Final EIAR - Aurecon AME Environmental | Environmental Projects

Proposed Wind and Solar (Photovoltaic) Energy Facilities on Kangnas Farm near Springbok in the Northern Cape: Final EIR 16
• Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC) relating to concern over
the curtailment of possible expansion of target areas of the Goegap nature reserve and
the adjacent Ratelkraal property owned by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the
recommendation of a protected areas buffer for renewable developments;
• Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries requesting the total development
footprints (ha) for both the solar and wind energy facilities;
• SAHRA recommended a 50 m buffer around the Kalkom crater and that no construction
should take place within that buffer zone;
• DENC Research and Development Support Section Goegap Nature Reserve requests
that their internal botanist must provide comment on the EIA applications.
• Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (Northern Cape) requests that the
developer must comply with the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (No. 43 of
1983) especially the protection of vleis, marshes, water sponges and water courses. The
department indicated that a rezoning application is required.
Issues included in CRR4 for comments received on the Draft EIR:
• The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) has stated that water users are expected to
assess the potential water uses (associated with the development) as defined under
section 21 of the National Water Act (36 of 1998). All identified water uses will need to
be authorised in terms of section 40 of the National Water Act unless such a water use
is permissible under section 22 of the Act. DWA will only process applications for water
use authorisations received from developers who have attained preferred bidder status.
• WWF-SA has assessed the application and do not have any concerns at this stage.
• BirdLife South Africa is of the opinion that there is insufficient information on which to
base an informed decision and therefore does not support this application. Should the
proposed developments be approved then recommendations to mitigate potential
impacts on avifauna have been provided in the BirdLife South Africa / Endangered
Wildlife Trust best practice guidelines for avian monitoring and impact mitigation at
proposed wind energy development sites in southern Africa
• Eskom confirmed that the development does not seem to have a direct impact on
existing transmission infrastructure and provided requirements for works at or near
Eskom infrastructure.
• If the recommendations are adhered to, the SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology and
Meteorites Unit has no objection to the development (in terms of the archaeological and
palaeontological components of the heritage resources).
Comments have been included in and responded to in CRR3 and CRR4 in Annexure B.C
1.4.6 Decision making
The Final EIR, together with all I&AP comments on the Draft EIR, will be submitted to DEA for
their review and decision-making. DEA must, within 60 days, do one of the following:
• Accept the report;
• Notify the applicant that the report has been referred for specialist review;
• Request amendments to the report; or
• Reject the report if it does not materially comply with regulations.
© Aurecon (2012) No unauthorised reproduction, copy
or adaptation, in whole or in part, may be made.
P:\Projects\108495 Kangnas WEF & PV EIA's\3 Project Delivery\4 Reports\FEIR\FEIR 210213 Final.doc