Table of Contents - SRK Consulting

Limpopo West Mine: Biodiversity and Impact Assessment2. TERMS OF REFERENCEThe Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Biodiversity Assessment was based on theToR received from the client and those specified in the Biodiversity Proposals.2.1. GeneralThe general ToR, set by the client, for all the specialists working on the project, aredetailed below: Characterise the existing state of the environment highlighting in the processkey vulnerabilities (or sensitivities), opportunities or other importantinformation; Ensure that the relevance of the information is described;Specify the size of the area (study domain) that needs to be assessed as afunction of your specialist field and/or the anticipated area where an impactmay manifest;List all the variables that are needed to characterise the baseline. Define anexisting state (or baseline) for each of these variables quantitatively whereverthis is possible and qualitatively where it is not;Highlight information that is not available, and define the importance of thatmissing information in respect of representativeness and what you have doneto address that missing information; Identify and quantify the environmental aspects 1 of the mining activitiesassociated with the different project phases; andAssess the degree to which the previously identified aspects will affect theexisting state of the environment from the LWM;Wherever possible link the aspects to the individual variables defined in termsof the baseline. Define, where applicable, a maximum acceptable level ofimpact for each of the variables identified (i.e. standards, limits, thresholds);Assess the impacts that may accrue and the significance of those impacts.Very importantly you will need to provide a robust argument for each of yourchosen qualifiers in the significance rating e.g. substantiate why extent isregional and not local, why duration is long term and so forth.Cumulative impacts to be assessed as per the mine related impacts, by reflecting thepotential intensity, extent duration etc.Wherever an impact can be reduced or prevented (or enhanced if it is a positiveimpact), regardless of impact significance, the manner of doing so must be detailed.Specific requirements are:1 Aspects are defined as elements of an organisation’s activities, products or services that may interactwith the environment. In broad terms aspects include resource use (electricity, water, raw materials),pollution (in the broadest sense of the word – waste water discharge, solid and liquid wastes, noise,light, heat etc.) and spending and job creation.2