interval storm events were computed

for the watercourses in the study site using the RM3, SDF and MIPI methodologies. This was

undertaken in order to compare the results obtained by these methods. The comparison of the

different flood peaks, using different methodologies, can be seen in Table 7-21.

The peak flows for each of the watercourses sub-catchments estimated within the site boundary

were assessed for use in the HEC-RAS model. It was decided to adopt the average peak flows of

the MPI and RM3 peak flows methods. The RM3 calculated peak flows of lower magnitudes while

MIPI provided peak flows that are regarded conservative for modelling. As such, the average

between these two methods was adopted because the RM3 applies to smaller catchments while the

MIPI provided the conservative approach to modelling. The peak flows calculated using the SDF

method were an overestimation simply because the catchments were smaller, and it applies to bigger

catchments.

Table 7-21: Results of the Deterministic Flood Peak Calculations in m3/s

Catchment Method

Rational Alt 3 MIPI SDF MIPI and RM3 Average

1:50yr 1:100yr 1:50yr 1:100yr 1: 50yr 1: 100yr 1: 50yr 1: 100yr

SC1 28.5 38.2 49.6 62.6 67.4 84.8 39.0 50.4

SC2 37.5 50.3 65.7 83.0 76.8 96.6 51.6 66.7

SC3 22.8 30.6 51.0 64.4 67.9 85.4 36.9 47.5

SC4 15.0 20.1 38.7 48.8 50.8 63.9 26.8 34.5

SC5 6.7 9.0 31.2 39.4 37.4 47.1 19.0 24.2

SC6 4.6 6.2 20.3 25.6 22.7 28.6 12.4 15.9

SC7 5.9 8.0 17.8 22.5 22.9 28.9 11.9 15.2

SC8 3.3 4.5 28.6 36.1 36.0 45.3 16.0 20.3

SC9 4.3 5.8 11.0 13.9 9.2 11.6 7.7 9.8

SC10 5.1 6.9 22.0 27.8 20.6 26.0 13.6 17.3

SC11 6.0 8.0 10.2 12.9 9.3 11.6 8.1 10.5

SC12 2.8 3.7 55.9 70.6 69.8 87.9 29.3 37.1

SC13 1.8 2.4 52.0 65.6 76.8 96.6 26.9 34.0

SC14 4.1 5.5 26.6 33.6 31.0 39.0 15.3 19.5

SC15 3.2 4.3 35.4 44.8 48.1 60.5 19.3 24.5

SC16 4.4 5.9 21.9 27.7 30.7 38.6 13.2 16.8

SC17 7.1 9.5 1.5 1.9 3.7 4.7 4.3 5.7


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7.8.1.8 Roughness coefficients

The Manning’s roughness factor “n” is used to describe the flow resistant characteristics of a specific

surface. Based on the site visit undertaken, it was observed that the watercourses were

characterized by irregular sections with pools, some fairly regular sections, unmaintained sections,

vegetal and some weedy channels. An “n” value of 0.025 was therefore assigned to the channel and

banks (floodplains).

7.8.1.9 Assumptions in the hydraulic model

In-line with the development of the floodlines, the following assumptions were made:

The topographic data was not provided; therefore, the floodlines may not be accurate.

Hydraulic structures such as culverts at the site boundary were modelled as part of this

study;

The Manning’s ‘n’ values used is considered suitable for use in all the modelled storm

events (1:50 and 1:100 year events), as well as in representing both the channel and

floodplain;

No abstractions from the river section or discharges into the river section were taken into

account during the modelling;

Levees have been added to confine the modelling to the channels; and

Steady-state hydraulic modelling was undertaken, which assumes the flow is continuous at

the peak rate.

7.8.1.10 Floodline Delineation

Floodlines for the 1:50-year and 1:100-year recurrence intervals were determined for the current river

network passing through the project site. The delineated floodlines and the 100m buffer from the

watercourses are presented in Figure 7-12

The Mining Right Area (Limit 5) and the Waster Rock Dump 1 are located within the floodlines. All

other infrastructures associated with the mining activities are located outside of the floodline.

Condition 7 of the GN704 indicates that no residue deposit or associated activity may be located or

placed within the 1:100-year flood line or within a horizontal distance of 100 metres from any

watercourse, whichever is greatest. It is therefore recommended that the infrastructure located within

a floodline be relocated outside of the floodline.

In order to prevent or minimize the impacts of possible flooding and reduce flow velocity, a flood

protection berm that partitions the slope with level space is recommended around the proposed

infrastructure. Most of the streams with the project site are non-perennial and are very small and

shallow with small catchments, which implies flooding impact is probable but minimal.


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Figure 7-12: Floodlines for the Streams Network

Figure 7-13: Floodlines for the Eastern Streams Network


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Figure 7-14: Floodlines for the Western Streams Network

Figure 7-15: Floodlines for the Southern Streams Network


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7.8.2 Stormwater management plan

To ensure that ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ water generated from the sites is adequately contained and routed

per GN704, a conceptual stormwater management plan was developed for the Ericure Mine. The

GN704 states the following regarding capacity requirements of clean and dirty water systems:

Confine any unpolluted water to a ‘clean’ water system, away from any ‘dirty’ areas.

Design, construct, maintain and operate any ‘clean’ water system at the mine or activity so

that it is not likely to spill into any ‘dirty’ water system more than once in 50 years.

Collect the water arising within any ‘dirty’ area, including water seeping from mining

operations, outcrops or any other activity, into a dirty water system.

Design, construct, maintain and operate any dirty water system at the mine or activity so that

it is not likely to spill into any clean water system more than once in 50-years; and

Design, construct, maintain and operate any dam or tailings dam that forms part of a dirty

water system to have a minimum freeboard of 0.8 metres above full supply level unless

otherwise specified in terms of Chapter 12 of the Act.

Design, construct and maintain all water systems in such a manner as to guarantee the

serviceability of such conveyances for flows up to and including those arising as a result of

the maximum flood with an average period of recurrence of once in 50 years.

The following terms were used to describe the elements of the Personal Computer

Stormwater Management Model (PCSWMM) Software used for the development of the

SWMP.

Table 7-22: Definition of the SWMP terms

SWMP Element Description

Catchment (S) That area determined by topographic features within which falling rain will contribute to runoff to

a particular point under consideration.

Conduit (C) Any artificial or natural duct, either open or closed, intended for the conveyance of fluids.

Channel A natural or artificial waterway which periodically or continuously contains moving water, or

which forms a connecting link between two bodies of water. It has a definite bed and banks

which confine the water.

Discharge Points The point, location or structure where water or drainage discharges from a stream, river, lake,

tidal basin or drainage area; or pipe, channel, sewer, drain, or other conduits.

7.8.2.1 Topographical and Site Layout

A digital elevation model (DEM) was obtained for the greater catchment from the NASADEM data

products at 1 arc second resolution. NASADEM extends the legacy of the Shuttle Radar Topography

Mission (SRTM) by improving the digital elevation model (DEM) height accuracy and data coverage

as well as providing additional SRTM radar-related data products. The result obtained using the

NASADEM are reliable and can be used as an indicative measure during planning and design. The

Client provided the site layout.


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Figure 7-16: Mine Layout and Infrastructure

Figure 7-17: Conceptual Stormwater Management Plan


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7.8.2.2 Clean and Dirty Catchments

A total of sixteen sub-catchments were delineated based on available site layout, land-use and

topography. Of the sixteen, eight sub-catchments were discretized as ‘clean’ and eight were

discretized as ‘dirty’. The sub-catchment layout and characteristics are shown in Figure 7-17 and

Table 7-23. The dirty water containment facilities are designed, constructed and maintained to

accommodate a 1:50 year/24-hour storm event.

Table 7-23: Sub catchment Characteristics

Sub-

catchment

Description Classification Area

(ha)

Time of

concentration (hrs)

S1 Natural Catchment Clean 47.7 0.93


S3 Open Mine Pit (5ha) Dirty 5.0 1.63

S4 Open Mine Pit Dirty 72.5 1.46

S5 Waste Rock Dump 1 Dirty 29.6 1.37





S10 Process Plant Dirty 1.5 0.72

S11 Workshop and Eng Dirty 0.6 0.72

S12 Office and Changeroom Clean 1.8 0.55

S13 Contractor Laydown

Area

Dirty 4.7 1.02

S14 Wash Plant and

Stockpile

Dirty 12.4 1.08


S16 Waste Rock Dump 2 Dirty 55.0 2.32

7.8.2.3 Stormwater Channels and Berms

Typical; cross-section of recommended dirty water diversion channel to accommodate the design

flows is shown in Error! Reference source not found.., the recommended channel sizes are p

resented in Error! Reference source not found.

7.8.2.3.1 Design Methodology

Peak flows for conveyance infrastructure were estimated using the Rational Method, and the peak

flows were calculated for the 1:50 year 24-hour rainfall depth (156.2 mm) to estimate peak flows from

each catchment.

The channels were sized to take the maximum flow calculated for the downstream end of the

contributing catchment, and the channel sizing will be uniform along their entire length. The clean

water is kept out of dirty water channel by the construction of a linear bund upstream of the channel

with material excavated from the channel.

Where practical the dirty channel should be lined with low permeability material, e.g. compacted clay

to prevent dirty water from infiltrating through the base of the channels which otherwise might impact

upon the quality of underlying groundwater.

The clean and dirty stormwater catchments and route of drainage channels are presented in Error! R

eference source not found.. The estimated design flows and recommended conveyance

infrastructure (berms and channels) are presented below. The channel designs should be finalized

in the detailed design phase with high integrity elevation survey information for the site.


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7.8.2.3.2 Design Recommendations

Drainage Channels

Following estimation of the design flows for each diversion channel, the channels have been sized

using Manning's Equation to ensure that the flow capacity of the channel is sufficient to convey the

1:50 year flow. The recommended channel sizes are presented in Table 7-24 together with the typical

cross-section through the channel shown in Figure 7-18.

Figure 7-18: Stormwater Diversion Channel Cross-section


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Table 7-24: Stormwater Diversion Channel Sizing

Catchment Catchment Flow

Drainage Channel

Channel Class

Design Flow Channel Dimensions

b1 d1 b2 d2 b3 S n A P R V Design Flow (Q)

m3/s % m3/s m m m m m m/m m2 m m m/s m3/s

S1 and S2 3.64 C2 Clean 100% 6.85 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.010 0.025 2.4 4.3 0.6 2.7 6.63

S2 3.21

S3 0.23 C1 Dirty 100% 0.23 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.010 0.025 0.2 1.2 0.2 1.2 0.25

S4 4.35 C3 Clean 100% 4.35 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.010 0.025 1.8 3.7 0.5 2.5 4.45

S5 1.36 C4 Dirty 100% 1.36 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.010 0.025 0.8 2.5 0.3 1.8 1.35

S6 0.20 C5 Dirty 100% 0.20 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.010 0.025 0.2 1.2 0.2 1.2 0.25

S7 1.36 C6 Dirty 100% 1.36 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.010 0.025 0.8 2.4 0.3 1.9 1.47

S8 3.10 C7 Dirty 100% 3.10 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.010 0.025 1.4 3.3 0.4 2.3 3.33

S9 1.16 C8 Clean 100% 1.16 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.010 0.025 0.7 2.3 0.3 1.8 1.32

S10 0.90 C9 Clean 100% 1.28 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.010 0.050 1.3 3.1 0.4 1.1 1.43

S11 0.38

S12 1.23 C14 Clean 100% 0.40 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.010 0.050 0.6 2.0 0.3 0.9 0.53

S13 0.59 C10 Clean 100% 0.59 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.010 0.025 0.4 1.7 0.2 1.5 0.60

S14 0.79 C11 Dirty 100% 0.79 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.010 0.025 0.5 2.0 0.3 1.6 0.80

S15 0.41 C12 Dirty 100% 0.41 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.010 0.025 0.3 1.5 0.2 1.4 0.45

S16 1.69 C13 Dirty 100% 1.685721 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.010 0.025 0.9 2.6 0.3 2.0 1.77


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7.8.2.3.3 Proposed Stormwater Channel Management

All conceptual diversion channels have been sized to divert runoff for the 50-year return

period flood peak, as per GN 704.

Clean stormwater should be prevented from entering into the pit area footprints through

upstream diversion berms for all pits; this will be in addition to the perimeter berms that are

typically part of pit designs that prevent runoff ingress of water into the individual pits.

The clean water from the south of the pit should be diverted west, whilst clean water from

the south-east portion of the paved road buffer should be directed to the east.

At clean and silty water release points where necessary, flow dissipation measures must be

installed at the ends of diversion channels to help prevent/minimize erosion by dissipating

the energy from those flows.

7.8.2.4 Storage Containment Areas

7.8.2.4.1 Design Methodology

The capacity of dirty water containment facilities is based on the containment of the 1:50 year design

rainfall (24 hours) of 156.2 mm. Stormwater from the plant PCD must be pumped to the plant for

reuse.

The 1:50-year flood event was routed through the retention water dam sump and the proposed PCDs

to determine the volume requirements to contain the 1:50-year flood event. The locations of the

storage containment areas are depicted in Figure 7-17. The cumulative flood volumes can be seen

in Table 7-25

Table 7-25: Flow volumes reporting to the storage containment areas

PCD

Catchment Area (exc. PCD)

1:50yr 24hr

January PCD

Volume Required

PCD Footprint

Rainfall C Runoff Rainfall Runoff Evaporation Evaporation

(m2) (m2) (mm) - (m3) (mm) (m3) (mm) (m3) (m3)

PCD 1 724 868 9 999 156.2 0.29 28 550 131 12 218 166 1 660 39 108

PCD2 46 945 692 156.2 0.31 1 977 131 846 166 115 2 708

PCD3 123 658 4 511 156.2 0.76 12 880 131 5 512 166 749 17 644

PCD4 49 931 2 101 156.2 0.74 5 132 131 2 217 166 349 7 000

WRDPCD1 295 860 10 276 156.2 0.72 29 343 131 12 557 166 1 706 40 194

WRDPCD2 549 735 10 016 156.2 0.38 28 598 131 12 238 166 1 663 39 174

Retention Water Dam 1 238 056 34 923 156.2 0.36 62 741 131 27 729 166 5 797 84 672

Mine Plant PCD 82 299 1 411 156.2 0.36 4 028 131 1 724 166 234 5 518

7.8.2.4.2 Limitations

The study undertaken is considered adequate for the scope of work – i.e. a conceptual/ pre-feasibility

level of design which allows for the identification of potentially fatal flaws in the proposed stormwater

management system. However, the following limitations must be considered:

At this stage, the design of the mine infrastructure has not been made; therefore, the

proposed stormwater measures are conceptual. These should be revised and updated

during detailed design and when high integrity elevation data is available.


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No design detail for the existing Water Retention Dam was available and additional

construction works may be required for the embankment wall to ensure structural integrity

when the dam is full; and

No information on ground conditions was available, and as such, there is a risk that the Water

Retention Dam maybe on bedrock and excavating up to 4m deep would be significantly more

expensive.

7.8.2.4.3 Recommendations

As part of the detailed design process, the following tasks are recommended:

Review of Plant Infrastructure Design – to confirm the design constraints on the proposed

stormwater infrastructure.

Detailed Engineering Design - including drawings, design report and bill of quantities (if

required). This task can be undertaken in discrete packages of design work in accordance

with the phasing of infrastructure development.

A critical component in sizing of the PCDs in accordance with GN 704 is the rate at which

water will be pumped from the pond for reuse at the plant. As part of the detailed design, the

PCD volume and pump-out rate will be checked using a daily time-step water balance model.

It is recommended that the capacity of the PCDs is again reviewed during detailed design of

the stormwater measures to ensure compliance with GN 704 and BPG A4 (DWAF, 2007),

considering the predicted inflows and outflows for the site-wide water balance.

It must be noted that six PCDs have been estimated, but during a detailed design when there

are a finalized mine plan and topographical data, these PCDs will be reduced.

It is also recommended that the hydraulic gradients and channel sizes are confirmed during

the detailed design of the channels. The requirement for, and design of, in-channel velocity

control measures should be confirmed during the detailed design of the channels.

The specification for the lining of the channels and the PCDs should also be confirmed during

the detailed design of these features.

7.8.3 Water Balance

A water balance process flow has been developed for the proposed Ericure Mine highlighting the

inflows and outflows to the mine process units. The water circuit diagram includes the main

components, namely: Waste Rock Dumps, Open Pit and the Mine Plant areas.

The process flow of the water balance will focus predominantly on the interaction between rainfall,

evaporation, mine water demands and makeup water requirements with the aim of developing a

water balance control philosophy for the management of water on the mine.

7.8.3.1 Limitations

There is no adequate information to undertake the water balance at the moment. As a result, only

the water balance circuit and framework has been developed for the current study, and once all

information becomes available, the Water Balance modelling will be undertaken.

7.8.3.2 Objectives of the Water Balance Scope

The following objectives of the water balance must be met during the water balance modelling:

The average wet, dry season and annual averages of the water balance.

The amount of makeup water required for the processing plant and the potable network.


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Water reuse opportunities throughout the mine.

7.8.3.3 Process Flow Diagram

The insights into how all water flow processes within the Ericure Mine are linked are presented with

a Process Flow Diagram (PFD). The mine operational philosophy (obtained from the previous

reports), the site visit and the information obtained from the mine personnel were used to develop a

PFD and to formulate the assumptions to be used in the calculation of the mine water balances. The

PFD is provided in Figure 7-19

7.8.3.4 Input Parameters

7.8.3.4.1 Climate Data

Average Monthly Rainfall

Average monthly rainfall from a South African Weather Service gauge, must be obtained and used

to describe the rainfall environment at the project site.

Average Evaporation

Evaporation data based on Symonds Pan (S-Pan) data taken from the WR2012 Database (WRC,

2012) for the quaternary catchment, V32E and V32D (where the project site is located) must be

sourced. S-Pan evaporation was converted to open water evaporation using evaporation coefficients

from WR90 (WRC, 1990).

7.8.3.4.2 Potable Water

To estimate the amount of potable water required for the two phases of the mine, the Client must

provide an estimated number of employees for the life of the mine. An assumption potable water

requirements for each person will be required. An estimate of between 90 - 200 litres per day may

be considered. The management of domestic wastewater should be provided.

7.8.3.4.3 Water Supply

Groundwater will be used as the source of water in the mine. It is noted that there would be water

tanks that will be supplied by the drilled water holes, a total number of 3 water tanks will be used as

storage to pump raw freshwater, the tanks are estimated to have a capacity of 60m3 each, the water

hole to be pumped and applied for on WUL is estimated at 60,000m3/a: one tank will be around the

offices area, one within the workshop area and another tank for wash-bay and low lying area.

7.8.3.4.4 Stormflow

Monthly stormflow volumes will be calculated by multiplying daily stormflow depths to contributing

catchment areas. Stormwater sub-catchments, volumes, and pump out rates accounted for are

provided in Chapter 4.

7.8.3.4.5 Dust Suppression

Dust suppression water requirements were provided by the Client. It is noted that water for dust

suppression will be pumped from the Old mining pits as well as the PCDs around the mine.


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Figure 7-19: Water Balance Process Flow Diagram

7.8.4 Impact Assessment

Informed by the mine plan layout, baseline hydrology, specifications for the conceptual stormwater

management measures, and the water process flow, the potential impacts of the proposed activities

on surface water receptors as well as the sensitivity of the surface water resources are discussed in

this section and presented along with a summary of mitigation measures and monitoring

requirements.

Impacts are assessed cumulatively where possible, in that the assessment takes into account the

currently impacted environment.

Notes:

Inflows Ericure Site Wide Water Balance

Outflows Water Circuit Diagram

Recycled

All Flow Rates in m3/month

Groundwater Inflow Open Pits Dust suppression around pits

Evaporation

Stormwater Runoff Inflow Balance Outflow Spillage / discharge

S

Runoff from WRDs

WRD PCDs Discharge

Evaporation

Plant PCD Evaporation

Stormwater plant & Inflow Balance Outflow Spillage

RoM storm water

Plant Area Plant losses

Dust suppression around plant

Rainfall and Stormwater STP Evaporation

Gardening

Borehole/Raw Water

Sources Losses

Borehole/Raw Water

Sources Inflow Balance Outflow

Total Inflows m3/month Balance m3/monthTotal Outflows

Office and Workshop Area

Washbay and Low Lying Area

Losses


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The surface water impacts associated with the proposed Ericure Project are assessed according to

the three main stages of the project, namely the construction, operation and closure phases, for the

major activities within those phases.

The proposed mining project includes various mitigation measures recommended in the SWMP,

water quality and floodlines. Theoretically, without these measures, the impacts on the environment

would be much higher, although the mine would almost certainly not be allowed to proceed without

achieving compliance with current best practice and relevant industry guidelines presented in this

and other reports.

The potential unmitigated impacts (worst-case scenario), and residual impacts of the project after

considering the design mitigation measures proposed within this report are qualitatively assessed in

this section.

7.8.4.1 Contamination of Surface Water Resources

7.8.4.1.1 Description of impact

There are several pollution sources in all project phases that have the potential to pollute surface

water, particularly in the unmitigated scenario. In the construction, decommissioning and closure

phases, these potential pollution sources are temporary and diffuse in nature. Although these

sources may be temporary, the potential pollution may be long term. The operational phase will

present more long-term potential sources.

7.8.4.1.2 Construction, Operational Phase

Construction and operational activities that include the use of vehicles and machinery in nearby

watercourses, storage of chemicals, fuels and materials as well as the storage of domestic and

industrial waste have the potential to result in contamination of the water resource. Soluble

construction materials also have the potential to dissolve in runoff from the area. This can result in

the increase of dissolved solids in downstream water bodies during periods of rainfall and

subsequent flow resulting in a water quality impact. Most of the assessed watercourses are dry for

large periods of the year, allowing for long periods of time to address any spills before flow begins.

This impact is likely to occur only during the construction phase, with negligible impacts foreseen

beyond the construction period.

Deterioration of water quality as a result of the following:

Clearing of the surface area and site preparations, for the new infrastructure, would result in the

exposure of soil surfaces to potential erosion. When a large area of vegetation is cleared and topsoil

disturbed, it exposes a large area of loose material which is susceptible to erosion.

Water contamination could result from the poor management of mine chemicals and waste during

the construction phase if not adequately managed. Typically, the following pollution sources exist at

the mine; fuel and lubricants, sewage, residue from the dirty water circuit, chemicals, non-mineralized

waste (hazardous, general, radioactive), and erosion of particles from exposed soils in the form of

suspended solids.

Water quality deterioration as a result of discharge of dirty water into the catchment around the mine

when extreme events do occur, some of the structures may overtop and overflow, washing dirty

material to wash into nearby streams.

Potential operational phase pollution sources include:

Spillage of operational fuel, lubricants, cement or leaks from vehicles and equipment;

Contaminated discharges from the dirty water systems including recycled water ponds,

dirty water pipelines;

Contaminated runoff and seepage from the waste rock dumps and stockpiles; and


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Sedimentation from erosion.

