Part 2 - Eskom

ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED 40MW OPEN CYCLE GAS TURBINE POWER
PLANT IN THE AMERSFOORT AREA, MPUMALANGA
Bohlweki-SSI Environmental
• The volume of groundwater lost during the mining process (in terms of a water
use);
• The likely chemistry of the water [void] post mining as it may be contentious to
assume it can be leached until equivalent to the pre-mining water quality.
• The possible impacts associated with ground/overburden collapse should this
occur, both in terms of yield impacts and future decant points, time to decant and
quality of decant. Possible post mining water treatment may need to be
considered and budgeted for.
• If the surface is to contain waste (liquid or solid) during or post mining through
related activities, then detail on water management of these structures will be
required.
8.6. Wetlands
It should be noted that any wetland occurring within the boundaries of the study site
is a sensitive feature of the natural environment. This sensitivity must be equally
applied to all wetlands, irrespective of their state or functionality. This ‘blanket’
sensitivity rating applied to all wetlands is based on a number of factors:
• The National Water Act (No 36 of 1998) affords protection to all types of surface
water resources, including wetlands. The Act does not discriminate between
different types of wetlands or between wetlands in a differing state of
degradation.
• In the context of the biological (especially vegetative) assemblages within the
study area, wetlands are typically characterised by relatively high levels of
biodiversity.
• Watercourses and wetlands are often utilised as movement corridors for biota
and as such are very important for the maintenance of ecosystem processes and
functioning.
As all wetlands have been characterised as being sensitive, there is a basic
distinction that can be made between parts of the study area in which wetlands are
located, and those in which no wetlands are located. It should be noted however that
areas located outside of the wetland boundaries will form part of the catchment of the
wetland. In reality there is typically no distinctive boundary between the wetland and
the surrounding non-wetland grassland, and the maintenance of this transition zone
is critical for maintaining ecosystem processes that occur within this area. Many
types of biota which inhabit wetlands utilise the surrounding areas for foraging, and
are not spatially restricted to the wetland.
As such it is critical to maintain a buffer surrounding the wetlands in which no
development should be allowed other than linear infrastructure, where necessary). In
the case of the proposed project, a buffer of 150m is proposed, to allow sufficient
area beyond the boundary of the wetland to be preserved, and taking into account
the relatively low degree of transformation associated with the gas field. Figure 7.9
(Chapter 7) indicates the presence of buffers around wetlands in the study area but it
must be noted that these wetland delineations are preliminary and will need to be
refined during the EIA phase.
E02.JNB.000308
ESKOM HOLDINGS LIMITED
01
60
08/10/2009