Assessment Sample
EIA process through which Kalahari Resources (Pty) Ltd (KR) gained it permit
However, although there will be some negative consequences to the intended project as a result of the amount of time it will take to complete, it is possible to keep these bad consequences to an absolute bare minimum. The dewatering of underground mines has the consequence of limiting the amount of groundwater that is accessible for consumption. Due to the importance of these repercussions to other users, the relevance of these consequences to the management of drinking water resources has been categorized as moderate to medium in terms of their significance. Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as air pollution and noise levels, are all negatively impacted. As a result, it has an impact on traffic congestion as well as on the quality of the environment’s air (Yıldız,2020).
This means that all of the potential negative consequences, including groundwater and surface water contamination due to seepage from slime dams, landscape disturbance, aesthetic ramifications, wildlife reintroduction as well as noise and traffic impact, are likely to occur throughout the operating stages.
The building phase has a low to medium influence on air quality, whereas operation has a medium to high impact, closure has a low to medium impact, and the impact after closing is medium to high.” At any point throughout the building phase, the mine’s air quality impacts may be decreased to a level of relevance that is deemed to be of minimum concern.
Using the EIA report for KR, within the context of ISO14001, identify and discuss the likely significant environmental aspects, including details on how and where these aspects come about, the nature of their effect on the local and global environment
Furthermore, the greenhouse gas emissions from the project are linked to the operation of Eskom’s electrical distribution networks, which is a source of worry for the firm. A 132kV transmission line will be constructed from the Forum Substation on the Eskom grid, which is situated close to the mine, in order to provide the mine with the 40MW of electricity it requires.
The Coega IDZ Eskom infrastructure will be utilized to provide the 180MW of electricity required for the project, which will be connected to the national grid.
To make steel, coke or char fines will be used in the sinter plant, and electricity will be needed to operate the smelter. However, the technology that is now available has the potential to enhance energy efficiency and, as a consequence, lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the project’s activities in the long run. It is possible to achieve energy savings ranging from 10 percent to 30 percent throughout different stages of the project, which will directly contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Railroad pollution will be mostly caused by diesel-powered locomotives in the near future, according to the American Lung Association. Among the contaminants that will be detected in the air are particles, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide, and various hydrocarbon volatiles, among others. It is possible that regular maintenance of locomotive engines may lessen some of the harmful implications of their operation (Aung,2020).
The project is also exposed to the dangers of manganese dust and fugitive dust pollution; however, by using proper management practises throughout the project, these risks may be minimised to a significant extent. For example, at the sinter plant, a system of this kind will be implemented, which will be in conformity with ISO 14001 requirements.
According to the available evidence, pollution from smelting operations (such as CO NOx, fine metal particles, SOx Dioxins, waste water, and so on) is likely to pose a threat to the health and safety of smelting operations workers as well as the general public, including the general public’s health and safety. During the construction of the smelter, which will be situated in an industrial development zone designated by the Coega Development Corporation, a comprehensive environmental, occupational health, and safety programme is expected to be implemented. The Coega industrial development zone has already been subjected to an environmental impact assessment, which was successfully completed in the last year.
The “landscape nature” of the Kalahari Bushveld would be transformed and invaded as a consequence of the dam’s construction, making it less suited for animals to live in. The outcome of the discussion may have a detrimental impact on cultural heritage resources, although those sites that have been designated as such will be sufficiently protected regardless of how the argument is resolved.
Targets and environmental programmes put forth by KMF to reduce its environmental impacts.
In addition to the possibility of negative impacts on the local economy and tourism, it is likely that the project will pose health risks to employees and place a burden on local utilities as a result of the presence of workers from other regions on the job site and on the construction site. This is due to the presence of workers from other regions on the job site and on the construction site. As a result, there may be disagreements over employment opportunities. (Khosravi, 2019)
As a consequence of the planned project, which is projected to remain in operation for more than 30 years, it is envisaged that both provinces would benefit from long-term job and wealth-creation opportunities. One of the positive socio-economic implications of the project is that it will contribute to the resuscitation of mining in the Northern Cape, which is still relatively undeveloped at the time of writing. Approximately 1,000 direct jobs and 19,767 indirect jobs are expected to be generated throughout both provinces as a consequence of the initiative, according to estimates.
A rise in family income of R 767 million and an increase in family income of R 865 million is predicted in the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape in the next year, according to the World Bank. Because of this, it is estimated that family income would increase by R 3.2 billion, while tax revenue will increase by R 4.4 billion as the result of the programme.
Preservation and protection of archaeological and/or culturally important sites and artefacts would be among the objectives of the project’s management plans, which would also include a variety of other objectives (Hasan,2018).
A plan for environmental and social management has been developed by the project’s sponsors in order to avoid or, at the very least, mitigate any negative repercussions of the project’s execution. Among the information included in this paper is the project’s timetable, as well as the personnel who are responsible for each of the project’s several roles. It is envisaged that a formal Environmental Management System (EMS) will be developed within the scope of the project, which will meet or exceed the criteria stipulated by ISO 14001 and other relevant standards. A selection of the most significant initiatives now ongoing include the following:
As a result of the creation of a 1.5-kilometer buffer zone around the non-perennial river, invasions and interference with the river’s local surroundings will be reduced. The buffer zone will be developed in two stages. No surface development is expected to take place inside the buffer zone’s limits, according to the proposal.