7.8.4.1.3 Decommissioning and Closure Phases

Compacted surfaces from moving vehicles and machinery during the decommissioning and closure

phase could lead to an increase in runoff into the nearby streams. Surface water resources are

receptors of fine materials and contaminants arising from the demolition of infrastructure and from

earthworks transported through rainwater and surface runoff. This may be deposited in watercourses

causing siltation and contaminating river water with chemical pollutants.

Impacts on Downstream Receptors

At elevated concentrations, contaminants can exceed the applicable surface water quality limits

imposed by local guidelines and can be harmful to humans and livestock if ingested directly and

possibly even indirectly through contaminated vegetation, vertebrates and invertebrates. The related

unmitigated severity is high.

In the unmitigated scenario, the contamination of surface water resources will occur for periods

longer than the life of the proposed project. With mitigation, pollution can be prevented and/or

managed and as such, the impacts can be reversed or mitigated within the life of the proposed

project.

Table 7-26: Impact summary – Surface Water Resources Contamination in Construction and Operational Phases

Issue: Surface Water Resources Contamination

Phases: Construction and Operational Phases

Criteria Without Mitigation With Mitigation

Intensity Prominent change or disturbance Moderate change or disturbance

Duration Long-term Medium-term

Extent Whole Site Beyond Site Boundary

Consequence Medium Medium

Probability Probable Possible

Significance High Medium

Nature of cumulative impacts Construction and operational activities that include the use of vehicles and machinery in

nearby watercourses, storage of chemicals, fuels and materials as well as the storage of

domestic and industrial waste have the potential to result in contamination of the water

resource. Soluble construction materials also have the potential to dissolve in runoff

from the area. This can result in the increase of dissolved solids in downstream water

bodies during periods of rainfall and subsequent flow resulting in a water quality impact.

However, considering the temporary nature of the construction and operational phases,

the cumulative impact is assessed to be HIGH.

The degree to which impact can be

reversed

Some watercourses are dry for large periods of the year, allowing for long periods of

time to address any spills before flow begins. This impact is likely to occur only during

the construction phase, with negligible impacts foreseen beyond the construction period.

The degree to which impact may

cause irreplaceable loss of

resources

High as this area receives high rainfall.

Residual impacts The residual impact is considered to be Medium with only moderate impacts on

surrounding receptors.


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Table 7-27: Impact summary – Surface Water Resources Contamination in Construction and Closure Phases

Issue: Surface Water Resources Contamination

Phases: Decommissioning and Closure Phases

Criteria Without Mitigation With Mitigation

Intensity Moderate change or disturbance Minor change or disturbance

Duration Medium-term Short-term

Extent Whole site A part of the site

Consequence Medium Medium

Probability Possible Conceivable

Significance Medium Low

Nature of cumulative impacts Compacted surfaces from moving vehicles and machinery during the decommissioning

and closure phase could lead to an increase in runoff into the nearby streams. Surface

water resources are receptors of fine materials and contaminants arising from the

demolition of infrastructure and from earthworks transported through rainwater and

surface runoff. This may be deposited in watercourses causing siltation and

contaminating river water with chemical pollutants. However, considering the temporary

nature of the decommissioning and closure phase, the cumulative impact is assessed to

be LOW.

The degree to which impact can be

reversed

The impact can be fully reversed because once the decommissioning and closure period

is completed and the full length of the pipeline has been rehabilitated.

The degree to which impact may

cause irreplaceable loss of resources

Low as this area receives low rainfall that can wash away finer material into nearby

watercourses

Residual impacts The residual impact is considered to be LOW, with only minor impacts on surrounding

receptors.

7.8.5 Groundwater

When developing a mine plan, some of the most important requirements with regard to groundwater

are to:

Assess the extent to which groundwater flow into the mine workings may affect the safety

and efficiency of the mining operations;

Identify local groundwater users and determine their dependence on the groundwater

resource;

Determine the pre-project (baseline) groundwater quality;


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Assess the potential impact of the proposed mining operations on the groundwater quality

and yield; and

Develop an appropriate dewatering plan that will provide safe working conditions while

minimising any adverse effects on groundwater quality and groundwater users in the vicinity

of the mine.

The groundwater investigation will encompass the following:

Desktop study of proposed mining plan, available geological information, borehole maps and

logs, groundwater reports and monitoring data in the vicinity of the mining and infrastructural

areas;

Site visit and hydrocensus of accessible boreholes within 2 km of the project footprint. In

addition to measuring the static water level, pH and conductivity in the field, available

information about existing equipment and pump volumes, current use, reported yield, and

borehole depth will be gathered;

The data collected above will be used to define an initial understanding of the

hydrogeological features of the project area and to prepare a site-specific conceptual model

of the dynamics of the groundwater system at the project area. It is assumed that enough

baseline information will become available to do this;

Geophysical survey to establish suitable locations for monitoring boreholes and such

dewatering boreholes as may be required:

▪ The geophysical survey will target deep weathering and fractures in the Karoo dolerites

and Dwyka tillites of coal floor; and

▪ The survey will comprise magnetic, electromagnetic and 2D Earth Resistivity Imaging

(ERI) methods. The survey will be conducted at 10 m station intervals at selected target

areas which will be determined by the geophysical survey.

Drilling of 5 new monitoring boreholes, which will:

▪ Provide direct geological and hydrogeological control information across the proposed

mining area as required;

▪ Establish facilities to undertake aquifer testing and water sample collection; and

▪ Serve as future monitoring points in an initial groundwater monitoring network.

The boreholes will be drilled to specification under the supervision of a TCIR hydrogeologist

who will determine final drilling depths and also record the geology intersected, and the

depth/blow yield of water strikes;

Aquifer testing of the new monitoring boreholes to determine hydraulic parameters and

update the conceptual groundwater model. This proposal provides for the short term test

pumping of 5 new monitoring boreholes, 5 x 12 hour Constant Discharge Tests (CDT). The

hydraulic parameters determined from the test data will provide essential inputs to the

numerical flow and transport model. Nearby boreholes will be used to monitor the impact of

the testing of water levels.

Aquifer testing will be done under the supervision of a TCIR hydrogeologist, who will also

perform slug testing on accessible existing boreholes to determine hydraulic parameters;

Sampling of the newly drilled monitoring boreholes and existing boreholes in the vicinity of

the project footprint.


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Water samples will be collected during the hydrocensus (5 samples) and aquifer testing

programme (5 samples) and submitted to a SANAS accredited laboratory for chemical

analysis, which will include major cations (Na, K, Mg, Ca), major anions (Cl, F, SO4), physico-

chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity) and trace

elements (including Fe, Cr, Mn, Al, Zn, NO3 and others determined by ICP-OES). The results

will be cross referenced with the existing 2014 and 2015 hydrocensus information to provide

an up to date groundwater quality baseline;

Update of conceptual groundwater model with the new information generated. The

conceptual model will indicate the dynamics of the groundwater system, aquifer distribution,

role of geological structures and groundwater flow directions and it will provide basic input to

the groundwater modelling; and

Geochemistry and mine residue classification to determine the:

▪ Risk of acid rock drainage/metal leaching (ARD/ML) from the rock material which will

be exposed/disturbed/deposited during the mining operations;

▪ Residue characteristics of the waste rock, ore and tailings (waste assessment in terms

of the National Environmental Management Waste Act, NEMWA); and

▪ Long term seepage quality of the mine and its residue storage facilities (source-terms).

The geochemical characterisation will be carried out according to Best Practice Guidelines

for Water Resource Protection in the South African Mining Industry (BPG), in particular BPG

G4 (impact prediction), as well as global best practice methodology, which is presented in

the Global Acid Rock Drainage (GARD) Guide (INAP, 20102).

The study will recommend conceptual waste and mine water management options to

minimise and prevent ARD and ML as input to mine planning processes, such as the design

of the tailings storage facility (TSF) and waste rock dumps (WRDs). At least 15 composite

samples of rock materials and one tailings sample will be analysed by a suitably accredited

laboratory.

The samples will be subjected to:

▪ Acid base accounting(ABA) tests;

▪ Whole element analysis by X-ray fluorescence;

▪ Aqua regia digestion and XRF/ICP scans to determine total concentrations of inorganic

constituents of concern (CoCs);

▪ Australian Standard Leach Procedure (ASLP) and analysis of the leachate;

▪ Net Acid Generation Leach Testing (NAGLT) to determine the leachable concentrations

of inorganic CoCs under the maximum possible level of oxidation; and

▪ Mineralogical analysis by X-Ray diffraction.

Source-terms (concentration loadings of the potential constituents of concern) will be

developed on the basis of maximum and minimum leachate qualities from the leach tests

and any existing information.

A waste assessment for the waste rock and tailings will be prepared in terms of the National

Norms and Standards for the Assessment of Waste for Landfill Disposal (GN R.635 of 23

August 2013).


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If the above tests indicate a significant risk of acid rock drainage, then humidity cells will be

set up and kinetic tests will be carried out according to standard D 5744 – 13 (ASTM, 2013).

The results will enable the development of fully quantitative source-terms conducting

seepage flow and geochemical modelling using humidity cell leachate quality data.

Numerical modelling and impact assessment:

The potential impact of the mine and related infrastructure on the groundwater system,

migration of possible contaminant plumes from the mining areas, pollution control dams,

stockpile areas, TSF, and heap leach pads will modelled using FEFLOW, a highly

sophisticated and powerful 3D finite element modelling package designed to cope with

complex hydrogeological and mine scheduling situations.

The model will be used to assess the likely impacts of the mining activities on the existing

groundwater regime, including:

Calculation of passive inflow into the mines;

Impacts on the existing users in terms of depression of groundwater levels/reduction in yield

of existing boreholes, caused by the need to pump water out to maintain safe working

conditions in the mines;

Impacts on the groundwater quality of existing users;

Possible development of pollution plumes emanating from the mining activities;

Impacts on the existing groundwater level, and

Transport model for pollution impact assessment and control.

7.9 Noise

Increased noise levels are directly linked with the various activities associated with the construction

of the proposed mine and related infrastructure, as well as the operational phase of the activity.

7.9.1 Standards and guidelines

7.9.1.1 Noise Standard

There are a few South African scientific standards (SABS) relevant to noise from mines, industry and

roads. They are:

SANS 10103:2008. ‘The measurement and rating of environmental noise with respect to

annoyance and to speech communication’;

SANS 10210:2004. ‘Calculating and predicting road traffic noise’;

SANS 10328:2008. ‘Methods for environmental noise impact assessments’;

SANS 10357:2004. ‘The calculation of sound propagation by the Concave method’;

SANS 10181:2003. ‘The Measurement of Noise Emitted by Road Vehicles when

Stationary’; and

SANS 10205:2003. ‘The Measurement of Noise Emitted by Motor Vehicles in Motion’.


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The relevant standards use the equivalent continuous rating level as a basis for determining what is

acceptable. The levels may take single event noise into account, but single event noise by itself does

not determine whether noise levels are acceptable for land use purposes. With regards to SANS

10103:2008, the recommendations are likely to inform decisions by authorities, but non-compliance

with the standard will not necessarily render an activity unlawful per se.

7.9.1.2 International; Guidelines

While a number of international guidelines and standards exist, those selected below are used by

numerous countries for environmental noise management

7.9.1.2.1 Guidelines for Community Noise (WHO, 1999)

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) document on the Guidelines for Community Noise is the

outcome of the WHO- expert task force meeting held in London, United Kingdom, in April 1999. It is

based on the document entitled “Community Noise” that was prepared for the World Health

Organization and published in 1995 by the Stockholm University and Karolinska Institute.

The scope of WHO's effort to derive guidelines for community noise is to consolidate actual scientific

knowledge on the health impacts of community noise and to provide guidance to environmental

health authorities and professionals trying to protect people from the harmful effects of noise in non-

industrial environments.

Guidance on the health effects of noise exposure of the population has already been given in an

early publication of the series of Environmental Health Criteria. The health risk to humans from

exposure to environmental noise was evaluated and guidelines values derived. The issue of noise

control and health protection was briefly addressed.

The document uses the LAeq and LA,max noise descriptors to define noise levels. It should be noted

that a follow-up document focusing on Night-time Noise Guidelines for Europe (WHO, 2009).

7.9.1.2.2 Night Noise Guidelines for Europe (WHO, 2009)

Refining previous Community Noise Guidelines issued in 1999, and incorporating more recent

research, the World Health Organization has released a comprehensive report on the health effects

of nighttime noise, along with new (non-mandatory) guidelines for use in Europe. Rather than a

maximum of 30dB inside at night (which equals 45-50dB max outside), the WHO now recommends

a maximum year-round outside night-time noise average of 40dB to avoid sleep disturbance and its

related health effects. The report notes that only below 30dB (outside annual average) are “no

significant biological effects observed,” and that between 30 and 40dB, several effects are observed,

with the chronically ill and children being more susceptible; however, “even in the worst cases the

effects seem modest.” Elsewhere, the report states more definitively, “There is no sufficient evidence

that the biological effects observed at the level below 40 dB (night, outside) are harmful to health.”

At levels over 40dB, “Adverse health effects are observed” and “many people have to adapt their

lives to cope with the noise at night. Vulnerable groups are more severely affected.”

While recommending the use of the average level, the report notes that some instantaneous effects

occur in relation to specific maximum noise levels, but that the health effects of these “cannot be

easily established.”

7.9.1.2.3 Equator Principles

The Equator Principles (EPs) are a voluntary set of standards for determining, assessing and

managing social and environmental risk in project financing. Equator Principles Financial Institutions

(EPFIs) commit to not providing loans to projects where the borrower will not or is unable to comply

with their respective social and environmental policies and procedures that implement the EPs.

The Equator Principles were developed by private sector banks and were launched in June 2003.

The banks chose to model the Equator Principles on the environmental standards of the World Bank


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and the social policies of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). 67 financial institutions

(October 2009) have adopted the Equator Principles, which have become the de facto standard for

banks and investors on how to assess major development projects around the world. The

environmental standards of the World Bank have been integrated into the social policies of the IFC

since April 2007 as the International Finance Corporation Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS)

Guidelines.

7.9.1.2.4 IFC: General EHS Guidelines – Environmental Noise Management

These guidelines are applicable to noise created beyond the property boundaries of a development

that conforms to the Equator Principle.

It states that noise prevention and mitigation measures should be applied where predicted or

measured noise impacts from a project facility or operations exceed the applicable noise level

guideline at the most sensitive point of reception. The preferred method for controlling noise from

stationary sources is to implement noise control measures at the source. It goes as far as to propose

methods for the prevention and control of noise emissions.

It sets noise level guidelines (see Table 4-1) as well as highlighting the certain monitoring

requirements pre- and post-development. It adds another criterion in that the existing background

ambient noise level should not rise by more than 3 dBA. This criterion will effectively sterilize large

areas of any development. It is, therefore, the considered opinion that this criterion was introduced

to address cases where the existing ambient noise level is already at, or in excess of the

recommended limits.

Table 7-28: IFC Noise Level Guidelines

Receptor-type

One hour LAeq (dBA)

Daytime

07:00 - 22:00

Night-time

22:00 – 07:00

Residential; institutional;

educational

55 45

Industrial; commercial 70 70

The document uses the LAeq,1hr noise descriptors to define noise levels. It does not determine the

detection period but refers to the IEC standards, which requires the fast detector setting on the Sound

Level Meter during measurements for

7.9.2 Receptors

Residential areas and potential noise-sensitive developments/receptors/communities (NSD) were

identified using tools such as Google Earth®. Normally noises from mining activities:

are significant up to a distance of 500m from active mining areas with the noise impact

potentially significant. Noises from haul traffic are limited to a distance of less than 500m

from mining roads, though this would normally be less than 200m with low traffic volumes

and speeds associated with such mining roads;

are limited to a distance of approximately 1,000m from the active mining areas. Ambient

sound levels are increased due to noises from mining activities, with the potential noise

impact measurable (measurable increase in sound levels);

are audible up to a distance of 2,000m at night, and may be audible up to 4,000m during

very quiet periods at night with certain meteorological conditions. Noise levels from mining

activities are generally less than 45 dBA further than 1,000m from the mining activities.


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Considering these potential buffer distances, all potential NSDs were identified within 1,000m of the

proposed opencast pit, with the closest houses selected to represent potential noise levels in these

areas. It should be noted that these NSDs could represent a small community, as there are a number

of structures close to these NSD locations.

Figure 7-20: Aerial image indicating potentially noise-sensitive receptors close to proposed

mining area

7.9.3 Impact Assessment

7.9.3.1 Construction

Construction activities include:

Site establishment;

Construction of access roads;

Vegetation removal;

Topsoil removal and the development of stockpile footprints. It will be assumed that the

topsoil and soft material will be stockpiled in the edge of the opencast to assist in the

mitigation of noises from the mine;

The removal of topsoil and soft material (using excavator) and hard overburden (drill and

blast to remove very hard material) during the development of the opencast/box cut.

Drilling activities will continue at night; and

The establishment of infrastructures such as pollution control dam, offices/workshops,

stockpile areas and plant (crushing/screen etc.) area.

All construction activities are assumed to take place at ground surface level without the benefit of

berms, residue stockpiles and deposits.

Potential maximum noise levels generated by construction equipment, as well as the potential extent

are presented in Table. The potential extent depends on a number of factors, including the prevailing


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ambient sound levels during the instance the maximum noise event occurred, as well as the spectral

characteristics of the noise and the ambient soundscape in the surroundings.

Average or equivalent sound levels are another factor that impacts on the ambient sound levels and

is the constant sound level that the receptor can experience. Typical sound power levels associated

with various activities that may be found at a construction site is presented in Table 6-2.

The level and character of the construction noise will be highly variable as different activities with

different equipment take place at different times, for different periods of time (operating cycles), in

different combinations/sequences and on different parts of the construction site.

An additional source of noise during the construction phase is additional traffic to and from the site,

as well as traffic on the site. This will include heavy (20 per hour assumed) and light (10 per hour

assumed) vehicles transporting equipment, topsoil, overburden, as well as contractors to and from

the site, entering the site (using existing access roads) during the day. Night-time construction traffic

will be minimal and 3 heavy vehicles per hour (a worst case scenario) will be assumed. Conceptual

route alignments will be used.

Construction traffic is expected to be generated throughout the entire construction period; however,

the volume and type of traffic generated will be dependent upon the construction activities being

conducted, which will vary during the construction period.

Due to the variability of mobile equipment moving around onsite, an area source will be added at the

construction sites of the boxcut as well as the process and washing plant. Area sources will generate

65 dBA/m2 with a spectral character typical of a general noise source.


April 2021 197

Table 7-29: Potential maximum noise levels generated by construction equipment

Equipment

Description6

Impact Device?

Maximum Sound Power

Levels (dBA)

Operational Noise Level at given distance considering potential maximum noise levels (Cumulative as well as the mitigatory effect of potential barriers or other mitigation not included –

simple noise propagation modelling only considering distance) (dBA)

5 m 10 m 20 m 50 m 100 m 150 m 200 m 300 m 500 m 750 m 1000 m 2000 m

Backhoe No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Chain Saw No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Compactor

(ground) No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Compressor

(air) No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Concrete Batch

Plant No 117.7 92.7 86.7 80.6 72.7 66.7 63.1 60.6 57.1 52.7 49.2 46.7 40.6

Concrete Mixer

Truck No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Concrete Pump

Truck No 116.7 91.7 85.7 79.6 71.7 65.7 62.1 59.6 56.1 51.7 48.2 45.7 39.6

Crane No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Dozer No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Drill Rig Truck No 118.7 93.7 87.7 81.6 73.7 67.7 64.1 61.6 58.1 53.7 50.2 47.7 41.6

Drum Mixer No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Dump Truck No 118.7 93.7 87.7 81.6 73.7 67.7 64.1 61.6 58.1 53.7 50.2 47.7 41.6

Excavator No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Flat Bed Truck No 118.7 93.7 87.7 81.6 73.7 67.7 64.1 61.6 58.1 53.7 50.2 47.7 41.6

Front End

Loader No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Generator No 116.7 91.7 85.7 79.6 71.7 65.7 62.1 59.6 56.1 51.7 48.2 45.7 39.6

Grader No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Impact Pile

Driver Yes 129.7 104.7 98.7 92.6 84.7 78.7 75.1 72.6 69.1 64.7 61.2 58.7 52.6

Jackhammer Yes 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6


April 2021 198

Equipment

Description6

Impact Device?

Maximum Sound Power

Levels (dBA)



5 m 10 m 20 m 50 m 100 m 150 m 200 m 300 m 500 m 750 m 1000 m 2000 m

Man Lift No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Mounted Impact

Hammer Yes 124.7 99.7 93.7 87.6 79.7 73.7 70.1 67.6 64.1 59.7 56.2 53.7 47.6

Paver No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Pickup Truck No 89.7 64.7 58.7 52.6 44.7 38.7 35.1 32.6 29.1 24.7 21.2 18.7 12.6

Pumps No 111.7 86.7 80.7 74.6 66.7 60.7 57.1 54.6 51.1 46.7 43.2 40.7 34.6

Rivit

Buster/Chipping

Gun

Yes

119.7

94.7

88.7

82.6

74.7

68.7

65.1

62.6

59.1

54.7

51.2

48.7

42.6

Rock Drill No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Roller No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Sand Blasting

(single nozzle) No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Scraper No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Slurry Plant No 112.7 87.7 81.7 75.6 67.7 61.7 58.1 55.6 52.1 47.7 44.2 41.7 35.6

Slurry Trenching

Machine No 116.7 91.7 85.7 79.6 71.7 65.7 62.1 59.6 56.1 51.7 48.2 45.7 39.6

Soil Mix Drill Rig No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Tractor No 118.7 93.7 87.7 81.6 73.7 67.7 64.1 61.6 58.1 53.7 50.2 47.7 41.6

Vacuum Excavator (Vac-

Truck)

No

119.7

94.7

88.7

82.6

74.7

68.7

65.1

62.6

59.1

54.7

51.2

48.7

42.6

Vacuum Street

Sweeper No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6

Ventilation Fan No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Vibrating

Hopper No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Vibratory Concrete

Mixer No 114.7 89.7 83.7 77.6 69.7 63.7 60.1 57.6 54.1 49.7 46.2 43.7 37.6


April 2021 199

Equipment

Description6

Impact Device?

