State of the Bay Report 2010-Final - Anchor Environmental

Anchor Environmental
Upgrades to the iron ore terminal that will impact the marine environment include:
Deepening of shipping channels
Disposal of dredged materials
Possible reclamation into the bay using dredged materials
Addition of 2 new shipping berths
Addition of 3 stockpile areas
Three alternatives are currently being considered for the addition of the stockpile areas
(PDNA and SRK Consulting 2006), namely;
1. Southward expansion requiring reclamation of approximately 50 ha of the bay
2. Northward expansion of approximately 36 ha into the undeveloped dune area
3. Eastward expansion of approximately 55 ha into the reclamation dam
An environmental impact assessment was initiated for the project in 2008, but has since
been put on hold and is currently in a pre-feasibility stage (N. Jansen – Port of Saldanha pers. comm.
2011).
4.3.2 Development of the Salamander Bay Boat yard
The Special Forces Regiment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)
commenced the construction of a boat park in Salamander Bay at the entrance to Langebaan Lagoon
in 2009, designed to house boats belonging to the regiment. The shores within Salamander Bay are
dominated by sandy beaches and are considered sheltered. Soft bottom habitat dominates the
subtidal benthos, which attains depths of no greater than 5 m. In order to increase the size of the
boat house an area of 550 m 2 within the rocky intertidal zone was excavated and an area of 275 m 2
of subtidal soft bottom habitat was dredged to allow for the placement of two column footings and
25 wet column bases.
The construction activities commenced before an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
had been conducted. An EIA was commissioned retrospectively in terms of section 24G of the
National Environmental Management Act (Act no 107 of 1998). A marine ecology report was
compiled as part of the EIA which assessed the impacts which had already occurred through the
development of the boat yard, and the potential impacts which may result through the long-term
use of the facility. The excavation of the intertidal and subtidal areas involved the mechanical
removal of large boulders and the dredging of sediments. It was indicated that the impact of this
excavation was of a high consequence as it resulted in a permanent loss of habitat and organisms in
both the intertidal and subtidal zones. However, the affected area was acknowledged to be small,
and the habitat common to the Saldanha Bay system.
The dredging of the subtidal zone, which took place between May 2009 and May 2010, led
to the release of a grey coloured sediment plume. Chemical analyses of the water and the dredged
sediment indicated that there had been no contamination of cadmium or arsenic and only slightly
elevated levels of lead and organic material were detected. The impact of the dredging was
considered to be of a low intensity as it was local in extent and occurred intermittently, while the
impacts associated with the presence of the plume were considered to be of low consequence and
significance for the marine environment. The potentially very serious impacts that may result from
the unearthing of iron-sulphide rich sediment were prevented by a combination of natural features
and mitigation measures. Sediments were contained behind the quay wall and then removed from
State of the Bay 2010: Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon 53