2 Otjikoto Final EIA Report 5MB - Asecnam.com

SLR Namibia (Pty) Ltd
SLR Ref.733.01023.0002
Report No.1
Page xi
Overall because of the impacts of the waste rock dump, in particular views from the B1, the potential
impact is considered to be high in the unmitigated scenario but reduces to medium with mitigation.
Key mitigation measures therefore include:
� Special attention needs to be given to the entrance to the B1, as well as to the eastern section where
the new road diverges from the old. At these locations, a 2.5 meter natural looking berm needs to be
raised to act as a screening wall. The berms need to be planted with local endemic plants to ensure
that the views down the old road are screened;
� All painted surfaces should blend into the natural surroundings.
� Rehabilitation of all the faces of the WRD to grass / scrub bushes and some trees;
� Reduce the angle of the WRD slope if not suitable for rehabilitation;
� An agreement needs to be reached with the local municipality to ensure that the trees between the
railway line and the road are not removed; and
� For the closure phase:
o Auryx Gold will establish a mechanism to ensure that the rehabilitation of the mine is properly
funded to ensure that sufficient funds are available to implement the rehabilitation and mitigations
required for closure.
o All components of the infrastructure used during operation, apart from the WRD and TDF, must
be removed. The site must be visually ‘cleaned up’ so as to portray an uncluttered landscape.
o The ground where processing plants were located must be decontaminated and then covered by
the earth used for the berm and landscaped into a natural form in alignment with the natural
hydrological patterns.
Archaeology – The nature of the likely impacts on the archaeological sites include the direct impacts of
earthmoving activities and the indirect impacts of accelerated soil erosion caused by the clearance of
vegetation, and potential damage from blasting activities. Given the sensitive nature of the
archaeological sites and when taking into account existing impacts from on-site exploration activities, the
significance of these impacts without mitigation is high, but this could be reduced to low/medium with
mitigation, as follows:
� The sites identified by the specialist will be marked and protected, and the area within cleared of all
encroaching bush. In the case of QRS 83/ 1 & 2, if the cutline running past the site will be used in the
future, it should be re-routed to provide a 20m buffer around the site.
� A formal “No-Go Area” policy, as set out in the Otjikoto EMP, will be developed and implemented.
� All workers (temporary and permanent) will be educated about the archaeological sites that may be
encountered and appropriate training will be provided.
� In the event that mining activities will unavoidably encroach on the sites, the company is legally
obliged to take all necessary steps either to protect the sites, or to re-locate the burials according to
official directives. In the case of QRS 83/1 & 2, it may be appropriate to approach the National
Otjikoto Gold Mine EIA Report July 2012