Maximum Sound Power

Levels (dBA)



5 m 10 m 20 m 50 m 100 m 150 m 200 m 300 m 500 m 750 m 1000 m 2000 m

Vibratory Pile

Driver No 129.7 104.7 98.7 92.6 84.7 78.7 75.1 72.6 69.1 64.7 61.2 58.7 52.6

Warning Horn No 119.7 94.7 88.7 82.6 74.7 68.7 65.1 62.6 59.1 54.7 51.2 48.7 42.6

Welder/Torch No 107.7 82.7 76.7 70.6 62.7 56.7 53.1 50.6 47.1 42.7 39.2 36.7 30.6

Table 7-30: Potential equivalent noise levels generated by various equipment

Equipment Description

Equivalent (average)

Sound Levels

(dBA)

Operational Noise Level at given distance considering equivalent (average) sound power emission levels (Cumulative as well as the mitigatory effect of potential barriers or other mitigation not included –


5 m

10 m

20 m

50 m 100

m

150

m

200

m

300

m

500

m

750

m

1000

m

2000

m

Bulldozer CAT D11 113.3 88.4 82.3 76.3 68.4 62.3 58.8 56.3 52.8 48.4 44.8 42.3 36.3

Bulldozer CAT D6 108.2 83.3 77.3 71.2 63.3 57.3 53.7 51.2 47.7 43.3 39.8 37.3 31.2

Bulldozer Komatsu 375 114.0 89.0 83.0 77.0 69.0 63.0 59.5 57.0 53.4 49.0 45.5 43.0 37.0

Crusher/Screen (MTC Mobile) 109.6 84.6 78.6 72.6 64.6 58.6 55.1 52.6 49.0 44.6 41.1 38.6 32.6

Crushing plant (50 tons/h) 114.5 89.5 83.5 77.5 69.5 63.5 60.0 57.5 54.0 49.5 46.0 43.5 37.5

Conveyor transfer 103.2 78.3 72.2 66.2 58.3 52.2 48.7 46.2 42.7 38.3 34.7 32.2 26.2

Drilling Machine 109.6 84.6 78.6 72.6 64.6 58.6 55.1 52.6 49.1 44.6 41.1 38.6 32.6

Dumper/Haul truck - CAT 700 115.9 91.0 85.0 78.9 71.0 65.0 61.4 58.9 55.4 51.0 47.5 45.0 38.9

Dumper/Haul truck - Terex 30 ton

112.2

87.2

81.2

75.2

67.2

61.2

57.7

55.2

51.7

47.2

43.7

41.2

35.2

Excavator - Hitachi EX1200 113.1 88.1 82.1 76.1 68.1 62.1 58.6 56.1 52.6 48.1 44.6 42.1 36.1

Excavator - Hitachi 870 (80 t) 108.1 83.1 77.1 71.1 63.1 57.1 53.6 51.1 47.5 43.1 39.6 37.1 31.1

FEL - Bell L1806C 102.7 77.7 71.7 65.7 57.7 51.7 48.2 45.7 42.1 37.7 34.2 31.7 25.7

FEL - CAT 950G 102.1 77.2 71.2 65.1 57.2 51.2 47.6 45.1 41.6 37.2 33.7 31.2 25.1

FEL - Komatsu WA380 100.7 75.7 69.7 63.7 55.7 49.7 46.2 43.7 40.1 35.7 32.2 29.7 23.7


April 2021 200

Equipment Description

Equivalent (average)

Sound Levels

(dBA)

Operational Noise Level at given distance considering equivalent (average) sound power emission levels (Cumulative as well as the mitigatory effect of potential barriers or other mitigation not included –


5 m

10 m

20 m

50 m 100

m

150

m

200

m

300

m

500

m

750

m

1000

m

2000

m

General noise 108.8 83.8 77.8 71.8 63.8 57.8 54.2 51.8 48.2 43.8 40.3 37.8 31.8

Grader - Operational Hitachi 108.9 83.9 77.9 71.9 63.9 57.9 54.4 51.9 48.4 43.9 40.4 37.9 31.9

Grader 110.9 85.9 79.9 73.9 65.9 59.9 56.4 53.9 50.3 45.9 42.4 39.9 33.9

Screening plant 105.5 80.6 74.6 68.5 60.6 54.6 51.0 48.5 45.0 40.6 37.0 34.6 28.5

Water Dozer, CAT 113.8 88.8 82.8 76.8 68.8 62.8 59.3 56.8 53.3 48.8 45.3 42.8 36.8


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7.9.3.2 Operation

7.9.3.2.1 Mining Activities

Coal will be mined through an opencast bench mining method. The benches will be mined at a height

of 10 metres with the final mining depth determined by the coal resource. The same mining

assumptions will be used for the mining permit area.

The following mining method will be assumed for the noise model (worst-case):

Vegetation and topsoil will be stripped ahead of mining using a bulldozer. At least one cut

will already be stripped and available for drilling between the active topsoil stripping operation

and the open void. This will be limited to day-time activities;

The topsoil will be loaded onto dump trucks by excavators and hauled to stockpiles or areas

that require rehabilitation using articulated dump trucks. This will take place 24 hours per day

with the topsoil hauled to a location just outside the mining pit boundary;

Soft overburden will be loaded onto dump trucks by excavators and hauled to stockpiles or

areas that require rehabilitation. This could take place 24 hours per day;

Drilling operations will commence in the front of the advancing pit after the topsoil and soft

overburden has been removed. This will take place 24 hours per day 1 m below the ground

surface. Mining may take place on two benches of 10 m each (worst-case scenario);

After the hard overburden was broken by means of blasting, it will be loaded onto ADTs by

excavators and hauled to stockpiles or areas that require rehabilitation at least 10 m below

the ground surface. This will be repeated until the coal resource is reached. Excavation and

the hauling of overburden will continue at night;

Drilling and blasting of the coal resource with the Run of Mine (RoM) crushed and screened

(mobile crusher) in the pit (12 m below ground surface) before being loaded and hauled to

the plant. This will take place 24 hours per day;

Potential drilling of the hard interburden after the overburden and coal resource has been

removed. This will take place 24 hours per day 12 m below the ground surface;

After the interburden was broken by means of blasting, it will be loaded onto ADTs by

excavators and hauled to stockpiles or areas that require rehabilitation at least 20 m below

the ground surface. This will be repeated until the next coal resource is reached. Excavation

and the hauling of overburden will continue at night;

Drilling and blasting of the coal resource with the Run of Mine (RoM) crushed and screened

(mobile crusher) in the pit (22 m below ground surface) before being loaded and hauled to

the plant. This will take place 24 hours per day;

Topsoil and soft material will be placed on the edge of the mining area to act in as a noise

protection berm. These berms will be located between the active mining activities and the

closest receptors and will be at least 3 m high; and

Various plant activities to beneficiate the resource (processing and washing), stockpiling and

loading onto road trucks to allow transport to the market (no product transport at night with

3 LDV and heavy per hour assumed at night).

The level and character of the noise during this phase is more constant than with the construction

phase, but can be significantly higher and more intrusive, especially if there is an impulsive7

component involved (such as from tipping, crushing and equipment banging on other equipment)

and these noise generating activities takes place at night.


April 2021 202

As with all noises (and with the construction phase), the audibility, as well as the potential of a noise

impact on receptors, is determined by factors such as the sound character, spectral frequencies,

number and magnitude of maximum noise events, the average noise levels etc. Potential maximum

noise levels generated by various equipment and the potential extent of these sounds are presented

in Table 7-29, with Table 7-30 illustrating the equivalent (average) noise levels and potential extent.

Sound power emission levels as defined in Table 7-31 will be used in the noise modelling for both

the construction and operational phase.

Table 7-31: Sound power emission levels used for operational phase modelling

Equipment Sound power level, dB re1 pW, in octave band, Hz SPL

Centre frequency 63 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 (dBA)

ADT truck - Bell 25 ton 102.5 108.6 106.5 105.4 104.5 99.2 97.2 108.4

Bulldozer CAT D5 107.4 105.9 104.8 104.5 104.4 97.5 90.2 107.4

Coal beneficiation plant (50kt/m) 110.6 111.2 110.9 111.2 110.8 107.0 100.6 117.5

Drilling Machine 107.2 109.4 109.2 106.1 104.7 101.2 99.8 113.0

Excavator and truck 111.0 112.2 109.3 106.4 105.4 101.6 98.4 110.0

FEL - Bell L1806C 109.0 106.7 107.3 97.9 95.8 92.5 87.6 102.7

FEL and Truck 105.0 117.0 113.0 114.0 111.0 107.0 101.0 110.0

General noise 95.0 100.0 103.0 105.0 105.0 100.0 100.0 108.8

Grader 100.0 111.0 108.0 108.0 106.0 104.0 98.0 110.9

Mobile Crusher 121.1 122.3 120.1 120.0 117.3 112.5 106.3 109.6

Road Truck average 90.0 101.0 102.0 105.0 105.0 104.0 99.0 109.6

A sound characterized by brief excursions of sound pressure (transient signal) that significantly exceed the ambient sound

level

Due to the variability of mobile equipment moving around onsite, an area source will be added at the

construction sites of the boxcut as well as the process and washing plant. Area sources will generate

65 dBA/m2 with a spectral character typical of a general noise source.

7.9.3.2.2 Traffic

A source of noise during the operational phase will be traffic to and from the site, traffic around the

infrastructure facilities, ROM and product transport and activities associated with waste

management. While trucks moving around on the site do have a clearly audible noise during passing,

the average noise contribution may be relatively low compared to the other noise sources. For the

purpose of this study, potential peak hauling activities will be assumed at an average of 16 trucks

per hour travelling at 60 km/h from the site to the tar road (day-time only). Around 10 ADTs are

moving around onsite (between the active mining pit and the processing plant) both day and night.

Conceptual route alignments will be used.

7.9.4 Future noise scenario – Decommissioning

The Decommissioning Phase is considered as the phase which begins after the last coal is removed

from the mine area and ends when the mine receives a Closure certificate from the DMR.

Rehabilitation normally takes place concurrently with mining, and final rehabilitation allows for the

backfilling of all the remaining material and building rubble into the open pit area and the sloping of

the high-wall areas.

Activities that can take place include:

Decommissioning and rehabilitation of the remaining infrastructure unless it is required for

post-mining impact management or for the final end land use. This includes the following:

Removal of all remaining redundant infrastructure.


April 2021 203

Removal of any contaminated soil.

The rehabilitation of disturbed areas including the necessary ripping of compacted soils

and the shaping of rehabilitated areas to ensure free drainage.

Placement of topsoil on rehabilitated surface areas followed by seeding (if necessary, to re-

establish vegetation).

Monitoring and maintenance of the rehabilitated areas.

Application for a Closure Certificate for the site.

However, while there are numerous activities that can take place during the decommissioning stage,

the potential noise impact will only be discussed in general. This is because the noise impacts

associated with the decommissioning phase is normally less than both the construction and

operational phases for the following reasons:

Final decommissioning normally takes place only during the day, a time period when existing

ambient sound levels are higher, generally masking most external noises for surrounding

receptors; and

There is a lower urgency of completing this phase and less equipment remains onsite (and

are used simultaneously) to affect the final decommissioning.

7.10 Blasting Vibration

A blast in an opencast mine typically causes ground vibration, air over-pressure, and fly rock. Ground

vibration is expressed as peak particle velocity (PPV), measured in millimetres per second (mm/s)

and air over-pressure is measured in decibels (dB).

The following criteria, based on international standards, are designed to ensure adequate protection

of sensitive land uses, while permitting the mining operations to be conducted in a practical manner.

The criteria are presented as 95 percentile limits for human comfort in occupied buildings and to

minimise the risk of cosmetic and structural damage to buildings from long term effects of vibration.

Lower limits apply to the night-time period. Critical impacts occur when air blast noise exceeds 140

dBL, generally accepted as the safe threshold for hearing.

7.10.1 Ground Vibration

Humans begin to perceive ground vibration at around 0.12 mm/s PPV, a level significantly lower than

the vibration level where damage may start to occur. The longer a vibration of a given peak velocity

lasts; the more disturbing people will find it. In addition, the longer a vibration lasts, the greater the

probability of it causing damage, all other things being equal. It should be noted that there is no

correlation between vibration complaints and the ground vibration level, as people may start to

complain about vibration even at very low levels.

Chiappetta (2000) and Griffin (1990) defined ground vibration levels for different frequencies as

defined in Table 7-32 and illustrated in Figure 7-21.


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Table 7-32: Human response to ground vibration

Effects on Humans Ground vibration Level (mm/s)

Imperceptible 0.025 – 0.076

Barely perceptible 0.076 – 0.254

Distinctly perceptible 0.254 – 0.762

Strongly perceptible 0.762 – 2.540

Disturbing 2.540 – 7.620

Very disturbing 7.620 – 25.400

Vibration damage probability, as with many other quantities in science, roughly follows an S-shaped

"sigmoid curve", as a function of vibration intensity. Over a range of low vibration intensities, no

houses are damaged. At these low intensities, people may be able to feel the vibration, even though

no visible damage is done. At the highest vibration velocities (intensities), virtually all structures

experiencing the vibration can visibly be damaged. Essentially all the people feeling such a high

intensity vibration will be made distinctly uncomfortable by it.

The USBM RI 8507 standard is generally accepted in South Africa. This standard was developed

through research and available data over a number of years and focus on the protection of structures

from potential damage. It uses an analysis graph that considers vibration amplitudes and frequency

to define the risk of potential structural damage due to ground vibration (See also Figure 7-21). To

minimise complaints from receptors, vibration levels should ideally be kept beneath the “unpleasant”

curve (this is measured from actual blasts).

Figure 7-21: Human vibration sensitivities and potential structural damage compared to the RI

8507 limits


April 2021 205

To avoid damage to buildings, ground vibration levels should be within the “safe” area as highlighted

in Figure 6 1. Information from USBM RI 8507 indicates that 50% of homes will experience "threshold

damage" at a velocity of about 51 mm/s. For "minor" damage, that 50% point is at about 76 mm/s,

while for "major" damage, it is at about 100 mm/s. At the 5% probability level, the PPV for threshold

damage from blasting vibrations is about 18 mm/s, based on the same data (drywall construction).

The OSM and RI 8507 19 mm/s mid-frequency limits are, thus, set at a level which has approximately

a 5% probability of causing damage to a drywall from direct ground vibration.

These limits are developed for different types of structures and materials and highlighted in Table

7-33. This report will use a 25 and 6 mm/s limit for potential sensitive structures. Due to the road

transecting the proposed mining areas, the ground vibration will also be calculated.

Table 7-33: Human response to ground vibration

Material / Structure Ground vibration limit (mm/s)

National Roads / Tar Roads / Railways 150

Electrical Lines 75

Steel pipelines, cement dams 50

Sensitive Plant equipment, mortar and brick house,

boreholes 25

Engineered concrete and masonry (no plaster) 7.62

Sensitive structures, adobe and informal houses 6

Buildings extremely susceptible to vibration damage 3

7.10.2 Air blast

Air blasts can cause discomfort to persons and, at high levels, damage to structures. At very high

levels, it may even cause injury to people. Air blasts could also interact with structures and create

secondary noises which people detect, raising their concern about the blasting activity. While rare,

window breakage may be the result of an air blast. Air blast levels that may result in damage were

estimated by Persson (1994) and Oriard (2002) and is defined in Table 7-34.

Table 7-34: Air blast levels that may result in damage or complaints

Descriptor Acoustic Level (dB)

Air pressure from an 11 m/s wind gust. 110

Annoyance threshold in Australia. Mildly unpleasant. 115

Recommended limit in Australia for sensitive sites. 120

Resonant response of large surfaces (roofs, ceilings). Complaints start. 130

Limit for human irritability. USBM and OSMRE limit. 134

Some windows break. 150

Most windows break. 170

Structural Damage. 180


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7.10.3 Fly-rock concerns

Fly rock is a significant danger to people, equipment and structures with damage due to this being

undeniable. Mines therefore go through significant effort to ensure that the risks from fly rock are

absolutely minimized due to the potential penalties to the mine if fly-rock complaints are registered.

These penalties may be institutional consequences (regulatory directives, fines, legal action) and

monetary compensation. As such there should be no risk of fly rock at structures or where people or

animals may congregate. This is the main reason for the 500m exclusion zone around blasting

activities.

7.10.4 Blasting Impacts

Blasting activities could take place during both the construction (development of initial boxcut) and

operational phase. As this assessment considers the worst-case scenario (large blast) there is no

difference between construction and operational phase blasts.

When a blast is detonated, a great deal of energy is liberated although only 20 – 30% of the energy

used for rock fragmentation and displacing (Aloui, 2016). The rest of the explosive energy is wasted

in the form of ground vibration, air blast and noise as well as fly rocks. Blasting vibration and air blast

levels as well as the potential zone of impact for fly rock can be calculated using the blast design

parameters defined in Table 7-35.

Table 7-35: Blast design – design parameters

Design parameter Optimal Blast Parameters

considering 10m bench height, 150 mm

borehole diameter

Blast Parameters considering 10 m bench height, 110

mm borehole diameter

Blast Parameters considering 10 m bench height, 200

mm borehole diameter

Average depth of borehole (m) 10,00 10,00 10,00

Bench height (m) 10,00 10,00 10,00

Subdrill (m) 0,00 0,00 0,00

Borehole diameter (mm) 150 110 200

Burden (m) 4,0 3,0 5,0

Spacing (m) 5,0 4,0 6,0

Burden stiffness ratio 2,50 3,33 2,00

Stemming Length (m) 3,0 2,5 3,5

Column length (m) 7,00 7,50 6,50

Explosive density (g/cm3) 1,15 1,15 1,15

Explosives per borehole (kg) 142,3 82,0 234,8

Charge mass per meter (kg/m) 20,3 10,9 36,1

Maximum number of blast holes per delay 5,0 5,0 5,0

Maximum explosive per delay (kg) 711,3 409,8 1174,2

Powder Factor (kg/m3) 711,3 409,8 1174,2

Vibration at 500m, one borehole per blast (mm/s) 2,4 1,5 3,6

Vibration at 500m, five borehole per blast (mm/s) 9,1 5,8 13,7


April 2021 207

7.10.4.1 Projected Magnitude of Ground Vibration

The accepted method of a scaled distance is used. This equation mainly uses two constants (initially

assumed until it can be calculated using data from blasts), the quantity of explosives used (in kg)

and the distance from the blast in meters. For any specific blast, distance to the closest PSS is fixed

and cannot be changed with the only parameter that can be changed being the mass of explosives

detonated per instance (per charge).

The larger the explosive mass (per delay), the higher the amplitude of the ground vibration. As such

the amplitude of the ground vibration can be reduced by reducing the mass of the explosives fired at

the same time, or with the appropriate use of delays (using timed blasts) to reduce the mass of

explosives detonated per instance. This is referred to as the “charge per delay mass”.

Therefore, using Equation 1, the potential ground vibration can be calculated for the optimal

estimated blast parameters. Figure 7-22 illustrates the distance from a potential blast (mass per

charge) for various vibration limits.

Potential buffers are illustrated in Figure 8 5 for the optimized blast parameters, indicating the buffer

area where vibration levels of 6 mm/s may impact on people.

Figure 7-22: Ground vibration levels as the distance increase for assumed blast parameters


April 2021 208

Figure 7-23: Required distances to maintain specific vibration levels at certain charge masses

7.10.4.2 Projected Magnitude of Air blast

As discussed in section 5.3, as with ground vibration, the method used to calculate the air blast level

is also based on a scaled distance formula. The USBM formula only consider the mass of explosives

used (in kg) and the distance from the blast in meters where the AS2187.2 method in addition also

use two constants that allow the refinement for site specific conditions. Both the methods were

considered with the USBM being the more pre-cautious method (higher air pressure level at the

same distance than the Australian method).

As can be seen from equation 2, the air blast level can be reduced by reducing the mass of the

explosives fired at the same instance (controlled or timed blasting). The two options (assumed and

optimized blast parameters) will be considered. Using Equation 2, the potential air blast level can be

calculated for the options as indicated in:

Figure 7-24 for the assumed blast parameters using the USBM method; and

Figure 7-25 for the assumed blast parameters using the AS 2187.2 method.

The potential extent of the impact (120 dBA noise limit) is illustrated on an aerial image in Figure

7-28 (the USBM method). As can be seen from these figures and similarly to ground vibration, the

deeper the blasthole, the more explosives are used which would increase the airblast levels

(everything being the same).


April 2021 209

Figure 7-24: Air blast levels as the distance increase for assumed blast parameters using the

USBM method

Figure 7-25: Air blast levels as the distance increase for assumed blast parameters using the

AS2187.2 method


April 2021 210

7.10.4.3 Projected Magnitude of Fly-rock

The different ways that fly rock may be created as well as the methods how it can be calculated. The

explosive mass (per meter) is used in all three formula, with blast design (the burden and stemming

length) playing a very important role. Using these equations, the potential extent of fly rock was

calculated and defined in Table 7-36 with the extent of the risk illustrated on an aerial image on

Figure 7-28. It should be noted, that, even with the best precautions, fly rock will occur and could

travel further than the distances indicated in this report. As such a safety factor is recommended,

which in some cases could be as high as 4 times the maximum throw distance. It is recommended

that the mine at all times use a minimum exclusion zone of 500 m (equipment, people or livestock).

Table 7-36: Type of Fly-rock and potential area of risk

Fly rock type Optimal Blast Parameters considering 10m bench

height, 150 mm borehole diameter

Blast Parameters considering 10 m bench height, 110 mm borehole

diameter

Blast Parameters considering 10 m bench height, 200 mm borehole

diameter

Face bursting 101 m (for a 4 m burden) 96 m (for a 3 m burden) 120 m (for a 5 m burden)

Cratering 214 m (for a 3 m stemming

depth) 154 m (for a 2.5 m stemming


depth)

Rifling 73 m (for a 2.5 m stemming



depth)

7.10.4.4 Potential Decommissioning, Closure and Post Closure Blasting Impact

There is no, or small blasting impact risks once the operational phase is completed. At worst, a small

blast may be required to ensure that the final void highwalls isn’t too steep and dangerous, but the

impact will be less than a typical overburden blast. This risk is significantly lower than construction

and operational blasting and this will not be investigated further.

Figure 7-26: Projected Extent of Blasting Impacts – Potential area where people may respond to

blasting vibration for the optimized blast parameters


April 2021 211

Figure 7-27: Projected Extent of Blasting Impacts – Air blast level for the optimized blast

parameters

Figure 7-28: Projected Extent of Blasting Impacts – Fly rock risks


April 2021 212

7.10.4.5 Significance of Ground Vibration Impacts

The magnitude of the ground vibration levels were calculated and defined with the significance

summarised in Table 7-37 (human response) and Table 7-38 (dangers to structures) of the specialist

report.

