ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (SCOPING AND EIA PROCESS) LOWER UMKHOMAZI PROPOSED BULK WATER SUPPLY SCHEME MEETING DETAILS Purpose of the Meeting: Project Introduction (Announcement Phase) Date of the meeting: 08 July 2017 Time: 11H00 13H00 Venue: Malundi Sports Ground (V Section) AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introduction Mr Donavan Henning (Nemai Consulting) and Mr Njabulo Mkhosana (NM Environmental) welcomed attendees to the meeting. 2. Attendance Register The attendance register was circulated among the attendees and signed. Please refer to Annexure A for a copy of the Attendance Register. 3. Purpose and Rules of the Meeting The purpose and rules of the meeting was presented by Mr Donavan Henning of Nemai Consulting and translated into Zulu by Mr Njabulo Mkhosana of NM Environmental. ATTENDEES NM Environmental Umgeni Water Nemai Consulting Lower umkhomazi Councillor and committee Lower umkhomazi community members Please refer to Annexure A for a copy of the Attendance Register APOLOGIES None. The purpose was as follows: To introduce the project; To provide an overview of the EIA process; To provide a platform for project-related discussions; and Obtain input into the Scoping Phase. The rules were as follows: Questions are to relate to project at hand and to be asked at the end of presentations; Project team to be addressed through the facilitator; Attendees to identify themselves before asking a question; Meeting closing time. 1 2
4. Overview of Lower umkhomazi BWSS An overview of the project was presented by Mr Donavan Henning of Nemai Consulting and translated into Zulu by Mr Njabulo Mkhosana of NM Environmental. 2. OCS Dam and Associated infrastructure Environmental Authorization (EA) Amendment; and WULA. The proposed project was previously investigated by SAPPI SAICCOR to augment water supply to their mill. This augmentation would have been through releases of raw water back into the umkhomazi River during the drier winter months for abstraction downstream. The current water resources supplying the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast are insufficient to meet the long-term water demands of the system. The system will need to be augmented by 2018 to avoid possible water shortages. The Lower umkhomazi Bulk Water Supply System (LUBWSS) needs to be sized to provide an additional average volume of 100Ml/d, (with a 130 Ml/d designed peak capacity), to meet the future 30-year demand projection. SAPPI SAICCOR and Umgeni Water subsequently reached a water supply agreement which included Umgeni Water taking over the implementation of the Ngwadini OCS Dam, and adding a Water Treatment Plant and pipeline to deliver water to South Coast. 3. LUBWSS Water Supply Scheme Scoping and EIA process; and WULA. Specialists Studies Heritage Impact Assessment; Biodiversity Impact Assessment; Aquatic Impact Assessment and Delineations; Estuarine Study; and Sediment Study. 5. Environmental Processes The environmental processes for each LUBWSS project component were presented by Mr Donavan Henning of Nemai Consulting and translated into Zulu by Mr Njabulo Mkhosana of NM Environmental. 1. LUBWSS Ngwadini Weir, Abstraction Works and Pipeline Basic Assessment Process; and Water Use License Application (WULA). Specialists Studies Heritage Impact Assessment; Biodiversity Impact Assessment; and Aquatic Impact Assessment and Delineations. 3 4
6. Discussion 1. Derek: Land Goodenough Weir 1. Will the documents be published online and on website for comments? 2. What are the timeframes? 2. Derek: Land Goodenough Weir 1. The details on the EIA process will they be made available to IAPs? 2. Derek: Land Goodenough Weir 1. The location of the new road. 2. Concern with going back to use the old road. 3. Derek: Land Goodenough Weir 1. Concern: That the area he lives in is a very quiet area. With the construction of a pump station there will be lots of noise. 4. Derek: Land Goodenough Weir 1. Details for Yegan Gounden (pipeline from causeway) to be contacted on 0710945483 with regard to this project. 1. Onsite notices, newspapers and emails, will be available online. 2. The public will be given 30 days to review and comment on the draft reports. 1. Donavan Henning: As part of the EIA process, there are 3 forms of notification that must be conducted. According to the regulations it is signboard placement, a newspaper advert and distribution of a Background Information Document (BID). The BID does have information on the EIA times. A BID was handed over to Derek however the EIA process and timeframes will be appended to the minutes of the meeting. 1. Donavan Henning: The project has costed for a new road however he does not have the details currently. 2. Donavan Henning: Requested that affected parties possibly give an idea of where they would like the road to be. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that noise impacts will be considered as part of the EIA phase. Was noted and recorded. Yegan Gounden was contacted and notification of the proposed project, as well as a BID was emailed. 5. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 6. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 7. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 8. Flippie Van Dyk: Land (Adjacent 1. In terms of the infrastructure there was a pipeline over the land to the weir. He queried if this was still on? 1. When Smithfield dam is open, mud is only released down the river. The mud brings diseases which resulted in a total of failure crop at times. Who will be the owner of the water. 1. Previously they were not compensated for about a hectare of land that was lost. Will there be compensation in this regard. 2. When raising the weir there will be a larger inundation area and we will lose portion of the land. The locals use that servitude to as a pathway. 1. Donavan Henning: In the feasibility study many options were considered by AECOM. DH advised only what is on the map is going forward. DH gave a brief overview of the options that were considered. 1. Donavan Henning: The Smithfield dam is a proposed dam and is a project that Nemai Consulting is working on. The Smithfield dam will be 80m high and that will influence the sediment budget on the whole sediment regime. It will hold back sediment tremendously. However what the river does when you take out sediment it tries to restore equilibrium and It erodes it banks to get back to that balance. The catchment management or upstream river management is not something this project team can respond to. 1. Donavan Henning: As per the National Water Act 1998, the custodian of the water is Department of Water and Sanitation. 1. Donavan Henning: If water is stored and you are adversely affected by it the Department or Umgeni Water will have to compensate you for it. When dams are built they determine the full supply level. The full supply level is the level the water will reach before it starts spilling. They then determine the full supply level and add a buffer zone to it. They take the 1:100 year floodline and they add 50m horizontal or 1.5m vertical whichever is greatest. 5 6
9. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 10. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 11. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 1. When raising the weir there will be a larger inundation area and he will lose portion of his land. He advised that the locals use that servitude to walk to work. 2. He is also concerned about security as he doesn t want people walking through his property. He advised that the people higher up will be ok but those lower down may be a concern. 3. The servitude belongs to Singh. Flip advised that the pump station may also affect Govender. 1. These are two distinct projects. The Dam and the Pipeline, many farmers are going to be affected and queried if more meeting will be conducted. 1. The recreational use as they currently go onto the river using boats and the local s fish there. And they buy out this area known as the purchase area. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that any impact caused by the project must be mitigated. There the loss of access road will mean moving the road and compensation to landowners affected by the new road alignment. 2. Donavan Henning: Advised that the Engineers will need to identify the new 1:100 year floodline, and a new proposal will be created. DH advised that affected landowners will be given an opportunity to comment on the proposal. 3. Donavan Henning: Requested that NM Environmental ensure all IAP and all landowner details are correct. All IAPs should be phoned to confirm details. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that numerous meeting will be conducted in different phases of the project, and there may even be focus group meeting with the landowners. SMS and email notifications will be used to notify IAP of future meetings 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that in terms of recreational use, it would depend on the type of fish you catch as it may require a permit. This process won t chance that. It is all about access. The dam will not be fenced of and as long as people have licenses they can continue to fish. However jetties may become inundated but we cannot affect any lawful use of the water. There are two types of uses. The water use 12. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 13. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 14. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 15. Flippie Van Dyk: Land 16. Mr Mkhabela: Land Upstream of the Goodenough Weir 1. How long construction will take? 2. Concerns over trucks using the road during the construction period and the impact that it will have over the road. 1. Will the people be able to traverse along the dam. right or entitlement is one of them. The pump house will have to be relocated to an appropriated location. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that construction will only commence hopefully in 2018 and will take approximately 2 years to complete. 2. Donavan Henning: Advised that it is requirement that the project will have to consider the impacts that the trucks will have on the road and they will have leave it in a better condition than they found it. DH advised that DoT have specific conditions for the contractors to comply with. DH advised that during operation they will also need access to the dam as Umgeni Water will have to go conduct test. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that due to Safety purposes, you cannot traverse the dam. 1. The weir may flood the other side of the 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that more meetings will dam. The land is believed to belong to trust be held with all affected parties. however those parties are not at the meeting. He stated that it is important to interact with them. 1. The project will affect the flow of the river? 2. The current the natural flow of the river is to the left, will it be the same post construction? 1. If the weir will be a permanent structure as that is the area where the locals conduct funerals and have burial sites. He advised that many houses will be washed away. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that the project will control the flow of the river. 2. Donavan Henning: Advised that he will have to confirm this with the Engineers. 1. Donavan Henning: Advised that there are a number of things that the project will have to look at. We will look at everything within the inundation area and everything that is affected will require mitigation. 7 8
7. Way Forward The Public Meeting Minutes will be distributed to Attendees. Registered Interested and Affected Parties and Authorities will be notified of a 30-Day Review Period to review the Draft Reports. 17. Mr Dlamini: Land Upstream of the Goodenough Weir 1. Who is the applicant? 2. Is the proposed weir the 1 st or the 2 nd weir? 3. The dam that was constructed initially wasn t friendly, is the 2 nd dam temporal or permanent? 2. Donavan Henning: Advised that a heritage specialist will engage with local member to identify graves. He advised that they will be in contact with the Nduna of the area 1. Umgeni Water is the applicant. 2. The weir to be constructed is the second weir 3. The weir will be permanent. 4. Mitigation measures will be applied. 8. Closure Mr Donavan Henning (Nemai Consulting) and Mr Njabulo Mkhosana (NM Environmental) closed the meeting at approximately 12H30. 4. Can the weir rise until it reaches our houses 9 10
ANNEXURE A: ATTENDANCE REGISTER 11