concept EIA-rapport - Staatsolie

SRK Consulting: Project No: 439414 Staatsolie Pipeline EIA – Draft EIA Report Page 58
affected, by taking into account the likely perceived importance of the impact and the ability of
people to manage and adapt to the change;
• The nature of the impact receptor (physical, biological, or human). Where the receptor is
physical (e.g. a water resource) its quality, sensitivity to change and importance will be
considered. Where the receptor is biological, its importance (e.g. its local, regional, national or
international importance) and its sensitivity to the impact will be considered. For a human
receptor, the sensitivity of the household, community or wider societal group will be considered
along with their ability to adapt to and manage the effects of the impact; and
• The probability that the identified impact will occur. This is estimated based upon experience
and/or evidence that such an outcome has previously occurred.
For this assessment, the impact significance rating should be considered by NIMOS and Staatsolie
in their decision-making processes based on the definitions of ratings ascribed below:
• INSIGNIFICANT: the potential impact is negligible and will not have an influence on the
decision regarding the proposed activity.
• VERY LOW: the potential impact is very small and should not have any meaningful influence on
the decision regarding the proposed activity.
• LOW: the potential impact may not have any meaningful influence on the decision regarding the
proposed activity.
• MEDIUM: the potential impact should influence the decision regarding the proposed activity.
• HIGH: the potential impact will affect the decision regarding the proposed activity.
• VERY HIGH: The proposed activity should only be approved under special circumstances.
In the report, practicable mitigation and optimisation measures are recommended and impacts were
rated in the prescribed way both without and with the assumed effective implementation of mitigation
and optimisation measures. Mitigation and optimisation measures are either:
• Essential: must be implemented and are non-negotiable; and.
• Optional: must be shown to have been considered and sound reasons provided by the
proponent if not implemented 27 .
Negative impacts (with mitigation) rated high or very high should be shaded in red, while positive
impacts (with optimisation) rated high or very high should be shaded green.
SRK recognises that many of the recommended mitigation measures are routinely incorporated into
design, construction methods and operating systems; they are nevertheless explicitly listed in this
report so as to provide a comprehensive suite of mitigation measures. Note that only key measures
are incorporated in the impact significance rating tables presented in this chapter – the
comprehensive suite of measures is presented in the EMMP in Section 6.9.
6.1.4 Integration of Studies into the EIA Report, and Review
The completed specialist studies and their findings have been integrated into the EIA Report. The
key findings of each specialist were evaluated in relation to each other to provide an overall and
integrated assessment of the project impacts.
27 Generally management measures are phrased as firm and unequivocal actions. Where management measures are
(purposefully) phrased in such a manner that they should be considered or further investigated before deciding to proceed,
SRK expects and assumes that Staatsolie will do so through rigorous and documented evaluation procedures.
REUT/DALC 439414_StaatsoliePipelineEIA_Draft EIA Report_Final June 2012