Table 7-37: Impact Assessment: Ground vibration impacts (Human Responses)

Acceptable Level Use the level of 2.54 mm/s as the limit for people in the area

Without Mitigation (detonating 5 blastholes

simultaneously for a 711 kg charge per

delay)

With Mitigation (detonating only 1 blasthole at

a time for a 142 kg charge per delay)

Extent

Low (Proximal - 2) Low (Proximal - 2)

Duration

High (Long term – 4) High (Long term – 4)

Severity

Very High (5 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for

BSR 1 and 2)

High (4 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for all

BSRs staying closer than 1,080 m from blast

location)

Medium (3 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for all

BSRs staying further than 1,080 m from blast

location)

Low (2 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for all


location)


BSR 1 and 2)

Medium (3 – for a 142 kg charge per delay for all


location)

Frequency

High (Weekly – 4) High (Weekly – 4)

Probability

Highly Probable (5 - BSR 1 and 2)

Probable (4 - BSRs staying closer than 1,080 m

from blast location)

Possible (3 - BSRs staying further than 1,080 m


Improbable (2 - BSRs staying further than 2,250

m from blast location)

Highly Probable (5 - BSR 1 and 2)

Possible (3 - BSRs staying further than 483 m


Significance of

Impact

Medium-High (99) (BSR 1 and 2)

Medium-High (80) (BSRs staying closer than

1,080 m from blast location)

Medium-High (99) (BSR 1 and 2)

Significance of

Impact

Low-medium (63) (BSRs staying further than

1,080 m from blast location)

Low-medium (63) (BSRs staying further than

483 m from blast location)

Reversibility High High

Degree of Confidence Medium-high

Mitigation:

Mitigation required to ensure the significance is at least low-medium and can include:

- It is recommended that BSR 1 and 2 be relocated once blasting (any blasting activity where more

than 100 kg are detonated per delay) must take place within 500 m from these receptors;

- This report must be updated if the blast design is changed where more than 750 kg explosives are

detonated per delay.

- Blast monitoring to take place at representative locations once blasting have to take place within

1,000m from occupied dwellings (dwellings used as offices or residential);

- Blasts vibration levels to be calculated for each blast to take place within 1,000 m from any

occupied structure. The blast should be controlled (charge per delay) to ensure a vibration level

less than 2.54 mm/s at these structures;

- The Mine must consider the location of closest residents to the planned blast and reduce the

charge per delay to less than 400 kg when blasting within 810 m from any structure that may be

occupied during a blast;

- The local community members must be notified of times when blasts will be undertaken and the

community must know that the potential impact of vibration was assessed.

Table 7-38: Impact Assessment: Ground vibration impacts (Damage to residential structures

in area)


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Acceptable Level Use the level of 6 mm/s as the limit for informal houses in local community



delay)



Extent Low (Proximal - 2) Low (Proximal - 2)

Duration High (Long term – 4) High (Long term – 4)

Severity


structures located at BSS 1 and 2)

Medium (3 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for

structures at BSS located further than 1,080 m



structures located at BSS 1 and 2)

Medium (3 – for a 142 kg charge per delay)

Frequency


Probability

Possible (3 - BSSs 1 and 2)

Improbable (2 – All BSS located further than 642

m from blast location)

Highly Improbable (1)

Significance of

Impact

Medium-high (77) (BSSs 1 and 2) Low (54) (BSSs 1 and 2)

Significance of

Impact Low (54) (all other BSS) Low (54) (all other BSS)


Degree of

Confidence Medium-high

Mitigation:

It is recommended that BSR 1 and 2 be relocated once blasting (any blasting activity where more than

100 kg are detonated per delay) must take place within 500 m from these receptors;

Mitigation relating to potential structural vibration damage is not required for structures (located further

than 500 m from a blasting activity) as mitigation required to minimise human response (Error! R

eference source not found.) to blasting will be sufficient. It is however recommended that the mine

undertake a Crack Survey before mining (with blasting activities) start.

The local community members must be notified of times when blasts will be undertaken and the

community must know that the potential impact of vibration was assessed.

Table 7-39: Impact Assessment: Ground vibration impacts (Damage to Tar Road transecting

area)

Acceptable Level Use the level of 150 mm/s as the limit for roads and railway line in area, with a potential

blast (based on the setback buffer of 50 m as reported).

Without Mitigation (detonating 5

blastholes simultaneously for a 711 kg

charge per delay)

With Mitigation (detonating only 1

blasthole at a time for a 142 kg charge per

delay)

Extent Low (Proximal - 2) Low (Proximal - 2)

Duration


Severity

Very High (5 – for a 711 kg charge per

delay) High (4 – for a 142 kg charge per delay)

Frequency

(Error! Reference s

ource not found.)


Probability

Possible (3) Improbable (2)


April 2021 214

Significance of

Impact

Medium-high (77) Low (60)


Degree of

Confidence Medium-high

Mitigation:

Mitigation required to ensure the significance is at least low-medium and can include:

- The road must be temporary closed when blasting is to take place within 500 m from the

road;

- Blasts vibration levels to be calculated for each blast to take place within 500 m from the

tar road. The blast should be controlled (charge per delay) to ensure a vibration level

less than 150 mm/s at this road. Blast vibration levels should be measured at the road

once blasting is to take place closer than 200 m from this road;

7.10.4.6 Significance of Air Blast Impacts

The magnitude of the air blast levels were calculated and , defined with the significance summarised

in Table 7-40.

Table 7-40: Impact Assessment: Fly rock Risks

Acceptable Level Use the level of 120 dB as the limit for people in the area



delay)



Extent

Low (Proximal - 2) Low (Proximal - 2)

Duration


Severity

High (4 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for BSR

1 and 2)

Low (2 – for a 711 kg charge per delay for all

BSRs staying further than 500 m from blast

location)

Very Low (1 – for a 142 kg charge per delay)

Frequency


Probability

Highly Probable (5 – All BSR within 2,000 m due

to sensitivity to blasting and the loud magnitude

of the blast)

Highly Probable (5 – All BSR within 2,000 m due

to sensitivity to blasting and the loud magnitude of

the blast)

Significance of

Impact Medium-high (90) (BSR 1 and 2) Medium-high (90) (BSR 1 and 2)

Significance of

Impact Low-Medium (72) Low-Medium (63)


Degree of Confidence Medium-high

Mitigation:

Mitigation not required, although it should be noted that:

- Mine should initiate a forum to inform the close residents about the likely vibration and air blast

levels, the proposed blasting schedule and warning methodology the mine will employ before a

blast as well as a warning to residents that, when they are indoors during a blast, vibration of

windows and ceilings may appear excessive.

- Mine to erect blasting notice boards in the area with blasting dates and times highlighted.

- Mine to prevent blasting in adverse meteorological conditions where possible (overcast conditions,

strong wind blowing in direction of local community, early in the mornings or late in the afternoon).

7.10.4.7 Closure and Decommissioning Phase Impacts

No drilling and blasting are expected during the closure and decommissioning phase.


April 2021 215

7.11 Visual Aspects

7.11.1 Theoretical Visibility

The level of theoretical visibility (LTV), defined as the sections of the study area from which the

proposed project or its constituent elements may be visible, was determined by means of a viewshed

analysis based on:

Estimated heights of mining infrastructure elements; and

A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) developed from 1m contour lines and Geographic

Information System (GIS) software with three-dimensional topographical modelling

capability.

7.11.2 Construction

The potential for a daytime visual impact during the construction phase is expected to be associated

mainly with the erection of infrastructure, such as the Coal beneficiation plant on and with the

generation of dust due to the vegetation clearing and excavation activities and vehicles travelling

over unpaved surfaces. The night-time visual impact will be due to security lighting at the construction

site and the headlights of vehicles. The impact is assessed as one of moderate (SP = 70)

significance and it can be reduced to moderate (SP = 50) significance by implementing the following

mitigation measures:

Installing motion-activated lighting that is directed downwards and inwards towards the site;

Fitting security lighting with ‘blinkers’ or specifically designed fixtures, to direct light

downwards while preventing side spill;

Limiting vehicle movement at night;

Dust suppression with water or chemicals; and

Placing a sufficiently thick layer of crushed rock or gravel at vehicle and machinery parking

areas.

7.11.3 Operation

The operational phase will involve earth-moving and night-time operations on a larger scale than the

construction phase and the visual impact will increase annually with the growth of the opencast pits,

WRDs and TSF. The operational phase has the potential to create a visual impact of high (SP = 80)

significance, which can be mitigated to one of moderate (SP = 60) significance by;

Dust suppression with water or chemicals;

Avoiding up-lighting of structures by rather directing lighting downwards and focussed on the

area to be illuminated;

Directing fixed lighting downwards and inwards towards the site, and not towards residential

receptors or roads;

Leaving as much natural vegetation in place as possible; and

Erecting screens where practicable;

To reduce the visual intrusion of the buildings, roofing and cladding material should not be

white or shiny (e.g. bare galvanised steel that causes glare);


April 2021 216

Painting offices and workshop buildings in colours that are complementary to the surrounding

landscape, such as olive green, light grey, grey-green, blue-grey, dark buff, rust, ochre,

variations of tan etc.;

Utilising construction materials that have matt textures where practical;

Retaining existing trees wherever possible, as they already provide valuable screening;

Planting indigenous trees in all landscaped areas, as well as around plant infrastructure to

break structural form and provide visual screens;

Landscaping, using indigenous plants and water-wise methods where practical, to improve

the overall appearance of the mine;

Shaping the waste rock dumps and TSF to have rounded, more natural looking edges; and

Progressively vegetating the inactive slopes of the TSF, enviro bund and waste rock dumps

as far as practicable.


The activities will be similar to those undertaken during the construction phase, but they will be of

shorter duration (6 to 9 months). The plant and most other structures will be removed, but the waste

rock dumps and TSF will remain as visually intrusive man-made remnants of the operational phase.

Accordingly, the closure and rehabilitation phase will have visual elements from both preceding

phases coming into play. The visual impacts are therefore expected to be of moderate (SP = 60)

significance without mitigation. They can be reduced to moderate (SP = 55) significance by:

Landscaping disturbed areas to restore the original topography as far as practicable;

Shape and profile the residual TSF and waste rock dumps to match the natural land-form /

topography. Distribute topsoil over the TSF and actively revegetate (using grasses) to

establish a vigorous and self-sustaining vegetation cover.

If sufficient topsoil is available, distribute over the waste rock dumps to facilitate natural

vegetation establishment and growth;

Conduct on-going monitoring and maintenance of the rehabilitated areas to ensure that they

establish successfully and that erosion does not occur; and

Continuously assess condition of vegetation cover of rehabilitated areas for adequate cover

density and species composition. Due to the unpredictable nature of vegetation growth the

effectiveness of the re-vegetation will only become apparent after several years. Where

specimens die, grow poorly, or do not effect sufficient coverage, the cause of the problem

should be established and the afflicted specimens replaced, or a more suitable alternative

established, on a case-to-case basis.

7.12 Cultural and Heritage Resources

7.12.1 Construction and Operational Phase

The construction phase will have no (SP = 0) impact on the heritage resources in the project-affected

area, but it is always possible that an unknown grave or other buried cultural/archaeological items

could be unearthed when excavations are being undertaken. In such an event the following chance

find procedure must be implemented to mitigate the potential impact from one of high (SP = 80) to

one of low (SP = 21) significance:

Cease all work in the immediate vicinity of the find;


April 2021 217

Demarcate the area with barrier tape or other highly visible means;

Notify the South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA) immediately;

Commission an archaeologist accredited with the Association for Southern African

Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) to assess the find and determine appropriate

mitigation measures. These may include obtaining the necessary authorisation from SAHRA

to conduct the mitigation measures; and

Prevent access to the find by unqualified persons until the assessment and mitigation

processes have been completed.

Table 7-41: Operational Phase

Impacts and Mitigation measures relating to the proposed project during Operational Phase

Activity/Aspect

Impact / Aspect

Na

ture

Ma

gn

itu

de

Exte

nt

Du

rati

on

Pro

bab

ilit

y Significa

nce before mitigation

Mitigation measures

Ma

gn

itu

de

Exte

nt

Du

rati

on

Pro

bab

ilit

y

Significance after mitigation

Clearing and construction

Destruction of archaeological remains

Cultural heritage

- 4 1 4 5 45

· Mitigation not required because the study did not record any confirmable sites 4 1 2 2 14

· Use chance find procedure to cater for accidental finds

Disturbance of graves

Cultural heritage

- 6 1 4 5 55

· Burial sites must be plotted and clearly marked.

4 2 4 3 36

· Burial sites must be protected/barricaded to avoid accidental damage during mining activities

· Landowners/custodians must be informed about the potential impacts of the mining development,

· Custodians must be involved in any mitigation work to their family burial sites.

Disturbance of buildings and structures older than 60 years old

Operational

- 6 2 3 4 44

· Buildings and structures older than 60 years must not be altered/destroyed without a permit from PHRA

4 1 2 2 14

· Buildings and structures older than 60 years must be mapped and protected.

· Mine management and workers must be educated about the value of historical buildings and structures.

Mining and haulage

Destruction public monuments and plaques

Operational

- 2 1 1 1 4

· Mitigation is not required because there are no public monuments within the mining right application site

2 1 1 4 Low


The closure and rehabilitation phase will have no (SP = 0) impact on any identified cultural and

heritage resources and no mitigation measures are required.


April 2021 218

7.13 Socio-economics

The proposed project will create employment and business opportunities for residents in the vicinity

of Dannhauser, but also further afield.

7.13.1 Construction

The total capital expenditure over the first ten years, including replacement capital, is estimated at

R 104 million, of which R26 million will be spent within the first five years. In the region of 70% of this

amount would be spent on equipment and materials sourced from outside the Dannhauser Local

Municipality.

Most of the work would likely be undertaken by one or more contractors from the larger centres. If

they need to hire local labour, it would probably be a relatively small number.

It is possible that some local residents may be inconvenienced by noise, dust and increased traffic

during the construction period. The influx of contract workers into the area will result in a temporary

increase in the local population, which could place a burden on municipal services and create the

potential for friction with local residents. An influx of work seekers is also possible, but the numbers

are likely to be small, as the construction contractors would be able to source such additional staff

as they might need from the local population.

Considering the above potential positive and negative impacts in combination and within the context

of the current, pre-project environmental and social conditions of this report, the overall impact could

be negative of low (SP = 21) significance, which could be changed to one of positive and moderate

(SP = +36) significance by implementing the following mitigation measures:

Use of local contractors where practicable;

Encouraging the use of local labour and the purchase of local goods, materials and

services by contractors;

Implementing mitigation measures described above;

Including local community skills development as part of the mine’s social and labour plan

(SLP);

Undertaking a comprehensive crack survey of all built structures within 2 km before a first

blast at any given location;

Maintaining communication and consultation with local residents, with particular reference

to:

▪ Blasting times;

▪ Noise and vibration disturbance at sensitive receptors, especially the nearest

residences;

▪ Air quality in the areas surrounding the site;

▪ Traffic impacts on feeder roads in the vicinity; and

▪ Visual aspects, such as visible dust during the day and lighting at night.

Implementing a system to receive, record and respond to complaints, investigating and

resolving all complaints as speedily as possible; and

Including local community skills development as part of the mine’s social and labour plan

(SLP).


April 2021 219

7.13.2 Operation

The operational phase will provide employment for about 50 people and the wage bill will be about

R18 million per annum. Given the levels of unemployment, the age distribution and the level of

education of the local population, it is expected that about 75% of the workforce could potentially be

sourced from within the Dannhauser Local Municipality (DLM).

Operational cost is projected at about R164 million in the first year of production and R260 million

per annum under steady state conditions by the 7th year.

Ericure will introduce a human resource development scheme with the following objectives:

To advance and improve mining related skills;

To facilitate entry and successful performance of HDSAs in mining related study disciplines;

and

To provide an education programme that will:

▪ Promote a culture of learning at primary and secondary high schools;

▪ Improve the quality of teaching, particularly mathematics, science and English at

primary and high schools;

▪ Raise awareness of mining related careers among high school learners;

▪ Improve possibilities for HDSA's admission to mining related study disciplines at tertiary

institutions and to successfully complete studies once admitted; and

▪ Enhance and maintain high academic standards in mining related disciplines in tertiary

institutions.

From the above, the mine may be expected to have a significant positive socio-economic impact on

the DLM, but there will also be negative social impacts such as:

Increased traffic on local roads

The project footprint forms part of a beautiful natural landscape with a unique sense of place,

which will be degraded on a local scale by the visibility of the mining activities and

infrastructure;

Some receptors may experience intrusive noise levels, especially at night

Some receptors may experience nuisance vibration levels and noise during blasts, and some

may feel concerned about the possibility of damage from fly rock;

Potential for development of informal settlements due to an influx of job seekers and traders

and an increase in social pathologies such as crime, substance abuse and prostitution.

Taking all of the above factors into consideration, the potential socio-economic impact of the

proposed coal mine is assessed as being positive with moderate (SP = +39) significance. The

following measures are recommended to enhance the positive impact to one of moderate (SP =

+60) significance:

Implement all the mitigation measures described in the rest of section Error! Reference s

ource not found. above;

Maintain communication and consultation with local residents, with particular reference to:

▪ Blasting times;


April 2021 220

▪ Noise and vibration disturbance at sensitive receptors, especially the nearest

residences;

▪ Air quality in the areas surrounding the site;

▪ Traffic impacts on feeder roads in the vicinity; and

▪ Visual aspects, such as visible dust during the day and lighting at night.

Undertake a comprehensive crack survey of all built structures within 2 km before a first blast

in each of the two opencast mining areas;

Monitor sound and vibration for each blast;

Maintain the complaints procedure and complaints register. Investigate and resolve all

complaints as speedily as possible;

Employ local people as far as practicable;

Monitor the human resource and local economic development plans described in the social

and labour plan regularly and adapt as and when necessary to improve the outcome; and

Purchase materials, goods and services locally as far as practicable.


The negative impact of the loss of jobs and the sharp reduction of local expenditure at mine closure

will be countered over time by the rehabilitation of the mined out areas. Considering the significant

role that the mine will play in the local economy, the overall impact is assessed as negative and of

high (SP = 75) significance. The following mitigation measures are recommended to change it to a

negative impact of moderate (SP = 44) significance:

Proactive skills development and training of employees to enhance their value in the labour

market and thereby their chances of finding employment after mine closure;

Development of a retrenchment plan in consultation with employees, starting at least five

years before closure;

Assisting redundant employees to find alternative employment as far as practicable;

Focusing specifically on sustainable community projects in the SLP, i.e. projects that will

remain viable without continued support from Ericure;

Leaving intact such infrastructure as can be used by local communities, after consultation

with the communities;

Diligent application of the rehabilitation plan as set out in the mine’s closure plan and as

recommended;

Monitoring the results of land rehabilitation for at least five years after closure or until the

vegetation has become demonstrably self-sustaining.


April 2021 221

8.0 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

8.1 Construction Phase

The below summarises those impacts directly related to the Construction Phase of the proposed

project, and provides a significance rating for each impact before and after mitigation.

Table 8-1: Environmental Impact Assessment Matrix for the construction phase of the

proposed Coal mine.

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: CONSTRUCTION PHASE

ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE

Before mitigation After mitigation

M D S P SP Rating M D S P SP Rating

1. Geology

Construction of plant and infrastructure will have negligible impact on geology. Development of mine access ramps will permanently remove limited quantity of ore and overburden

2 5 1 5 40 Mod 2 5 1 5 40 Mod

2. Air Quality

Site preparation, earthworks and transport will cause mobilisation of particulates and emission of exhaust gases

2 2 1 4 20 Low 2 2 1 4 20 Low

3. Topography

Construction of PCD dams, diversion berms and dirty water collection channels

6 4 1 5 55 Mod 6 4 1 5 55 Mod

4. Soils, land capability and land use

Loss of soil by erosion, contamination with cement and organic chemical substances

4 3 1 4 32 Mod 3 2 1 3 18 Low

5. Ecology: fauna and flora

Removal of vegetation and topsoil on site and disturbance of fauna.

8 4 1 5 65 Mod 6 4 1 5 55 Mod

6. Waste management

Poor waste management could cause soil contamination by hydrocarbons, chemicals, cement

8 2 1 4 44 Mod 4 2 1 2 14 Low

7. Surface water and drainage

Potential for pollution due to runoff contaminated by silt and accidental spillage of hydrocarbons and chemicals

8 4 1 5 65 Mod 6 3 3 3 36 Mod

8. Groundwater

Contamination through spillages and poor sanitation practices by construction workers

8 2 3 4 52 Mod 4 2 1 2 14 Low

9. Noise

Impact will be limited by distance, existing noise levels at NSAs and relatively short construction period

4 4 2 1 10 Low 4 4 2 1 10 Low

10. Blasting and Vibration

Blasting is unlikely to be required during the construction phase

0 0 1 0 0 None 0 0 1 0 0 None

11. Visual aspects

Visible structures, dust and movement of construction vehicles. Security lighting and vehicles at night

10 2 2 5 70 Mod 6 2 2 5 50 Mod

12. Traffic

Construction traffic volumes similar to operational phase, will not reduce LoS at intersections along transport route.

4 2 2 4 32 Mod 2 2 2 4 24 Low

13. Cultural and Heritage


April 2021 222

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: CONSTRUCTION PHASE




There will not be any construction on the area where the heritage resources occur and hence no impacts are expected

0 0 0 0 0 None 0 0 0 0 0 None

Impacts will occur only if human remains or artefacts are unearthed during earthmoving operations

10 5 1 5 80 High 4 2 1 3 21 Low

14. Socio-economics

Creation of employment opportunities and local spend on goods, materials and services, but work seekers may also come in conflict with locals and place burden on services and construction activities can inconvenience local residents

2 2 3 3 21 Low 4 2 3 4 36 Mod

SP >75 Indicates high environmental significance An impact which could influence the decision about whether or not to proceed with the project regardless of any possible mitigation.

SP 30 – 75 Indicates moderate environmental significance An impact or benefit which is sufficiently important to require management, and which could have an influence on the decision unless it is mitigated.

SP <30 Indicates low environmental significance Impacts with little real effect and which should not have an influence on or require modification of the project design.


8.2 Operational Phase

Table 8-2: Environmental Impact Assessment Matrix for the Operational phase of the

proposed Coal mine.

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: OPERATIONAL PHASE




1. Geology

Mining operations will permanently remove all economically viable ore and a limited quantity of waste rock from mining right area

10 5 1 5 80 High 10 5 1 5 80 High

2. Air Quality

Particulate mobilisation from stockpiles, crushers, TSF, and vehicular movement

2 2 1 4 20 Low 2 2 1 4 20 Low

3. Topography

Gradual change as TSF and waste rock pile grow in size

10 5 1 5 80 High 8 5 1 5 70 Mod

4. Soils, land and capability and land use

Potential for soil contamination due to spillages of hydrocarbons, hydraulic fluids and process chemicals, and seepage from TSF and WRDs

4 3 1 4 32 Mod 3 2 1 3 18 Low

5. Ecology: fauna and flora

Human presence and noise is likely to keep fauna away from the vicinity of the site. Hunting, trapping or killing of fauna and disturbance of remaining vegetation would reduce biodiversity

6 4 2 5 60 Mod 4 4 2 5 50 Mod

6. Waste management

Mining residues have low potential for mobilisation of contaminants

6 4 2 4 48 Mod 4 4 2 2 20 Low


Potential for pollution of due to leaching of salts and metals from coal stockpiles, waste rock dumps and TSF, also due to runoff contaminated by silt and accidental spillage of hydrocarbons and chemicals

8 4 1 5 65 Mod 6 3 3 3 36 Mod


April 2021 223

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: OPERATIONAL PHASE




8. Groundwater

Pit dewatering will lower groundwater table and blasting may cause contamination with nitrates. Spillages of fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids and chemicals may cause contamination. Low potential for acid formation and mobilisation of contaminants

10 4 3 5 85 High 6 4 2 3 36 Mod

9. Noise

Noise unlikely to cause exceedances of guideline levels, but some receptors will experience intrusive noise

4 4 4 5 60 Mod 1 4 2 5 35 Mod

10. Blasting and Vibration

Receptors may experience annoyance vibrations and air blast effects, but structural damage is unlikely

4 4 3 5 55 Mod 2 4 2 5 40 Mod

11. Visual aspects

Structures and activities will be visible from closest roads and residential areas

10 4 2 5 80 High 6 4 2 5 60 Mod

12. Traffic

Specialist assessment concluded that traffic volumes during operational phase will not reduce LoS at intersections along transport route.

4 2 2 4 32 Mod 2 2 2 4 24 Low


Old Coal mining remnants on the Ngisana and Avalon portion of the farm footprint will be destroyed

10 5 1 5 80 High 8 5 1 5 70 Mod

Impacts will also occur if human remains or artefacts are unearthed during mining operations

10 5 1 5 80 High 4 5 1 5 50 Mod

14. Socio-economics

Operational phase will have adverse impacts on nearest residents, but provide jobs and make a significant contribution to the local economy when mine is at full capacity

6 4 3 3 39 Mod 8 4 3 4 60 Mod


SP 30 – 75 Indicates moderate environmental significance An impact or benefit which is sufficiently important to require management and which could have an influence on the decision unless it is mitigated.



8.3 Closure and rehabilitation Phase

Table 8-3: Environmental Impact Assessment Matrix for the decommissioning and

rehabilitation phase of the proposed Coal mine.

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: CLOSURE AND REHABILITATION PHASE




1. Geology

No impacts on geology 0 5 1 0 0 None 0 5 1 0 0 None

2. Air Quality

Considerations and impacts similar to construction phase, possibly greater due to larger area and eddy effects at TSF and stockpiles

8 2 2 5 60 Mod 4 2 2 3 24 Low

3. Topography

The closure and rehabilitation process will restore some of the original topography, leaving only the TSF and waste rock pile as residual topographical changes

8 5 1 5 70 Mod 6 5 1 5 60 Mod


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POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: CLOSURE AND REHABILITATION PHASE




4. Soils, land use and land capability

Soil impacts on TSF and WRD footprints will be permanent. Elsewhere, mixing of topsoil with subsoil during rehabilitation would have an adverse impact

2 2 2 3 18 Low 2 2 1 2 10 Low

5. Ecology

Incorrect rehabilitation could lead to further ecological degradation on the site.

6 4 2 3 36 Mod 2 4 1 2 14 Low


Erosion of bare surfaces and spillage of waste materials and hydrocarbons from vehicles could cause surface water contamination.

6 3 1 4 40 Mod 2 2 1 5 25 Low

7. Waste Management

Mobilisation of particulates and other contaminants from mining residue deposits

8 4 3 4 60 Mod 4 4 2 2 20 Low

8. Groundwater

Spillage of hydrocarbons and other contaminants. Long term presence of TSF and waste rock has moderate potential for groundwater pollution with sulphate and metals. Changed hydraulic conductivity can make groundwater more susceptible to pollution.

8 4 3 4 60 Mod 4 4 2 2 20 Low

9. Noise

Impact will be limited by distance, existing noise levels at NSAs and relatively short decommissioning period

2 2 2 4 24 Low 2 2 2 2 12 Low

10. Vibration

No blasting, negligible vibration from vehicles and equipment

2 2 2 0 0 Neg 2 2 2 0 0 Neg

11. Visual aspects

Similar activities to construction, but shorter duration. TSF and WRD remain as permanent features

8 5 2 5 75 Mod 4 5 2 5 55 Low

12. Traffic

Significantly less traffic than operational phase, but will have some effect on road safety, wear & tear, driver frustration.

4 2 2 4 32 Mod 2 2 2 4 24 Low


The closure and rehabilitation activities cannot possibly affect any items of archaeological or cultural significance unless earthmoving takes place on areas of the site where no such activities were undertaken during the construction and operational phases. If any such resources are found, the chance find procedure must be followed

0 0 1 0 0 None 0 0 1 0 0 None

14. Socio-economics

Loss of jobs and local spend can be softened by skills training and support for entrepreneurs and proper rehabilitation of disturbed footprint.

8 4 3 5 75 High 6 2 3 4 44 Mod


SP 30 – 75 Indicates moderate environmental significance An impact or benefit which is sufficiently important to require management and which could have an influence on the decision unless it is mitigated.




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9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

9.1 Key findings

The key findings of the environmental impact assessment process are summarised in this section.

9.1.1 Geology

The opencast mining operations will permanently remove the economically viable coal deposit and

associated waste rock from the mining footprints, which constitutes a significant, permanent and

irreversible impact on the local subsurface geology. No mitigation is possible or required.

9.1.2 Air quality

Current air quality in the vicinity of the proposed mine is good with regard to concentrations of all

criteria pollutants. As noted, dispersion modelling indicated that the proposed mining and coal

processing operations would not have a significant cumulative effect on the year-round regional air

quality or the dust fall at off-site locations.

9.1.3 Soil, land use and land capability

The surface operations will disturb the soil and change the current land use on an area of about

311.19 ha. The impact will be cumulative to the existing anthropological impacts on originally pristine

land in the area, which are limited to small areas used for farmsteads, cattle grazing and roads.

However, the project’s impacts are reversible. Proper application of the mitigation measures listed in

above will enable restoration of the land to a condition fit for grazing farming.

9.1.4 Ecology

Disturbance of flora and fauna over an area of at least 311.19 ha for a period of about 20 years will

have a high impact on the biodiversity and ecological function of the affected area and current

migration patterns of fauna for the duration of the project. With proper application of the mitigation

and rehabilitation measures described above, the impact can be reversed over time.

9.1.5 Surface water

Without proper application of the mitigation measures described in section above, the proposed

project has the potential to contaminate down-gradient watercourses with particulates, acid and salts,

which would be cumulative to any existing pollution of industrial, municipal and agricultural origin.

9.1.6 Noise

The noise generated by the opencast mining and coal processing activities will add to the existing

natural and man-made noise levels in the area. Low levels of intrusive noise during the night-time

may be experienced at receptor points when mining takes place. Very low to insignificant intrusive

noise levels are expected at the other receptors. The mitigation measures described in section above

must be applied.

9.1.7 Blasting and vibration

The vibrations due to blasting during opencast mining will be cumulative to the existing vibration

levels due to natural (earth tremors, thunderstorms) and anthropological (vehicles, agricultural

machinery) sources. Appropriate blast design and monitoring, taking into consideration the locations

of off-site structures and the nature of the terrain in between, can keep air blast, fly rock and ground

vibration below levels that would cause damage.


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9.1.8 Visual aspects

Various components of the project will be visible from local roads and residential areas throughout

the life of the mine, especially at night and during dry, dusty conditions in the daytime. The impact

will be cumulative to the existing visual transformation of anthropological origin (farm buildings, power

lines, roads), but the impact can be mitigated as described in the report.

9.1.9 Traffic

As discussed, all of the intersections have sufficient capacity to accommodate the traffic associated

with the project, but the increased traffic could have an adverse effect on road safety, will increase

congestion and wear and tear of the road surface and will occasionally add to the frustration of other

road users. Mitigation measures are also discussed in the report.

9.1.10 Cultural and Heritage Resources

Remnants of past coal mining activities fall within the mining footprint and will be destroyed by the

opencast mining operations, and it is possible that graves or other subterranean heritage resources

could be unearthed during the mining operations. The area is unlikely to contain any fossils, but fossil

finds during earthmoving activities cannot be rule out entirely. Appropriate mitigation measures are

described in the report.

9.1.11 Socio-economic

Landowners in the area surrounding the proposed mine and other tourists are likely to view the

project negatively, but the project will provide jobs and skills training and is likely to make a significant

contribution to the local economy. The report lists measures that can be implemented to enhance

the positive socio-economic impacts. Implementation of the mitigation measures described in the

rest of section of the report will reduce the negative socio-economic impacts.

9.2 Final Site Map

See Figure 2-3.

9.3 Summary of positive and negative implications and risks of proposed activity and alternatives

As described in section of this document, the proposed mining project will, if properly managed, have

a substantial nett positive socio-economic impact within the Dannhauser Local Municipality, and

negative, but acceptable and largely reversible impacts on the local ecology, groundwater, surface

water, visual aspects, sense of place, noise regime, and traffic. The risks include contamination of

soil, surface water and groundwater (mainly via long term generation of acid leachate with low

concentration of metals), road safety and damage to local roads, long term loss of some soil

capability on about 311.19 ha of land and loss of biodiversity.

The risks and their impacts can be minimised by implementation of the recommended mitigation

measures described in section of this report, followed by monitoring the environmental performance

of the project throughout its life and appropriate adjustment of the mitigation measures as and when

necessary.


April 2021 227

10.0 IMPACT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES FOR INCLUSION IN THE EMPR

The impact management objectives and outcomes for the proposed Ericure project at Dannhauser

are as follows:

To maximise the positive and minimise the negative socio-economic impacts;

To capture, contain, treat and recycle all contaminated water arising from the mining and

coal processing operations on site and to prevent the discharge of contaminated water to the

environment;

To minimise acid generation in the mine and in the waste rock dumps;

To prevent the ingress of leachate from the waste rock dump into the soil and groundwater

by appropriate engineering design, construction and management in terms of GN R.633 to

636, or as approved by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS);

To provide local groundwater users who experience lower borehole yields as a result of mine

dewatering with an alternative supply of water where necessary;

To carry out blasting in a manner that will avoid fly rock damage, air blast noise exceeding

120 dB and ground vibration levels with a particle acceleration of more than 12.5 mm/second

at any off-site receptor;

To avoid PM10 concentrations exceeding 75 µg/m3 in the local airshed for reasons of public

health and to avoid exceeding the national standards for ambient air quality that were set by

the publication of Government Notice 1210 in Government Gazette no 32816 on 24

December 2009. Wet suppression will be applied during drilling, after blasting, and on

unpaved areas, and air quality will be monitored;

To shape the rehabilitated surface to be free draining along gentle slopes;

To re-vegetate the surface with a balanced mix of locally indigenous flora that will be suitable

for cattle grazing;

To minimise the safety and congestion impacts of traffic due to the mining operation by

limiting product trucking to daylight hours, strict enforcement of traffic regulations and road

rules, and avoiding trucking during peak hours;

To soften the visual impact of the project by applying the recommended mitigation measures;

and

To maintain cordial relationships with local residents, authorities and other stakeholders via

sustained open communication.

11.0 FINAL PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE

The final preferred site layout as shown in Figure 2-3 was chosen to avoid sterilisation of opencast

minable coal reserves, minimise the coal and waste rock haulage distances from the mine to the coal

processing plant and waste rock dumps respectively, and to minimise the tailings pumping distance.

A site and layout selection process considering all relevant factors was undertaken.

12.0 ASPECTS FOR INCLUSION AS CONDITIONS OF AUTHORISATION

The conditions of authorisation should include:

Adherence to the EMPr in sections 21.0 to 25.0 of this document;


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Bi-annual internal auditing of environmental performance and annual reporting to the DMR;

and

Bi-ennial external auditing of environmental performance and providing the DMR with a

copy of the audit report.

13.0 ASSUMPTIONS, UNCERTAINTIES AND GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE

The EIA/EIA was limited to the scope of the assessment described in detail in sections of this

document.

Information on the coal resources, reserves, projected capital and operating costs, mine life and

production rates was sourced from Ericure’s Mining Work Programme (MWP), which was prepared

in terms of the South African MPRDA. The MWP is based on certain assumptions and information

supplied by Ericure.

Although all effort was made by the Project team to identify all environmental, social and health

aspects, impacts and mitigation measures, errors and omissions may have occurred.

The Environmental and Social Management System that was developed as part of the EIA process

will be a live database that can be adapted and updated should additional information, aspects or

impacts be identified. The objective of the ESMS is for Ericure’s project team to continually improve

environmental and social performance. In addition, according to South African legislation, the EMPr

will need to be updated or amended with new information when there are significant changes during

the life of the project.

Every effort was made to engage stakeholders to the extent possible, however not every stakeholder

may have been consulted, or their comments may not have been recorded accurately. A grievance

mechanism will be put in place through which stakeholders will be able to raise grievances with and

continue to share their concerns and issues with the project team.

14.0 OPINION ON WHETHER THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE AUTHORISED

14.1 Reasons why the activity should be authorised or not

Provided that all the environmental management measures described in the EMPr are applied

diligently, the proposed mining and processing of Coal deposit within the area shown on Figure 2-3

is not expected to have any unacceptable permanent environmental impacts. Authorisation of

Ericure’s application may be justified on the basis of the expected positive socio-economic impacts

over a period of about 20 years and the expectation that the area can be rehabilitated to a condition

fit for its current use, which is farming and residential.

Not granting this authorisation will not necessarily result in the coal reserves remaining in the ground

permanently. As long as there is a demand for coal, coupled with economically viable mineability of

these reserves, there will be a drive to mine them.

14.2 Conditions that must be included in the authorisation

14.2.1 General conditions

Ericure must:

Implement all aspects of the EMPr in section 21.0 of this document;

Comply with all relevant legislation at all times;

Undertake bi-annual internal auditing of environmental performance and annual reporting

to the DMR; and


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Undertake bi-ennial external auditing of environmental performance and provide the DMR

with a copy of the audit report.

14.2.2 Specific conditions

Ericure must:

Capture, contain, treat and recycle all contaminated water arising from the mining and coal

processing operations on site and prevent the discharge of contaminated water to the

environment;

Monitor groundwater levels and quality, and supply groundwater users who experience

lowered borehole yields with an alternative source of water where necessary;

Implement management measures to minimise acid generation in the mine, the waste rock

dump and tailings;

Prevent the ingress of leachate from the waste rock dump into the soil and groundwater by

appropriate engineering design, construction and management in terms of GN R.633 to 636,

or as approved by the DWS;

Undertake blasting in a manner that will avoid fly rock damage, air blast noise exceeding 120

dB, and surface vibrations with a particle acceleration of more than 12.5 mm/second at any

off-site receptor. Blasts must be monitored and the results must be taken into account when

designing subsequent blasts;

Apply wet suppression on unpaved surfaces and during drilling and after blasting, and

monitor air quality in the vicinity of the site; and

Address concerns about traffic safety and congestion due to the mining operation by strict

enforcement of traffic regulations and road rules and by avoiding trucking during peak hours.

14.2.3 Rehabilitation requirements

Ericure must rehabilitate the project- affected area on the surface to a self-sustaining state that is fit

for grazing, by ripping compacted areas, shaping disturbed areas to be free draining, analysing and

ameliorating the soil, revegetating with locally indigenous plants and monitoring until the vegetation

is self-sustaining.

15.0 PERIOD FOR WHICH ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION IS REQUIRED

The planned life of the mine, based on the proven coal reserves, is estimated to be about 20 years,

but continued prospecting may demonstrate additional reserves. To accommodate the time needed

for construction, mine development, production ramp up, closure and rehabilitation, the authorisation

is required for a period of 30 years.

16.0 UNDERTAKING

It is confirmed that the undertaking required to meet the requirements of this section is provided at

the end of the EMPr and is applicable to both the EIA Report and the EMPr.

17.0 FINANCIAL PROVISION

The complete closure plan, without financial amounts, is attached in Error! Reference source not f

ound. to this report. The amounts are confidential, but will be included in the report submitted to the

DMR.


April 2021 230

17.1 Methodology

The closure plan was developed and costed in accordance with GN R.1147 (Regulations Pertaining

to the Financial Provision for Prospecting, Exploration, Mining or Production Operations), which

commenced on 20 November 2015. The approach to the determination of the closure costs can be

summarised as follows:

Background information, including aerial images, layout drawings and technical studies, was

gathered from Ericure;

The battery limits and most likely closure situation were confirmed with Ericure.

Closure costs were determined for the scheduled closure situation only, as this will be a

greenfield project and no site activities have taken place yet. The life of mine was taken as

20 years.

It was assumed that the decommissioned and rehabilitated site will be returned to a state fit

for grazing farming, consistent with the adjacent areas;

It was assumed that a third party contractor would undertake the closing, dismantling and

rehabilitation-related work, i.e. market-related contractor rates were applied, but cost

calculations based on the official DMR rates were also done;

Allowance was made for specialist contractors and consultants to conduct post-closure care

and maintenance work as well as compliance monitoring;

In accordance with the DMR guideline, no cost off-sets due to possible salvage values were

considered and only gross closure costs are reported;

Fixed ratios for Preliminary and General costs were applied in accordance with the DMR

guidelines;

No allowance was made for post closure water treatment, as no information on potential

excess contaminated water make was available;

Allowance was made to shape and level disturbed areas to be free draining and contoured

to combat erosion;

It was assumed that waste rock will consist of coarse and fine material and will therefore be

co-disposed, and that the waste rock dump will have a 1:3 side slope;

It was also assumed that coarse waste rock will be used to build enviro bunds around the

steep parts of the open cast mining voids to minimise the probability of people and animals

falling into the pits, that some of the waste rock will be used to construct waste rock cross

walls (1 m high x 5 m wide, with a slope of 1:2, at 30 m intervals) on the upper surface of the

TSF, that some will be used as cladding on the TSF side slopes, followed by waste rock;

It has been assumed that the tailings storage facility (TSF) will have a slope of no more than

1:5 and that growth medium for the covering of the TSF and the footprint rehabilitation of the

coal stockpile area and other infrastructural areas will have been pre-stripped to a depth of

500 mm as part of mine development. It has also been assumed that this material will be

stockpiled within 1 km from the WRD and TSF for concurrent rehabilitation to be undertaken

as required;

It has been assumed that the coal from the coal stockpiles would have been removed prior

to decommissioning;

It is assumed that demolition waste, such as concrete and building rubble, will be largely

inert and that it will be disposed of on the waste rock dump or at a registered waste site;


April 2021 231

As a precautionary measure it has been assumed that no beneficial reuse of the asphalt

recovered from paved roads is possible and this material has to be safely disposed off-site

at a hazardous waste facility; and

Allowance has been made for care and maintenance as well as surface and groundwater

quality monitoring to be conducted for a minimum period of 5 years to assess success of the

implemented rehabilitation and closure measures.

17.2 Confirmation of method of provision

It is confirmed that the cost of rehabilitation and monitoring is anticipated to be an operating cost

and is provided for as such in the Mining Work Programme (MWP).

18.0 DEVIATIONS FROM APPROVED SCOPING REPORT AND PLAN OF STUDY

There are no deviations from the scoping report and plan of study as submitted to the DMR on 4

September 2020 and accepted by the DMR on 9 November 2020 .

19.0 OTHER INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE DMR

19.1 Impact on socio-economic conditions of any directly affected person

The most directly affected people will be the landowners and occupants of the adjacent farms. The

impacts that they are likely to experience are described in section Error! Reference source not f

ound..

Some landowners in the project area have expressed concern that their property values could be

affected adversely. While it is not possible to predict future property values in a free market, several

studies have found that property values tend to rise in the vicinity of a new mine. It is also likely that

some local residents will benefit from the establishment of the Ericure project by providing the mine

with goods and/or services or being employed by the mine.

19.2 Impact on any national estate

The cultural and heritage specialist found remnants of previous mining activities such as waste

dumps, some of which may be older than 30 years or approaching this age and therefore may be

protected by the National Heritage Resources Act (No 25 of 1999). These remnants would be

destroyed if mining takes place and specialist report.

The remnants will have to be documented by an archaeologist or historical architect who is accredited

by the Association of South African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) and SAHRA would have

to issue a permit to destroy them.

No palaeontological resources are expected in this area, but if any buried heritage resources are

unearthed, the chance find procedures must be applied.

20.0 OTHER MATTERS REQUIRED IN TERMS OF SECTIONS 24(4)(A) AND (B) OF THE NEMA

Section 24(4)(a) (iii) requires that a description of the environment likely to be significantly

affected by the proposed activity be provided. This has been done.

Section 24(4)(a) (iv) requires an investigation of the potential consequences for or impacts

on the environment of the activity and assessment of the significance of those potential


April 2021 232

consequences or impacts. See section 5.0 of this report, where potential impacts were

identified and sections Error! Reference source not found., 8.0 and 9.0, which deal with t

he assessment of the impacts and the formulation of mitigation measures;

Section 24(4)(a) (v) references public information and participation procedures, which have

been dealt with in this report.


April 2021 233

PART B

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME REPORT

21.0 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

21.1 Details of Environmental Assessment Practitioner

The required details have been supplied in PART A, of this document.

21.2 Description of the Aspects of the Activity

See sections 2.5.3 of this document.

21.3 Composite Map

See Figure 2-3 of this document.

21.4 Impact management objectives and statements

21.4.1 Determination of closure objectives

The overall closure objective is to restore the area disturbed by the project activities to condition that

is safe for humans and animals and suitable for game farming and grazing, and to ensure that off-

site environmental quality is not adversely affected by physical effects and chemical contamination

arising from the past mining and coal processing activities. This will be done by:

Leaving the haul roads into the two opencast voids open to provide safe and easy access to

water accumulating in the pits and to discourage more dangerous access across the waste

rock berms (enviro bunds) surrounding the rest of the pit perimeters;

Conducting dedicated soil surveys over the operational footprint area and removing identified

pockets of contaminated soil;

Cleaning up of sources of possible soil contamination still present on the site to protect the

downstream receiving environment;

Shaping the tailings storage facility (TSF) to a whaleback form on the upper surface and side

slopes no steeper than 1 in 5;

Ripping compacted areas and shaping all project-affected areas to be free draining and so

that runoff from the rehabilitated project area is routed to the natural drainage lines;

Spreading stockpiled subsoil and topsoil consecutively on areas from which it had been

stripped, on the upper surface and slopes of the TSF and sparingly onto the waste rock

dumps;

Testing the topsoil and ameliorating/fertilising it appropriately;

Vegetating the site with locally indigenous species of grass, forbs, shrubs and trees;

Monitoring groundwater quality and surface runoff for at least 5 years after closure, longer if

warranted by the results. Target water quality objectives must be based on pre-closure

groundwater and surface runoff quality from the Ericure mine and infrastructure site; and

Providing the required measures to limit at source the generation of contaminants which

could adversely affect local groundwater quality.


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21.4.2 Managing residual environmental impacts

Section Error! Reference source not found. provides a comprehensive description of the expected e

nvironmental impacts and the recommended mitigation measures to be implemented during the

construction, operating and closure phases of the Coal mining project.

Conceivable residual impacts that may become apparent after closure and rehabilitation include:

Surface water and groundwater. As discussed, mining residues are likely to produce

neutral to acid drainage over the long term with concentrations of Mn, Se and Na exceeding

guidelines for irrigation and domestic use and concentrations of Cl, Al, Fe and Hg exceeding

guidelines for domestic use.

Reactions between mining residues, air and water are slow and can take a long time to

manifest. Management of such impacts will require monitoring of the groundwater quality

and surface runoff quality during the life of the mine and for at least 5 years after closure. If

a trend towards significant deterioration of surface water and/or groundwater develops,

appropriate mitigation measures (e.g. interception and treatment of such water) will need to

be implemented.

Soil, land capability and land use. There is a possibility that the soil will not be able to

support the agreed end land use after mining (currently believed to be farming and grazing)

adequately. In that event additional interventions, e.g. sourcing additional topsoil from other

developments in the area and/or treating the soil with lime, compost and fertilizer, may be

indicated;

Terrestrial ecology. If bare patches exceeding 10 m2 develop, the reasons must be

investigated, appropriate actions taken (e.g. treatment or replacement of topsoil), and the

affected areas must be revegetated. A programme to eradicate alien and invader species

must be maintained. These actions must continue until the re-introduced locally indigenous

vegetation has become self-sustaining.

21.4.3 Potential risk of acid mine drainage

As described, mining residues have some potential for acid generation, which has to be managed

appropriately e.g. depositing residues on an engineered class D barrier. Additional measures, such

as liming of residues to provide neutralisation capacity, compaction to prevent ingress of oxygen,

interception and treatment of contaminated water may have to be implemented if AMD does develop.

21.4.4 Volumes and rates of water use

The predicted site water balance under average rainfall conditions from which it may be seen that

water input to the site has been estimated at 60,000 m3/a, of which will represent groundwater inflow

into the opencast pits and runoff channelled from the dirty areas to the pollution control dam. Such

runoff and seepage from the TSF will be recycled as process water. Only clean runoff diverted around

the dirty areas will be discharged to the environment - see description of stormwater management.

21.4.5 Water Use Licence

Section 21 of the NWA lists the water uses for which a water use licence (WUL) is required. It is

expected that the following water uses will be involved at the Ericure mine:

a) taking water from a water resource – Groundwater seeping into the open pit will be pumped

out and used as process water and for dust suppression;

b) storing water – Runoff from mine-affected, waste rock and coal handling areas will be

impounded in a pollution control dam and used as process water and for dust suppression;

and


April 2021 235

g) disposing of waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water resource – The

waste rock dumps and tailings storage facility have low to moderate potential for acid

formation over the long term, but low potential for the mobilisation of metals;

An application for a water use licence will be submitted during the last half of 2021.

21.5 Potential Impacts to be mitigated in their respective phases

The potential impacts and mitigation measures were described in section Error! Reference s

ource not found.. Only those impacts that require mitigation measures are included in this section.

With regard to work outsourced to contractors, e.g. construction, mining, etc. all contracts will contain

clauses committing the contractors and their personnel to adhere to all relevant stipulations of this

environmental management programme (EMPr). The contracts will also contain penalty clauses in

terms of which Ericure will be able to impose fines, recover remediation costs from contractors and

to terminate the contract for specified transgressions


April 2021 236

Table 21-1: Activities and mitigation measures

Activity Phase Size and scale Potential Impacts Mitigation Measures Standards Implementation Timeframe

Construction

Site clearance and construction of liners for WRDs, TSF construction of ore processing plant and supporting infrastructure; Construction of coal processing plant and supporting

infrastructure.

Construction, but footprints of WRDs, TSF will start small

and be expanded as and when required during the

operational phase.

About 311.19 ha will be cleared and some 746.856 m3 of topsoil will be stripped and stockpiled over time.

Loss and degradation of topsoil

To minimise loss of topsoil quantity and quality:

No or minimal loss of topsoil quantity and/or quality

From day 1, through life of project until rehabilitation vegetation established

Limit stockpile heights to 3 metres and slope to 1:4, with rounded top edges;

Vegetate stockpiles with locally indigenous grass of creeping habit.

Removal of vegetation, resulting in destruction of habitat, flight of animals and infestation of weeds and aliens

To minimise loss of habitat and invasion by weeds and alien plants:

Leave as much indigenous vegetation as possible intact;

Clearly demarcate areas to be cleared and clear only as much as necessary at the time;

No weeds, no alien plants.

Implement and maintain an alien and weed control programme.

Mobilisation of particulates

To minimise particulate mobilisation, apply wet suppression, chemical binders on roads, 40 km/h speed limit on unpaved areas.

No visible dust plumes;

Job creation and cash injection into local economy;

To enhance benefits to local residents:

Good relations with local residents

Influx of jobseekers. Apply local procurement and hiring policies;

Discourage influx by proper communication.

Pollution of soil, surface water and groundwater

To minimise pollution of soil, surface water and groundwater:

No change in water quality downstream of site

For duration of construction phase, approximately 36 months

Construct stormwater management system first;

Place HDPE liner over footprint of PCD and class D liners over initial footprints of WRDs and TSF.


April 2021 237


Place drip trays under stationary vehicles;

Do not service or refuel vehicles in field;

Clean spillages up immediately.

Sort waste, store in skips, have removed by reputable recyclers and contractors (for disposal).

Construction traffic can cause congestion, driver frustration, safety issues

To minimise impact of construction traffic on local road users:

No accidents due to construction traffic;

Use reputable contractors who maintain high standards for vehicles and drivers;

No complaints from public.

Schedule traffic to avoid peak hours;

Intrusive noise at off-site receptors

To minimise noise impact on local residents, apply noise abatement measures


Intrusive visual impact

To minimise visual impact on local residents:


Use downward and inwards directed motion-sensitive lighting;


Apply dust control measures.

Destruction of buried cultural & heritage resources

Apply chance find procedures to deal properly with unearthed resources;

Dealing correctly with chance finds.

Operational phase

Mining, Coal processing, mine residue deposition, product removal from site

Operational Footprints of opencast mines (193.89), of heap leach pads, WRDs and TSF will develop and grow.


To minimise loss of topsoil quantity and quality:


During life of project – about 15 years

Limit stockpile heights to 3 metres and slope to 1:4, with rounded top edges;

Vegetate stockpiles with locally indigenous grass of creeping habit.


April 2021 238


Removal of vegetation, resulting in destruction of habitat, flight of animals and infestation of weeds and aliens

To minimise loss of habitat and invasion by weeds and alien plants:

Leave as much indigenous vegetation as possible intact;

Clearly demarcate areas to be cleared; Clear only as much as necessary at the time.

No weeds, no alien plants.




Job creation and cash injection into local economy;

To enhance benefits for local residents:


Influx of jobseekers. Apply local procurement and hiring policies;

Discourage influx by proper communication.


To minimise potential for pollution of soil, surface water and groundwater:


Store fuel, lubricants, harmful and toxic substances in bunded areas and as per MSDS;

Expand footprints of WRDs and TSF as necessary, placing class D liners over footprints;




Manage waste in accordance with Regulations GN R.634 - 636

Project traffic can cause congestion, driver frustration, safety issues

To minimise impacts on local road users:

No accidents due to project traffic;

Use reputable contractors who



April 2021 239


maintain high standards for vehicles and drivers;



To minimise impacts on local residents, apply noise abatement measures.


Ground vibration, air blast will be felt and fly rock may occur within about 500 metres of opencast pits

Ground vibration could cause structural damage;

To minimise impacts on local residents, monitor each blast and design subsequent blasts appropriately

Particle acceleration < 12.5 mm/sec at all receptors;

Air blast could be annoying and cause damage

Air blast < 120 dB at all receptors;


To minimise impacts on local residents:


Apply dust control measures;


Paint buildings in pastel earth colours;

Maintain vegetation screen on perimeter of project area;

Use downward and inwards directed motion-sensitive lighting.

Destruction of buried cultural & heritage resources

Apply chance find procedures to deal properly with unearthed resources;

Dealing correctly with chance finds.

Decommissioning, Closure and Rehabilitation

Coal processing plant will be decommissioned and demolished;

Decommissioning, Closure and Rehabilitation

Project footprint of 311.19 ha plus any adjacent areas that have been disturbed.


To minimise potential for loss or degradation of topsoil:


Until vegetation has become self-sustaining and a lack of surface and groundwater contamination due to the site can be demonstrated – estimated at 10 years

Rip compacted areas, shape disturbed areas to be fee draining, spread topsoil carefully, using light agricultural machinery, fertilise and vegetate with locally indigenous grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees.

Scrap metal will be sold;


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Buildings not left behind for beneficial use by community will be demolished and building rubble will be disposed on WRDs and/or backfilled into opencast voids;




Until sufficient vegetation cover has been established to prevent particulate mobilisation

Topsoil will be spread thinly on Envirobunds, where indigenous grass and tree species will be established;

Loss of jobs and cash injection into local economy.

To minimise socio-economic impacts of closure, develop retrenchment procedures in consultation with staff and equip workers with marketable skills.


During five years prior to cessation of mining,

Compacted areas will be ripped and shaped to be free draining;


To minimise potential for pollution of soil, surface water and groundwater:


Most of the rehabilitation activities will be essentially completed within 6 to 9 months after mining ceases;

Disturbed areas between the WRDs and TSF will be covered with topsoil, fertilised and vegetated with locally indigenous grasses, shrubs, forbs and trees.

Cover remaining open areas of TSF with evapo-transpirative cover of subsoil and topsoil, waste rock cladding on side slopes and cross walls of waste rock on upper surface;

Vegetate with locally indigenous grass of creeping habit;

Monitoring of surface water and groundwater quality will continue until lack of contamination from the site can be clearly demonstrated;


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Cover waste rock;

Patches of contaminated soil must be remedied in situ or removed and disposed at a licensed landfill;

Monitoring of vegetation cover will continue until it has become self-sustaining;

PCD sediment and liners, and any other hazardous waste must be disposed at an appropriately licensed facility;


Monitoring could be required for 5 to 10 years.



Manage waste in accordance with Regulations GN R.634 - 636

Project traffic can cause congestion, driver frustration, safety issues

To minimise impacts on local road users:

No accidents due to project traffic;

Use reputable contractors who maintain high standards for vehicles and drivers;




Apply noise abatement measures to minimise noise impacts on local residents.



To minimise impacts on local residents:


Maintain vegetation screen on perimeter of project area;


Use downward and inwards directed motion-sensitive lighting.


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21.6 Impact Management Outcomes

The impact management objectives and intended outcomes are described in section 10.0 of this

report.

21.7 Impact Management Actions

The predicted environmental impacts, mitigation measures and actions required for effective impact

management throughout all phases of the project are dealt with comprehensively in section 7.0 of

this report.

22.0 SUMMARY OF IMPACT MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING ACTIONS

This section summarises the potential impacts of various aspects of the development in all its stages,

from construction, through operations to eventual decommissioning, closure and rehabilitation,

together with the appropriate mitigation measures to manage the identified impacts. Responsibilities

for implementing the mitigation measures are identified and the frequencies with which the results of

the various measures are to be monitored are stated. The responsibility for monitoring and reporting

the results to the appropriate level of management within Ericure rests with the Environmental

Control Officer (ECO).


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Table 22-1: Mitigation and Monitoring Measures

Aspect (of Activity Service or Product)

Potential impact Objectives Performance Criteria

Mitigation measure(s) Responsible person / party

Time-frame Monitoring Frequency

Monitoring: Results /

Corrective action required (To be completed by SHE Manager)

CONSTRUCTION PHASE

Geology Construction of access roads and infrastructure for ore processing and handling will disturb only topsoil and subsoil

No unnecessary disturbance of geology

Removal of necessary topsoil and subsoil only

None required ECO appointed by Ericure, Contractors

Duration of Construction Activities – approximately 36 months

Weekly

Air Quality Dust fall, PM10 and exhaust fumes

To remain within national standards at mine perimeter and at sensitive receptors

No exceedances of standards attributable to project

Wet suppression to ensure absence of visible dust;

ECO appointed by Ericure, Contractors


PM10, SOx & NOx weekly, dust fall monthly

Enforcement of low vehicle speeds on unpaved roads (< 40 km/h); and

Monitoring of natural re-vegetation of disturbed areas with locally indigenous grass species.

Chemical binders such as Dustex or Dust-A-Side to be considered for unpaved roads;

Dust fall to be monitored by dust collection buckets located downwind of construction area. Monitoring in accordance with SANS 2004.

Topography Minor changes due to construction of PCD basin, topsoil stockpile and diversion berms

To avoid unnecessary topographical changes

No unnecessary topographical changes

None required ECO appointed by Ericure, Contractors


Weekly inspection

Soils, land capability and land use

Degradation of quality due to mixing with subsoil;

To maintain quality of topsoil until it is needed for rehabilitation

No deterioration in topsoil quality

Careful stripping and stockpiling to avoid mixing of topsoil and subsoil;



Weekly inspection

Loss of topsoil due to water and wind erosion;

Limiting the stockpile height to 3 metres and the slope to 1 in 4, and rounding the top edges;

Contamination with hydrocarbons and hydraulic fluids; and

Keeping the stockpile moist;


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Colonisation of topsoil stockpile by weeds.

Vegetating the stockpile with locally indigenous grass species; and

Regular weeding.

Ecology Stripping of vegetation will destroy habitat and disturb fauna on the site.

To limit vegetation stripping and disturbance of fauna to the minimum necessary

No unnecessary ecological impact

If protected species occur on project area, obtain permits for their destruction or relocation;



Weekly inspection

Minimise and clearly demarcate area to be stripped;

Stripped vegetation will be composted and/or chipped to serve as mulch during rehabilitation;

Store fuel, lubricants and harmful or toxic substances in bunded areas, or as stipulated by relevant MSDS;

Implement emergency spillage containment and clean-up plan;

Implement monitoring and control programme for exotic species;

Prohibit the destruction, harvesting, handling, poisoning and killing of fauna and flora on land under Ericure’s control; and

Mine employees and contractors will be made aware of the presence of, and rules regarding, flora and fauna through suitable induction training and on-site signage.

Waste management Most construction waste will be inert, but would include fuel, lubricants, paint, cement, solvents and other chemicals. If stored or discarded on open ground, such waste will cause soil contamination and possibly groundwater pollution

To store waste in a non-polluting manner.

No pollution caused by construction wastes

Sort wastes and store in separate skips or other containers;



Weekly inspection


Have non-recyclable wastes removed by reputable contractors for disposal at appropriately licensed landfills

Surface Water Erosion, silt in local watercourses

No erosion Construct water and waste management systems first;


Duration of Construction

Weekly inspection


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Potential spillage of hydrocarbons and chemicals

Avoid erosion and pollution of watercourses

No change in SW quality,

No construction work within 50 metres of any floodlines;

Activities – approximately 36 months

Place drip trays under vehicles parked > 3 hours;

Service vehicles in workshop, not in field;

Store new and used oils in bunded areas sized for 110% of volume of largest container;

If in-field refuelling is done, it must be done in a designated dirty area and a spill kit and clean-up team must be available on site;

Spillages must be cleaned up immediately and contaminated soil must either be remediated in situ or disposed of at an appropriately licensed landfill site;

Provision of adequate sanitation facilities in the form of chemical toilets that are serviced regularly;

Potentially contaminating wastes (empty containers for paint, solvents, chemicals, etc.) and cement will be stored in bunded areas until removed by a reputable contractor for disposal at an appropriately licensed site;

Providing environmental awareness training for workers on site

Hazardous or toxic substances will be stored securely and their use controlled; and

MSDSs of all chemicals will be available and accessible.

Groundwater Contamination of soil and groundwater through spillages of fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids and chemicals such as solvents, degreasers and cement, and poor

No deterioration in groundwater quality.

No complaints from groundwater users;

Sampling of monitoring boreholes in the vicinity of the construction site;



Quarterly sampling and analysis of boreholes in project area


Quarterly monitoring of the boreholes with regard to water levels and water quality

Apply measures listed above for surface water.


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sanitation practices of construction workers.

Noise Noise from general construction activities.

To avoid intrusive noise levels at sensitive receptors

No intrusive noise levels experienced by sensitive receptors

Limiting the noisiest construction activities to daytime hours (06h00 to 22h00);



Once, during noisiest construction activities, thereafter upon receiving complaints

Noise and air blast if use of explosives required

To reduce air overpressure at sensitive receptors as much as practically possible

No complaints from local residents

Using equipment with lower sound power levels where possible;

Installing suitable mufflers on engine exhausts and compressor components;

Keeping construction vehicles and equipment in good repair;

Construction vehicles will be equipped with reverse alarms that emit lower frequencies or white noise;

Where necessary, stationary noisy equipment will be encapsulated in acoustic covers, screens or sheds;

Installing vibration isolation for mechanical equipment;

Re-locating noise sources to areas which are less noise sensitive, to take advantage of natural shielding and distance from receptors;

Implementing a system to receive, record and respond to complaints;

Liaison with local residents on how best to minimise the impact of unavoidable noisy construction activities on noise sensitive receptors;


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Machines in intermittent use will be shut down or throttled down to a minimum whenever possible;

In general, construction activities must meet the noise standard requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No 85 of 1993); and

Construction staff working in areas where the 8-hour ambient noise levels exceed 75dBA must wear hearing protection equipment.

Blasting and Vibration No blasting expected during construction phase

If blasting does take place, to avoid injury or damage from fly rock and structural damage from air blast or ground vibration

No injury or damage from fly rock;

Blast mats will be used where necessary to minimise possibility of off-site fly rock injury or damage;



Vibration and air blast measurements at potentially vulnerable structures during every vulnerable blast

No structural damage from air blast or ground vibration

Blasts will be designed so that:

- Ground vibration levels do not exceed 12.5 mm/s at off-site structures; and

- Air over-pressure does not exceed 134dB at the blast and 70dB at any of the sensitive receptor sites

Vibration and air over-pressure will be monitored at potentially sensitive areas;

Blasting times must be communicated to local residents;

Standard pre-blast safety procedures must be followed to ensure that nobody is present within a 500 metre buffer radius around the blast;

Apply correct design relationship between burden, spacing and hole diameter;


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Ensure that maximum instantaneous charge is optimized by reduction in the:

- Number of holes per detonator delay interval;

- Instantaneous charge by in-hole delay techniques;

- Blast hole depth and diameter;

Be aware of human sensitivity to blast noise and vibration;

The design of the blast should be in line with the blast design chart

Visual Vehicle movement and activities on site will be visible to local residents and travellers, especially if dust plumes develop. Security lighting and vehicle lights will be visible at night. Visibility will increase during the construction period as the taller structures are erected

To minimise intrusive and annoying visual impacts

No complaints about visual impact

Leave maximum possible screening vegetation between site and potential receptors;



Ad hoc visual observation

Maintain construction site in a neat and orderly condition;

Create designated areas for material storage, waste sorting and temporary storage, batching and other potentially intrusive activities;

Limit physical extent of areas cleared for material laydown and parking of vehicles and rehabilitate as soon as feasible;

Apply sufficient wet suppression to ensure absence of visible dust;

Cover unpaved roads and parking with a layer of crushed rock or gravel, or treat with chemical dust suppressants such as Dustex or Dust-A-Side;

Direct lighting at activities and away from viewshed points;

Use motion-activated security lighting along the site perimeter that is directed downwards and inwards towards the site; and


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Establish a dust bucket system around the site perimeter to monitor dust fall.

Cultural and Heritage Damage to old buildings and structures on area associated with past mining activities

Have identified remnants of past mining activities properly documented by a SAPA accredited an archaeologist or historical architect;

Correct documentation submitted and permit issued by SAHRA.

If graves or other buried resources are unearthed:



Quarterly progress evaluation

Correct procedures in place to deal with chance finds of buried resources;

- Cease all work in immediate vicinity of find;

Damage to buried resources

Apply to SAHRA for a permit to destroy the early mining remnants;

- Demarcate area with barrier tape or other highly visible means;

No damage to buried resources;

- Notify South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA) immediately;

Chance find procedures in place;

- Commission an archaeologist accredited with Association for Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) to assess find and determine appropriate mitigation measures.; and

- Prevent access to find by unqualified persons until assessment and mitigation processes have been completed.


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Traffic Increase in traffic may affect road safety adversely, increase congestion and wear and tear of the road surface and add to frustration of other road users

To maximise road safety, and minimise congestion and frustration

No increase in accident rate due to project vehicles;

Use only reputable contractors; ECO appointed by Ericure, Contractors


Weekly inspection

No complaints Require contractors to:

- Keep their vehicles in good condition;

- Use properly licensed and skilled drivers;

- Monitor adherence to traffic regulations;

- Take effective measures to avoid driver fatigue;

Monitor drivers for use of alcohol and other substances that could impair judgment and driving ability;

- Ensure that loads on trucks are properly secured during transport;

Schedule arrival and departure of heavy vehicles to avoid morning and afternoon peak hours; and

Record and respond to all complaints.

Socio-economics Capex of about R104 million, jobs for about 100 construction workers;

Maximise benefits to and minimise adverse impacts on local population.

Maximum practicable local hiring and cash injection into local economy;

Implement policy of maximum practicable local hire and spend;



Fortnightly

Friction with local residents;

Inconvenience of noise, dust, traffic, visual impact;

No complaints about adverse impacts;

Implement complaints procedures, record all complaints and resolve them expeditiously

Good relations with local residents.


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Dangerous activities Worker safety To maintain safe work practices in a safe environment and to avoid personnel injuries and damage to assets

Documentation of all unplanned incidents and achievement of target safety performance statistics

Toolbox talks/staff briefing sessions; ECO appointed by Ericure, Contractors

Duration of Mining Activities, all phases

Weekly

Site workers training programme;

Training in the use and handling of equipment.

OPERATIONAL PHASE

Geology Removal of waste rock and economically viable coal from the opencast mine and footprint of the underground mine, leaving unmined pillars for roof support

Leave adequate pillars for roof support;

Stable side slopes and roof, no goaphing;

Mine planning must be based on adequate prospecting boreholes and mine modelling, taking into account specialist studies on rock mechanics and geotechnical stability of opencast side slopes and roof of underground mine

Ericure mining engineers, SHE Manager

Duration of Operational phase (about 22 years)

Avoid mining unnecessary rock

Air Quality Key emissions will be PM10, PM2.5 and dust fall arising from opencast drilling, blasting and loading, waste rock transport and deposition, Coal stockpiling and crushing, of waste rock and dust entrainment by the wheels of heavy trucks.

Minimisation of emissions

No exceedances of standards attributable to project

Wet suppression during drilling, blasting, loading and hauling operations;

ECO appointed by Ericure


Exhaust emissions from trucks transporting coal will contribute PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and CO

Underground scrubbing of air before its release via the vent shafts;

Reducing the drop height when loading and unloading materials;

Fine water sprays at material transfer points, stockpiles and waste rock dump;

Dust suppression on unpaved surfaces by water sprays or chemical binders;


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Regular sweeping or washing of paved surfaces;

Enforcement of low vehicle speeds on unpaved roads (< 40 km/h);

Maintaining vehicles in good condition;

Transporting coal in covered trucks;

Shaping of WRDs and TSF to avoid sharp edges;

Erecting wind breaks where necessary;

Progressive top-soiling and vegetation of TSF;

Either vegetating bare areas on the site or covering them with coarsely crushed rock;

Dust collection buckets will be placed up-wind and down-wind of the site and dust fall will be measured monthly;

Continuous monitoring of atmospheric PM10 down-wind of site, with monthly reporting; and

If standards are exceeded regularly, additional mitigation measures will be developed.

Topography Topography of opencast mining area and infrastructure site will change gradually as mining front advances and WRDs, enviro bunds and TSF grow in size;

To manage impact of topography change appropriately

WRDs, enviro bunds and TSF blend in as far as practicable;

WRDs and TSF will be shaped to <1:3 slopes;



Quarterly

Removal of waste rock and coal will leave opencast voids

No complaints Profile (height and outline) will be shaped to blend in with the surroundings as far as practicable.


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Soil, Land Use and Land Capability

Stripping and stockpiling of soil from opencast, WRD, TSF and enviro bund footprints;

To protect soil from contamination; and

No deterioration in topsoil fertility during storage;

Careful stripping and stockpiling to avoid mixing topsoil and subsoil;



Quarterly

Potential for soil pollution due to spillages of hydrocarbons, hydraulic fluids and process chemicals;

No mixing of subsoil with topsoil during stripping, stockpiling and re-placing;

Re-placing overburden, subsoil and topsoil in correct sequence when rehabilitating bare areas;

Potential for loss of topsoil by ersosion

To preserve as much of the fertility of the topsoil as possible;

Keeping the stockpiled topsoil moist to reduce wind erosion and facilitate vegetation growth;

Vegetating the stockpiled topsoil with locally indigenous grass species; and

Regular weeding of the stockpiled topsoil.

Ecology Constant human presence and noise generated on mining footprint and infrastructure site will keep most fauna away, thereby reducing biodiversity in vicinity of project area.

No additional adverse effects on remaining vegetation on and in the vicinity of project area; and

Creating conditions that will facilitate rehabilitation

Bare areas will be re-vegetated with a balanced mix of locally indigenous plants;



Quarterly

killing or otherwise harming of fauna and unnecessary disturbance of adjacent vegetation would exacerbate the impact; and

Declared weeds and invasive flora will be monitored and controlled;


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Barrier to the movement of some animals and danger of collision with vehicles

Minimisation of ecological impacts on adjacent land

All personnel will receive training in environmental awareness and the recognition of Red Data species. If any Red Data species are observed, the services of a suitable specialist will be sourced to advise on their safety and whether relocation is required;

The destruction, harvesting, handling, poisoning and killing of fauna and flora on land under Ericure’s control will be strictly prohibited;

Cutting down of trees for firewood, building material or any other unauthorised use will be prohibited;

Vehicle movement will be restricted to existing roads and tracks;

Dust will be controlled by wet suppression; and

Activities will be confined to site only;

Access to and activities on adjacent land will be prohibited.

Waste Management Waste rock and tailings have low acid generating potential;

To prevent contamination of soil and water resources by acid, salts or metals

No contamination of soil and water resources by acid, salts or metals

A class D barrier system, together with the stormwater management system, would provide adequate protection for the potentially affected soil and water resources.

Liming of residues to provide neutralisation capacity, compaction to prevent ingress of oxygen, interception and treatment of contaminated water etc. can be implemented if AMD does develop.

Surface Water Surface water contamination due to spillages of fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids and chemicals, and spillages from pollution control dam

To prevent contamination of off-site surface water resources


Regular inspection of dirty water conveyance structures for leaks and structural integrity;



Monthly

Remove debris and maintain the structures in good condition;

Remove silt from PCD regularly to maintain its storage capacity;

Maintain a freeboard of at least 0.8 metres in the PCD at all times;


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Monthly monitoring of liner leak detection system and water quality in PCD;

Monthly monitoring of upstream and downstream water quality in watercourses traversing the site;

Place drip trays under vehicles when parked for longer than 3 hours;

Spillages will be cleaned up immediately and contaminated soil will either be remediated in situ or disposed of at an appropriately licensed landfill site; and

Environmental awareness training will be provided for workers and visitors.

Groundwater Lowering of water table due to mine dewatering;

Draw water table down only as far as necessary;

No complaints from groundwater users;

The WRDs and TSF will be lined as approved by the Department of Water and Sanitation.



Quarterly measurement of water levels, sampling and analysis of boreholes in project area

Low potential for groundwater contamination due to acid formation and metal leaching when waste rock and tailings are exposed to oxygen and water for an extended period of time;

Prevent groundwater contamination.


Runoff from dirty areas will be channelled to the PCD and treated in a water treatment plant for beneficial use;

Groundwater contamination due to spillages of fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids and chemicals

Quarterly monitoring of the boreholes with regard to water levels and water quality;

Drip trays will be placed under vehicles when parked for > 3 hours;


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Spillages will be cleaned up immediately and contaminated soil will either be remediated in situ or disposed of at an appropriately licensed landfill site;

Environmental awareness training will be provided for employees on site;

Neighbouring groundwater users will be consulted in advance about the potential lowering of water levels in their boreholes; and

If private supply boreholes are dewatered, the users will be provided with an alternative water source

Noise People at receptor points will experience low levels of intrusive noise during the night-time;

To minimise intrusive noise levels at all sensitive receptors

Lack of complaints about noise

Construction of an earth berm around the loading area, the crusher, and along the haul roads;



When full operation is achieved, therafter when noise regime changes or complaints are received

people at all receptor point will experience low levels of intrusive noise during the night-time;

Equipment suppliers will be requested to provide sound power level details. Where possible, those with the lowest SPL will be selected;

All plant, equipment and vehicles will be kept in good repair;

Trucks will be equipped with reverse alarms that emit lower frequencies or white noise;

Installing acoustic enclosures for equipment causing radiating noise and vibration isolation for mechanical equipment;

Confining hauling operations to daylight hours; and

Responding to and closing out all complaints.


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Blasting and Vibration Receptors may experience vibrations that can rattle crockery and windows and cause annoyance, but the vibrations are unlikely to exceed 12.5mm/s, the point at which structural damage to poorly constructed buildings may occur.

To minimise annoyance and danger from fly rock, and avoid structural damage

No structural damage or injuries and no complaints

Undertaking crack surveys at all surface structures within 1 000 metres of the mine perimeter prior to setting off first blasts in their vicinity;



During and after every blast

Air blast at receptor points may cause annoyance, but is unlikely to exceed 115dB;

Communicating with the owners and occupants of relevant surface structures before blasting;

Potential danger from fly rock.

Monitoring ground vibration levels at sensitive receptors during blasts;

Designing blasts to minimise vibration and air blast annoyance and fly rock danger as far as practicable;

Responding to and closing out all complaints.

Visual Large and tall structures will be visible from surrounding areas.

Minimise adverse visual impacts

No complaints about visual aspects

Surfaces will be painted in matt pastel colours that blend in with the background;



Annually

Dust plumes would be visible from greater distances.

A screen of indigenous trees will be maintained around the perimeter of the site;

Lighting could be visually intrusive at night.

Lighting will meet operational requirements without causing excessive illumination;

The WRDs, enviro bunds and TSF will grow in size and visibility throughout the operational phase.

Lighting will be directed inwards, downwards and away from local roads and residential areas;

Vehicle traffic to and from the project area will be visible.

Height of floodlight masts will be minimised while maintaining required illumination;


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Up-lighting of structures will be avoided;

Access roads and bare soil on the site will be paved or treated;

Site will be landscaped with indigenous plants to improve its appearance; and

Post-closure land use plan will be developed to ensure successful re-integration of site into the visual fabric existing at the time of closure.

Cultural and Heritage Remnants of past mining activities footprint will be demolished after obtaining a permit from SAHRA;

No damage to buried resources

Apply correct chance find procedures to unearthed resources

In the event of a chance find: ECO appointed by Ericure


Annually

- All work in the immediate vicinity of the find will cease;

- The area will be clearly demarcated;

- South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA) will be notified immediately;

- An archaeologist accredited with the Association for Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) will be commissioned to assess the find and determine appropriate mitigation measures.; and

- Access to the find by unqualified persons will be prevented until the assessment and mitigation processes have been completed.

Traffic The increased traffic may have an adverse effect on road safety, will increase congestion and wear and tear of the existing road surfaces and will add to the frustration of other drivers.

To avoid adding to frustration of other road users or compromising road safety

No project-related increase in road accidents;

Access road to site will be either tarred or treated with a binder such as Dustex or Dust-A-Side, inspected regularly and maintained;



Monthly

No complaints from other road users

Only reputable transport contractors will be used;

Effective steps will be taken to:


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- Keep vehicles in good condition;

- Use only licensed and skilled drivers;


- Avoid driver fatigue;

- Monitor drivers for use of alcohol and other substances that could impair judgment and driving ability;

- Ensure that loads are properly secured;

Arrival and departure of trucks will be scheduled to avoid peak hours; and

All complaints will be recorded and responded to;

Socio-economics Employment opportunities for about 100 people at full operational capacity;

To maximise benefits to local residents and minimise negative impacts on them

No complaints about socio-economic aspects;

Maintain communication and consultation with local residents, with particular reference to blasting times, relations between mine and local residents and adverse impacts:



Monthly

Annual operating cost expected to reach R164 milliom at steady state, mostly for remuneration, fuel, transport and local materials, goods and services

Employ local people as far as practicable;

Air quality, noise, groundwater, surface water, traffic, and visual impacts likely to be experienced by local residents


Purchase materials, goods and services locally as far as practicable;

Include local community skills development when implementing the social and labour plan (SLP);

Maintain the complaints procedure and complaints register; and


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Follow up, resolve and close out every complaint expeditiously.

CLOSURE AND REHABILITATION PHASE

Geology The closure and rehabilitation activities will not have any impact on the remaining geology of the mining right area

Prevent post-closure changes in geology of project site

No post-closure changes in geology

None required ECO appointed by Ericure

Permanent Not applicable

Air Quality Dust fall, PM10 and exhaust fumes, similar to construction phase

To remain within national standards at site perimeter and at sensitive receptors

No exceedances attributable to project

Wet suppression to ensure absence of visible dust;


Duration of closure phase (2 - 3 years)

Weekly until dust-generating activities completed, thereafter quarterly

Enforcement of low vehicle speeds on unpaved roads (< 40 km/h); and

Monitoring of natural re-vegetation of disturbed areas with locally indigenous grass species.

Chemical binders such as Dustex or Dust-A-Side will be considered for unpaved roads;

Dust fall will be monitored by dust collection buckets located downwind of construction area. Monitoring in accordance with SANS 2004.

Topography Not possible to restore original topography of project footprint. Removal of infrastructure and backfilling of the pollution control dam will restore some of the original site topography

To restore original contours on project area as far as practicable and shape the surface to be free draining towards existing local watercourses

No ponding on infrastructure project area after heavy rain

Compacted areas on infrastructure site will be ripped and shaped to be free draining towards existing local watercourses



Weekly, until landscaping completed

Soil, Land Use and Land Capability

Potential loss of soil quality due to mixing with subsoil;

Preserve soil quality;

No soil contamination, erosion or loss of quality;

Suspected areas of soil contamination will be sampled and analysed;



Weekly, until topsoil placement completed

Potential contamination with hydrocarbons and hydraulic fluids;

Avoid soil contamination;

Absence of weeds. Contaminated soil will be either remediated in situ or removed and disposed of at a licensed landfill site;


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Erosion and weed infestation.

Avoid or repair erosion;

Area will be profiled to promote free draining;

Maintain weed control.

Subsoil and topsoil will be placed sequentially when backfilling

PCD basin, water collection channels and other depressions.

Topsoil will be spread over the subsoil, using light agricultural machinery to avoid compaction;

Ecology If closure and rehabilitation is not done properly, vegetation will not re-establish well

To establish a self-sustaining diversity of locally indigenous flora;

Vegetation becomes self-sustaining within five years;

Structures will be demolished, removed and disposed of in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements;



Quarterly until vegetation has become self-sustaining

Re-colonisation of area by indigenous fauna;

Area is re-colonised by indigenous fauna;

Sediment and liner from PCD will be removed and disposed in accordance with applicable regulations, taking particular care to avoid spillage. If spillages do occur, they will be cleaned up immediately and any contaminated soil will be disposed of in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements;

All weeds and alien plants will be removed from the site;

Compacted areas will be ripped and shaped to be free draining. Stockpiled subsoil will be spread first, then topsoil that has been preserved in the storm water diversion berm and the topsoil stockpile, taking care to avoid mixing of subsoil with topsoil. Light agricultural machinery will be used to avoid compaction;

Soil will be analysed, conditioned fertilised as recommended by a qualified soil scientist;

Disturbed areas will be re-vegetated with locally indigenous grasses, shrubs and trees to encourage colonisation by fauna;


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Vegetation will be monitored quarterly until it has become self-sustaining. If any bare patches develop, the reason will be investigated and addressed, followed by re-vegetation of the patch.

Waste Management Wastes such as fuels, lubricants, paints, solvents, contaminated soils, PCD dam silt and liners, tailings dam, and waste rock dumps could cause pollution of soil and water resources.

To avoid pollution of soil and water resources.

No pollution of soil and water resources due to wastes.

Identify areas of possible soil contamination, sample such areas, analyse and determine degree of soil contamination. Remove and dispose of soil with contamination levels exceeding standards/guidelines;

Remove silt and liners from PCD and dispose at appropriately licenced landfill.

Backfill uncontaminated liners and building rubble into opencast voids;

Sort other wastes and store in skips or other containers;


Have non-recyclable wastes removed by reputable contractors for disposal at appropriately licensed landfills.

Surface Water Pollution potential similar to that of construction phase, but somewhat enhanced due to long term presence of TSF and WRDs;

To prevent contamination of surface water resources downstream of site

No difference between upstream and downstream surface water quality.

Clean water diversion berms, dirty water collection channels and PCD will be last structures to be demolished;



Quarterly for at least five years after closure.

Exposed areas would be prone to erosion, resulting in increased silt content of runoff

Drip trays will be placed under vehicles parked for longer than 3 hours;

Vehicles will be serviced in a workshop, not in the field;


April 2021 263







If in-field refuelling is done, it will be done in a designated dirty area and a spill kit and clean-up team will be available on site;


Compacted areas will be ripped and shaped to be free draining;

Disturbed areas and the cover material on the TSF and WRDs will be vegetated with locally indigenous grasses and shrubs as soon as possible;

Vegetation cover will be monitored quarterly until self-sustaining conditions have been clearly demonstrated; and

Upstream and downstream water quality in the watercourses traversing the site will be monitored quarterly for at least five years after closure.

Groundwater Groundwater pollution potential greater than construction phase, due to disturbance of natural geological and soil conditions. Full recovery of groundwater levels could take up to 100 years.

To prevent groundwater pollution from waste rock dump

No signs of groundwater pollution from waste rock dump

Drip trays will be placed under vehicles parked for longer than 3 hours;



Quarterly monitoring of water levels and quality will be maintained for 2 years after closure, thereafter biannually for five years or alternate period as directed by relevant authorities.

Without mitigation, contaminants from WRDs and TSF could migrate into groundwater.

Vehicles will be serviced in a workshop, not in the field;

If in-field refuelling is done, it will be done in a designated dirty area and a spill kit and clean-up team will be available on site;


April 2021 264








Adequate sanitation facilities will be provided; and

Workers on site will receive environmental awareness training.

Noise Similar noise levels to construction phase, but shorter duration, about 4 to 6 months. Post-closure monitoring will not generate significant noise.

To avoid intrusive noise levels at sensitive receptors

No intrusive noise levels experienced by sensitive receptors

Noisiest activities will be limited to daytime hours (06h00 to 22h00);



Once, when demolition commences, thereafter upon receiving complaints

No complaints from local residents

Equipment with lower sound power levels will be used where possible;

Mufflers will be installed on engine exhausts and compressor components;

Heavy vehicles will be equipped with reverse alarms that emit lower frequencies or white noise;

Acoustic enclosures will be placed around equipment causing radiating noise;

Location of noise sources will take advantage of distance from receptors and natural shielding; and

The system of receiving, recording and responding to complaints will be maintained for at least five years after closure of the mine.

Blasting and Vibration No blasting; No annoying off-site vibration

No complaints about vibration

None ECO appointed by Ericure


Upon receiving complaints


April 2021 265







Vibration caused by vehicles and other equipment used during demolition of structures and rehabilitation of site will be too small to affect any off-site receptors adversely

Visual Similar activities and impacts as those of construction phase, but shorter duration (4 to 6 months).

Minimise negative impact

No complaints Good vegetation cover will be established on previously disturbed areas on the site;



Weekly, until demolition and landscaping activities have been completed

Effective tree screen will be maintained along the site perimeter;

Dust suppression with water or chemicals;

Vehicle movement at night will be limited;

If demolition activities are undertaken at night, lighting will be directed away from local roads and residential areas as far as possible; and

Downwards and inwards directed motion-activated security lighting will be used along the site perimeter

Cultural and Heritage Very low probability of unearthing human remains or artefacts when landscaping infrastructure site

To avoid damage to buried resources

No damage to buried resources

In the event of a chance find: ECO appointed by Ericure

Until demolition and landscaping have been completed (4- 6 months)

Daily, in the event of a chance find, until buried resources properly taken care of


- All work in the immediate vicinity of the find will cease;

- The area will be clearly demarcated;

- South African Heritage Resources Authority (SAHRA) will be notified immediately;


April 2021 266







- An archaeologist accredited with the Association for Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) will be commissioned to assess the find and determine appropriate mitigation measures.; and

- Access to the find by unqualified persons will be prevented until the assessment and mitigation processes have been completed.

Traffic Irregular traffic pattern, as in construction phase. Impact on road safety, congestion, wear and tear of the road surface and frustration of other drivers

To maximise road safety, and minimise congestion and frustration

No increase in accident rate due to project traffic;

Use only reputable contractors; ECO appointed by Ericure


Weekly, until demolition and landscaping have been completed (4- 6 months)

No complaints Require contractors to:

- Keep their vehicles in good condition;

- Use properly licensed and skilled drivers;


- Take effective measures to avoid driver fatigue;

- Monitor drivers for use of alcohol and other substances that could impair judgment and driving ability;

- Ensure that loads on trucks are properly secured during transport;

- Schedule arrival and departure of heavy vehicles to avoid morning and afternoon peak hours;

- Apply effective dust control measures and

- Record and respond to all complaints.


April 2021 267







Socio-economics Similar activities to construction phase, but shorter duration (4 to 6 months).

To minimise inconvenience to local residents and friction with contract workers

No complaints Proactive skills development and training of employees to enhance their value in the labour market;



Quarterly, five years before and after closure

Negative impact of job losses and the sharp reduction of local expenditure will be countered over time by rehabilitation of site and its potential use for agricultural or other economic activities that could result in creation of new jobs;

To minimise impact of job losses and reduced cash injection into local economy

A retrenchment plan will be developed in consultation with employees, starting at least five years before closure;

Local residents inconvenienced by noise, dust and traffic ;

Redundant employees will be assisted to find alternative employment;

Friction between locals and contract workers;

Ericure will focus specifically on sustainable community projects in the SLP;

Decommissioning and demolition phase more likely to provide continuation of employment for contract workers than to create new jobs.

Development of other jobs and economic activities

Training and start-up assistance will be provided to employees who want to start their own businesses;

Leaving intact such infrastructure as can be used by local community-based organisations, after consultation with the potentially affected parties;

Diligent application of the rehabilitation plan as set out in the mine’s closure plan, which is summarised in the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr); and


April 2021 268







Surface water and groundwater quality will be monitored for at least five years after closure of the mine.


April 2021 269

23.0 FINANCIAL PROVISION

23.1 Overall Closure Goal

The overall closure goal for the proposed Ericure Coal mining project is to leave behind a positive

post-mining legacy in the form of an ex-mining area that is safe, stable and non-polluting, aligned to

the Dannhauser Integrated Development Plan, as well as current agricultural and other economic

initiatives of the region.

23.2 Closure Objectives

The above closure goal is underpinned by the more specific objectives listed below, which have been

presented to I&APs for comment during the public participation process. These initial objectives are

stated qualitatively and will become more specific as the more detailed closure measures are devised

during the life of the mine. The objectives apply to the mine site in its final closed state and not while

it is in progress towards this state.

23.2.1 Physical Stability

To remove surface infrastructure, stabilise and make safe the opencast mining areas and to facilitate

the implementation of the planned land use, by:

Shaping the tailings storage facility (TSF) to a whaleback form on the upper surface and side

slopes no steeper than 1 in 5;

Configuring the upper surface and outer slopes of the waste rock dumps to stable landforms

that are aesthetically acceptable;

Closing, dismantling, removing and disposing of all surface infrastructure that has no

beneficial post-closure use; and

Ripping and shaping disturbed areas to be free draining, and vegetating them with locally

indigenous grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees, and integrating them into the surrounding

areas.

23.2.2 Environmental Quality

To ensure that local environmental quality is not adversely affected by possible physical effects and

chemical contamination arising from the mine and infrastructure sites as well as to sustain catchment

yield as far as possible following closure, by:

Conducting dedicated soil surveys over the operational footprint area and removing possible

pockets of contaminated soil where it could have occurred;

Cleaning up of any sources of potential soil contamination present on the sites to protect the

downstream receiving environment;

Providing the required measures to limit at source the generation of contaminants which

could adversely affect local groundwater and surface water quality; and

Ensuring that the rehabilitated site is free-draining and runoff is routed to the local natural

drainage lines.

23.2.3 Health and Safety

To limit the possible health and safety threats to humans and animals using the rehabilitated site by:


April 2021 270

Leaving an envirobund of waste rock vegetated with locally indigenous tree species that grow

on rocky outcrops, such as Ficus abutilifolia and Ficus tettensis around the opencast

perimeters;

Shaping and vegetating the waste rock dumps to stable and safe outer slopes and upper

surfaces;

Demonstrating by means of suitable soil sampling and analysis that the threshold levels of

salts, metals and other potential contaminants over the rehabilitated areas are acceptable in

terms of the long-term land use planning for human and animal habitation;

Removing, for safe disposal, all potential process-related contaminants to ensure that no

hazardous waste is present on the project site once it has been rehabilitated;

Demonstrating through a review of monitoring data that no surface and/or groundwater

contaminant sources remain on the rehabilitated site that could compromise the planned

land use and/or pose health and safety threats; and

Monitoring environmental performance until a lack of unacceptable surface water and/or

groundwater contamination associated with the project site can be demonstrated.

23.2.4 Land Capability/Land-use

To re-instate suitable land capabilities over the affected site to facilitate the progressive

implementation of the planned land use, by:

Upfront zoning of the mine and infrastructure sites and obtaining agreement with

stakeholders on this;

Upfront materials balancing and handling to ensure that the soil types are stockpiled

separately and subsequently placed, during site rehabilitation, to allow the desired land

capability and end land use to be achieved;

Ensuring that the rehabilitated site is safe and stable in the long term; and

Cleaning up and rehabilitating contaminated soil areas.

23.2.5 Aesthetic Quality

To leave behind a rehabilitated site that, in general, is not only neat and tidy, giving an acceptable

overall aesthetic appearance, but which in terms of this attribute is also aligned to the respective land

use, by:

Tidying-up the site by removing demolition waste, rubble, etc.;

Shaping and levelling disturbed areas to create landforms that emulate the surrounding

surface topography and would facilitate drainage; and

Re-establishing vegetation on the above areas to be self-sustaining, ecologically functional

and aesthetically pleasing.

23.2.6 Biodiversity

To re-establish locally indigenous vegetation on the rehabilitated areas such that the terrestrial

biodiversity is largely re-instated over time, by:

Stabilising disturbed areas to prevent erosion in the short to medium term until a viable, self-

sustaining vegetation cover has been established that is suitable for the re-introduction of

local fauna;


April 2021 271

Identifying those aspects/obstacles once site rehabilitation has been completed which could

inhibit and/or deter animal life from returning to the rehabilitated sites; and

Removing the identified obstacles without compromising the adopted final land use(s).

23.2.7 Socio-economic Aspects

To ensure that the infrastructure transfers, measures and/or contributions made by the mine towards

the long-term socio-economic benefit of the local communities are sustainable, by:

Identifying buildings and other infrastructure that could be of commercial and/or other

value/benefit to subsequent landowners or the local community and transferring these to

third parties as agreed between the mine and these parties and/or the stakeholders;

Communicating and negotiating with local communities and related civil structures on the

closure of the mine and the possible transfer of surface infrastructure to them;

Ensuring effective hand-over of pre-determined mining-related surface infrastructure for

future use by other parties;

Providing, until hand-over of the mining-related surface infrastructure, training and

awareness creation to empower the community to effectively manage the financial and/or

commercial resources transferred from the mine; and

Clearly defining the roles of the parties responsible for future management of the transferred

facilities.

The above closure goals and objectives were developed to restore baseline conditions as far as

practically and economically achievable and they were presented to I&APs for comment during the

public meeting held on 18 and 22nd August 2020. The mitigation and rehabilitation measures

described in section Error! Reference source not found. of this report are specifically aligned to t

he closure goals and objectives of this report.

The quantum of the financial provision has been calculated and is shown in detail in the complete

closure report that will be submitted to the Department of Mineral Resources.

24.0 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EMPR

A number of activities must take place before commencement of construction. Certain of these

activities are not directly related to physical work on site, but are presented below, as they should be

addressed before commencement of, or during the early phases of construction.

24.1 Responsibility for EMPr implementation

Responsibility for implementation of the EMPr will rest with the General Manager at Ericure’s

operations. The General Manager will appoint a Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE)

Manager, who will be based on site. The General Manager/SHE Manager will prescribe to

Ericure’s safety procedures, which will be implemented at the mine. The SHE Manager will

ensure that all conditions of the EMPr are implemented and that all environmental activities

delegated to contractors operating on site are carried out in accordance with the EMPr. It will

furthermore be the responsibility of the SHE Manager to resolve any conflicts that may arise

between Ericure and contracting parties regarding implementation of the EMPr. Such

responsibilities are captured by the legal appointment of the SHE Manager;

Ericure will ensure that the responsibility for implementing and adhering to the conditions of

the EMPr forms part of the conditions of appointment of all contractors;

Ericure will ensure that all contracting companies tendering for work receive a copy of this

EMPr and understand their responsibility to operate within the framework of the measures


April 2021 272

defined in this EMPr. When adjudicating tenders, Ericure will ensure that contractors have

made appropriate allowance for management of environmental matters and that, upon

appointment, they adhere to the requirements of this EMPr;

Ericure will ensure that contractor SHE induction includes environmental and social issues

and awareness training (“Environmental Awareness Plan”) to build capacity of staff and

contract staff regarding management of the environment;

The SHE Manager will brief contractors about no development/no go areas. These to

include:

▪ No access to neighbouring properties without prior approval; and

▪ No access to fenced off sensitive areas.

Ericure will appoint a responsible person to audit the implementation of, and adherence to,

this EMPr. This party will be an independent environmental practitioner; and

The SHE Manager will bring to the attention of the General Manager any major

environmental incident or breach of the conditions of the EMPr, within 24 hours of occurrence

of such event. The General Manager will notify the controlling authority within 48 hours of

such an incident, if the environmental incident constitutes a breach of any permit or licence

condition.

24.2 Responsibility of contractors

All contracting companies will receive a copy of the EMPr at time of tender. Each contractor

is to familiarise himself with the environmental management measures for the site and

ensure that contracting prices allow for environmental costs;

At appointment the contractors should have their copies of the EMPr on site. It is the

responsibility of the contractors to ensure that all of their staff are aware of the measures

applicable to their area of work; and

It is the responsibility of the contractor to bring to the attention of the Ericure SHE Manager

any environmental incident or breach of the conditions of the EMPr, within 24 hours of

occurrence of such event through the company’s Incident Reporting System.

24.3 Environmental performance monitoring

Table 24-1 lists the main environmental aspects that will be subjected to performance monitoring

during all phases of the project. The monitoring requirements, frequencies and responsible parties

are also listed.


April 2021 273

Table 24-1: Environmental Monitoring Programme

SOURCE/ACTIVITY IMPACTS TO BE MONITORED MONITORING FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FREQUENCIES

Site preparation, infrastructure construction and opencast mining

Dust fall and PM10 Weather station, dust buckets PM10 sampler

Ericure, Contractor, ECO Continuous, reporting monthly

Site preparation and opencast mining Preservation of topsoil Soil stripping equipment, observation of stripping and stockpiling practices


Rehabilitation Correct use of topsoil Use light agricultural machinery, observe use of topsoil


Site preparation and opencast mining Vegetation stripping Demarcate stripping areas, obtain permits to remove protected species


Rehabilitation Re-vegetation Observe progress, remedial actions Ericure, ECO Continuous, reporting quarterly until self-sustaining

Construction & Operations Surface water quality Sample downstream of site Ericure, ECO Monthly

Closure & rehabilitation Surface water quality Establish sampling points, equipment and protocols

Ericure, ECO Quarterly until lack of unacceptable impact associated with project site has been demonstrated

Construction & Operations Groundwater levels and quality Sampling pumps and protocols Ericure, ECO Quarterly

Closure and rehabilitation Groundwater levels and quality Sampling pumps and protocols Ericure, ECO Quarterly until lack of unacceptable impact associated with project site has been demonstrated

Construction, operation, closure and rehabilitation

Noise Monitoring equipment and protocols, complaint reports

Ericure, ECO When noisy activities reach steady state, thereafter when complaints received

Construction and operation Air blast and vibration Measuring equipment and protocols, complaint reports

Ericure, ECO Each blast

Construction, operation, closure and rehabilitation

Traffic patterns and adherence to regulations and rules

Unannounced observation, tachymeter readouts, complaint reports

Ericure, ECO Weekly, until relaxation to monthly and quarterly justified

Construction Local employment and procurement Observation, complaint reports Ericure, ECO Quarterly, during construction phase

Operation Local employment and procurement and sustainability of local economic development projects

Observation, complaint reports Ericure, ECO Annually

Closure and rehabilitation

Local employment and procurement, sustainability of local economic development projects, placement of ex-employees

Observation, complaint reports Ericure, ECO Quarterly, for at least 5 years after cessation of mining

An environmental performance report will be submitted to the DMR annually


April 2021 274

25.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PLAN

As stipulated in section 24.0 above, environmental conditions will be included in any operational

contracts, thereby making contractors aware of the potential environmental risks associated with the

project and the necessity of implementing good environmental and housekeeping practices.

The following principles and training will apply to the Environmental Awareness Plan and the

Environmental Management System (EMS):

All personnel, including contactors will as a minimum undergo general safety, health and

environmental (SHE) induction and environmental management system (EMS) training;

The Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) Manager will identify the SHE

training requirements for all Ericure’s personnel and contractors. The training requirements

will be recorded in a training needs matrix indicating particular training that must be

undertaken by identified personnel and contractors. The training matrix will be administered

by Ericure’s Human Resources Department (HRD); and

Development of the Training Programme, which will include:

▪ Job specific training – training for personnel performing tasks which could cause

potentially significant environmental impacts;

▪ Assessment of extent to which personnel are equipped to manage environmental

impacts;

▪ Basic environmental training;

▪ EMS training;

▪ Comprehensive training – on emergency response, spill management, etc.;

▪ Specialised skills;

▪ Training verification and record keeping; and

▪ Periodic re-assessment of training needs, with specific reference to new developments,

newly identified issues and impacts and associated mitigation measures.

25.1 General Awareness Training

The Human Resources Development (HRD) Manager, together with the SHE Manager, will

be responsible for the development of, or facilitating the development of, the required general

SHE induction and awareness training. A general environmental awareness training module

will be developed and integrated into the general induction programme. The general

awareness training must include the Environmental Policy, a description of the environmental

impacts and aspects and the importance of conformance to requirements, general

responsibilities of Ericure personnel and contractors with regard to the environmental

requirements and a review of the emergency procedures and corrective actions; and

A Training Practitioner or the Environmental Officer (EO) will conduct the general awareness

training. The training presenter will keep a record of the details of all persons attending

general awareness training. Such attendance registers shall indicate the names of

attendants and their organisations, the date and the type of training received.

25.2 Specific Environmental Training

Specific environmental training will be in line with the requirements identified in the training

matrix; and


April 2021 275

Personnel whose work tasks can impact on the environment will be made aware of the

requirements of appropriate procedures/work instructions. The SHE Manager will

communicate training requirements to responsible supervisors to ensure that personnel and

contractors are trained accordingly.

25.3 Training Evaluation and Re-training

Effectiveness of the environmental training will be reflected by the degree of conformance to

EMPr requirements, the result of internal audits and the general environmental performance

achieved at the Ericure Mine;

Incidents and non-conformances will be assessed through the Internal Incident Investigation

and Reporting System, to determine the root cause, including the possible lack of

awareness/training;

Should it be evident that re-training is required, the SHE Manager will inform the Heads of

Departments of the need and take the appropriate actions;

General awareness training of all personnel shall be repeated annually; and

The re-induction shall take into consideration changes made in the EMPr, changes in

legislation, Ericure Mine’s current levels of environmental performance and areas of

improvement.

25.4 Emergency Procedures

The following emergency procedures are relevant to the project:

The SHE Manager shall define emergency reporting procedures for the Ericure Mine;

All personnel shall be made aware of emergency reporting procedures and their

responsibilities;

Any spills will be cleaned up immediately in accordance with relevant legislation; and

Telephone numbers of emergency services, including the mine’s proto team and the local

fire-fighting and medical services, shall be conspicuously displayed.

26.0 UNDERTAKING

The environmental assessment practitioner hereby confirms:

The correctness, to the best of his knowledge, of the information provided in the specialist

reports and on information provided by Ericure. The information was accepted as being as

reliable as information generated during an EIA and a feasibility study, and provided in good

faith, can be;

The inclusion of comments and inputs from stakeholders and I&APs;

The inclusion of inputs and recommendations from the specialist reports where relevant; and

The acceptability of the project in relation to the findings of the assessment and level of

mitigation proposed.


April 2021 276

26.1 Undertaking regarding correctness of information

I, Caroline Munyai herewith undertake that the information provided in the foregoing report

is correct, and that the comments and inputs from stakeholders and Interested and Affected

parties are correctly recorded in this report.

01 May 2021

26.2 Undertaking regarding Level of Agreement

I, Caroline Munyai herewith undertake that the information provided in the foregoing report

is correct, and that the level of agreement with Interested and Affected parties and

stakeholders have been correctly recorded and reported herein.

01 May 2021

27.0 REFERENCES

TSHIFCOR INVESTMENT AND RESOURCES (PTY) LTD.

Mr. Mpho Ramalivhana

Principal Environmental Consultant

Ms. Caroline Munyai

Senior Environmental Consultant


September 2020 277

APPENDIX A Database of Interested and Affected Parties


September 2020 278

IAPs Contact

Persons

Contact

Number Email Address

Postal/Physical

Address

Newcastle

Municipality S.I Zuma 0721093013 [email protected]

37 Murchison

Street, Newcastle,

South Africa, 2940

Dannhauser

Municipality Sharoan Sbisi 0346212342 [email protected]

8 church street,

Dannhauser, 3080.

Amajuba

District

Municipality

Mr Sipho Zwane 0343297200

Unit B9356,

Amajuba Building,

Main Street ,

Section 1,

Madadeni,

NEWCASTLE.

KZN

Department of

Agriculture and

Rural

Development

(KZNDARD)

Jeffrey Malevu 0768216307 [email protected]

a

1 Cedera,

Pietermaritzburg,

3200.

Ezemvelo KZN

Wildlife

Nontobeko

Magwaza 033845999

1 Peter Brown DR,

Town Bush Valley,

Pietermaritzburg,3

200

KwaZulu Natal

Heritage

(Amafa)

Mpume

Nhlabathi 0333956543

195 Langalibalele

street,

Pietermaritzburg,

3201.

Department of

Mineral

Resources

(DMR)

Zama Zulu 0313359680 [email protected]

33 Anton Lembede

street, 3rd Floor,

Durban, 4000.

Department of

Water and

Sanitation

(DWS)

Ntombethu

Makwabasa 0313362700 [email protected]

707 southern life

building, 88 Joe

slovo street,

Durban, 4000.

Department of

Corporate

Governance

and Traditional

Affairs

Nomfundo

Ntombela 0333556100

Nomfundo.ntombela@kzncog

ta.gov.za

330 Langalibalele

Street,

Pietermaritzburg,

3201.

Department of

Transport

Nontokozo

Dladla/

Simanga.Ngubo

0333558600

Nontokozo.dladla@kzntransp

ort.gov.za

Simanga.Ngubo@Kzntranspor

t.gov.za

Inkosi

Mhlabunzima

Mampumulo

House 172 Burger

Street,







September 2020 279

Pietermaritzburg,

3200.

Department of

Economic

Development,

Tourism and

Environmental

Affairs

Nomsa Khanyile 0824618495 [email protected].

za

270 Jabu Ndlovu

Street,

Pietermaritzburg,

3200.

Department of

Human

Settlement

0333926400

203 Church Street,

Pietermaritzburg,

3201

Department of

Social

Development

033264 3001

208 Hassen

Haffejee,

Pietermaritzburg,

3200

Eskom 033330 3982

1 Portland Road

Pietermaritzburg,

KwaZulu-Nata

Transnet Sibusiso

Tshabalala 0785942018

Sibusiso.Tshabalala@

Transnet.net

Izwelethu Trust

Dr. C.M

Manqele

(Chairperson)

0728601200 [email protected] Ngisana

Community

Izwelethu Trust P.S Sikhakhane 0712381649 [email protected] Ngisane

Community.

Izwelethu Trust M.I.P Khumalo 0782620267 [email protected] Ngisane

Community

Izwelethu Trust S.M Ngwenya 0728601200 [email protected] Ngisane

Community

Izwelethu Trust Sipho Dlamini 0767050868 [email protected] Ngisane

Community

Izwelethu Trust R.B Ndima 0780049114 [email protected] Elizabeth Farm

Izwelethu Trust T.E Mtshali Ngisane

Community

Izwelethu Trust T.I Zulu Ngisane

Community

Izwelethu Trust B.N.L Mazibuko Ngisane

Community

Community

Member

Sthembile

Ndebele 0788334442

[email protected]

om

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member

Thandeka

Ndebele 0795407340

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Thandi Zulu 0790953912

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Thabo Nkala 0761142241

Perthfarm

Community








September 2020 280

Community

Member

Thando

Kubheka 0810239024

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member

Mzwakhe

Ziqubu 0648665616

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Sibusiso Khulu 0818172432 [email protected]

Flintfarm

Community

Community

Member

Xolani

Tshwawini 0714995209

Peachfarm

Community

Community

Member Muzi Xaba 0661452172 [email protected] Dorset Community

Community

Member A.Z. Nsibanyoni 0721146283 Currah Community

Community

Member M.P. Nxumalo 0730178230

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Hector Zwane 0762634486

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member W. Hleleni 0835491114

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Fikile Mlambo 0767614276

Ezi Pokothelwani

Community

Community

Member Busi Zwane 0828497409

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Johan Ngoma 0738379414

Keekeel

Community

Community

Member Thulani Malevu 0638161130 Dorset Community

Community

Member Sandile Sibiya 0818477445

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member

Ayanda

Ntshingila 0729283490

[email protected]

m

Perthfarm

Community

Community

Member Bandile Ntuli 0836383068 Dorset Community

Community

Member

Bonginkosi

Sibeko 0762599176 Dorset Community

Community

Member Phumlani Sthole 0836383068 Dorset Community

Community

Member Sanele Ziqubu 0736884372 Magdalene

Community

Member Piet Sibiya 0823010416 Puntland

Community

Member

Simphiwe

Hlongwane 0785904713 Devon

Community

Member Nhlanhla Ngidi 0732309020 50111 Sbonela

Community

Member Sbusiso Ndima 0762693804 [email protected] Poorna Farm







September 2020 281

Community

Member Johan Mngoma 0738379414

Community

Member Sibusiso Nkosi 0648020130 Annteville

Community

Member Zanele Msimago 0763070016 [email protected]

1148 Rooiport

Farm

Community

Member Bongani Malindi 0833359016 [email protected] Mbabane

Community

Member

Muzikanyise

Khumalo 0730178230 Perth Magdalene

Community

Member Nolani Tshawu 0714995206 Perth

Community

Member Mr. Ziqubu 0738461568 Magdalene

Community

Member

Senzo

Mpungose 0729010341 Milford

Community

Member

Khulekani

Mpungose 0606134904

[email protected]

m Allen

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Duncane

Mpungose 0724061517 Allen

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Member S.S Makevu 0604309572 Madadani

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Siyabonga

Manyoni 0794557764 Willies

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Member Dlamini S.D 0765903264 [email protected] Emfundeni

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Madela 0635236197 NellyValley

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Nxusa 0720297177 Elizabeth

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September 2020 282

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Zandile

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Khumalo 0723999520 Mallinger

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Dlokwakhe A.

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September 2020 284

APPENDIX B Letter of Invitation, BID and Registration, Comment and Reply Sheet


September 2020 285

TO ALL INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTY

APPLICATION FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION, WATER USE LICENSE AND WASTE

MANAGEMENT LICENSE FOR THE PROPOSED MINING RIGHT OF COAL WITHN THE FARMS

NGISANA 13992HT, AVALON 14869HT AND THE REMAINING EXTENT OF THE FARM

MOOIDOORNHOEK 3722HT, IN THE MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT OF DANNHAUSER, KWAZULU NATAL

PROVINCE.

AN INVITATION TO REGISTER AS AN INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTY AND TO COMMENT ON

THE DRAFT SCOPING REPORT

Ericure (Pty) Ltd, a South African company, has applied for an Environmental Authorisation in Terms of

Section 24 of National Environmental Management Act 1998, (Act 107 of 1998) Read with Regulation 21 of

National and Environmental Management Act (NEMA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations

as amended in 2017 for the Mining Right and related infrastructural activities in respect of coal on within the

farms Ngisana 13992HT, Avalon 14869HT and the Remainder of the Farm Mooidoorn Hoek 3722HT in the

Magisterial District of Dannhauser, Kwazulu Natal Province. The proposed mining project triggers activities

listed within the Listing Notice 2 of GNR325 of the NEMA, EIA Regulations 2014 as Amended and Waste

Management as per (GN R.632/633) that commenced on 24 July 2015. The triggered activities and processes

require the submission of Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment Report (S&EIR) to the Competent

Authority which is the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) as stipulated by regulations. Ericure (Pty) Ltd

need to obtain an Environmental Authorization, Mining Right, Water Use License and Waste License prior to

the commencement of the proposed mining activities. The proposed project components will include

excavation, blasting, stockpiling, loading, hauling and transport, discard dumps, waste rock dumps, and

supporting infrastructure and primary processing such as winning, extraction, classifying, concentration,

crushing and screening of Coal. In compliance with Regulation 12 of the NEMA, EIA Regulations of 2014, as

amended, Ericure (Pty) Ltd, appointed Tshifcor Investment and Resources (Pty) Ltd, an independent

consulting firm to undertake all the environmental processes and compile the relevant reports.

This letter serves to notify landowners and/or interested and affected parties that, in terms of Section 22(3) of

the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002 (MPRDA) and Regulation 21 of NEMA,

EIA Regulations Ericure (Pty) Ltd is required to subject the Scoping Report for Public Participation Process

prior to submitting it to the Competent Authority. The Scoping Report must contain the information that is

necessary for a proper understanding of the process, informing all preferred alternatives, including location

alternatives, the scope of the assessment, and the consultation process to be undertaken through the

environmental impact assessment process as prescribed on Appendix 2 of the National Environmental

Management Act (Act 107 of 1998), EIA Regulations 2014 as amended in 2017.

Stakeholders including all landowners and any Interested and Affected Parties are invited to register and to

participate in the Public Participation Process by accessing and commenting on the Draft Scoping Report that

will be made available for 30 days from the 30 July 2020 until 31 August 2020. Stakeholders are also invited

to participate on the planned public meeting to be conducted on the 22 August 2020, at ISIPHOSEMVELO

SECONDARY SCHOOL. Due to Covid, the meeting will be conducted in a series of slots as per below list: All

measures in relation to health and safety will be taking into account in terms of covid-19.

08:30am-9:30am (Morning slot)

10:30am-11:30am (Mid-morning slot)

13:00pm-14:00pm (Afternoon slot)

15:00pm-16:00pm (Late-afternoon slot)_Final slot for the day


September 2020 286

Due to Covid-19 Regulations, the Draft Scoping Report can be requested via email or telephonically from the

Appointed Independent Consultants (Tshifcor) offices on the below information or can be accessed from

Tshifcor’s website: www.tshifcor.co.za.

Name of Public Place Email/Website Contact Number

Tshifcor Investment and Resources (Pty) Ltd_

Midrand Offices

[email protected]

www.tshifcor.co.za

011 0275996

066 237 7644

http://www.tshifcor.co.za/


http://www.tshifcor.co.za/

Tshifcor Investment and Resources (Pty) Ltd.

20 Pitzer Road

Glen Austin

Midrand, 1686

South Africa

T: [+27] (11) 0275996