Environmental contamination may be prevented by developing adequate chemical storage facilities, which must be done with great care and attention to detail.
Building important infrastructure components, such as the tailings dam, in accordance with appropriate regulatory requirements is expected to begin shortly.
Water management and retention facilities are used in order to minimise the quantity of water wasted while simultaneously increasing the amount of water discharged into the environment.
It is possible to limit erosion-induced losses and pollution to a bare minimum by using proper resource storage and management approaches.
Topsoil scraping should be kept to a maximum depth of 150mm in order to avoid causing structural damage to the soil under the surface.
It is necessary to choose and include ecologically beneficial plants into the design of a development before it can be considered environmentally friendly.
Including appropriate mitigation strategies in the design and building of transportation infrastructure may help to reduce air pollution.
Complying with occupational health and safety requirements in terms of training and working conditions is essential.
Preparations are ongoing for the control of environmental threats.
It is anticipated that the scope and execution of this project will pose a major threat to occupational health and safety.
It is possible that employees of will be exposed to potentially hazardous working conditions as a consequence of the nature of their occupations. According to OSHA rules, mining is associated with occupational hazards, and the individuals who are responsible for carrying out the operations should have the proper training and competencies to carry out their responsibilities in a professional and safe way. Miners face substantial personal danger when working underground, and it is critical that they understand this. Mining is one of the most dangerous sectors when it comes to industrial hazards, and it is also one of the most lethal. It is possible that mine employees may be injured or killed while doing their duties at the factory, and this is a serious likelihood. As a consequence, significant developments have been made in the safety regulations and auditing processes that apply to the mining industry in South Africa, and project proponents are now required to adhere to these stringent safety standards.
If the mine assures that all of its contractors adhere to the standards and procedures set by the business, as described above, all of these risks may be avoided. All mine personnel will have received the training and certifications they need in order to do their duties efficiently (Kannankeril,2018).
Communication skills
Visitors to the project who are not familiar with the safety precautions that have been put in place must be made aware of them. To deal with this problem, a project manager will be selected, as well as a representative from the Department of Occupational Health and Safety.
The project’s company is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all environmental clearances are carried out in accordance with the text of the law, which is a requirement of the project’s institutional requirements in this regard. When it comes to project implementation, contractors who wish to be called project implementers must abide by the terms and conditions of the contractual agreements they have entered into with the project owner.
In order to address environmental issues, the business Kalahari Resources intends to use a SHEQ contracting company during the construction process. A department responsible for safety, health, and environmental protection will be part of the management team at the Umtu Mine once operations begin. Other departments will also be part of the management team once activities at the Umtu Mine begin. During the building phase, an Environmental Control Officer (ECO) will be engaged on a full-time basis to manage the project’s environmental controls and compliance. It is anticipated that the Environmental Compliance Officer’s (ECO) responsibilities will be transferred to the project company’s Safety, Health, and Environmental Quality (SHEQ) department in order to guarantee that the mine is fully operational. In order to ensure that the EMP is being followed, it is anticipated that the ECO on-site will be present at all relevant project meetings, as well as conducting inspections to provide comment on any potential environmental problems that may arise during the mine’s development. ECO on-site will be responsible for ensuring that the EMP is followed. Environmental consultants are also responsible for interacting with the appropriate authorities, collaborating with contractors, and conducting periodic monitoring as part of their responsibilities as consultants.
Conclusion
Some of the costs associated with environmental and social management have been included into previous mine operating designs, allowing for the provision of ecologically and socially acceptable alternatives. If the mine’s operations are stopped early, a guarantee in the amount of Rand 43.8 million will be provided for environmental rehabilitation. Following completion and money generation from the project, the environmental trust will take the place of the guarantee funds.
Participation in public consultations and sharing of information are both crucial components of this process.
It will be discussed in this part how attempts were made to contact affected organisations and other significant stakeholders, such as civil society organisations, as well as the documents that were revealed and subjected to public comment. In addition, a summary of the outcomes of public consultations will be provided, as well as an explanation of how the concerns presented during the consultations were addressed and resolved.
References
Aung, T.S., Fischer, T.B. and Shengji, L., 2020. Evaluating environmental impact assessment (EIA) in the countries along the belt and road initiatives: System effectiveness and the compatibility with the Chinese EIA. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 81, p.106361.
Bond, A., Pope, J., Fundingsland, M., Morrison-Saunders, A., Retief, F. and Hauptfleisch, M., 2020. Explaining the political nature of environmental impact assessment (EIA): A neo-Gramscian perspective. Journal of cleaner production, 244, p.118694.
Hasan, M.A., Nahiduzzaman, K.M. and Aldosary, A.S., 2018. Public participation in EIA: A comparative study of the projects run by government and non-governmental organizations. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 72, pp.12-24.
Kannankeril, J., Carroll, T., Findling, J.W., Javorsky, B., Gunsolus, I.L., Phillips, J. and Raff, H., 2020. Prospective evaluation of late-night salivary cortisol and cortisone by EIA and LC-MS/MS in suspected Cushing syndrome. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 4(10), p.bvaa107.
Khosravi, F., Jha-Thakur, U. and Fischer, T.B., 2019. Enhancing EIA systems in developing countries: A focus on capacity development in the case of Iran. Science of the total environment, 670, pp.425-432.
Loomis, J.J. and Dziedzic, M., 2018. Evaluating EIA systems’ effectiveness: a state of the art. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 68, pp.29-37.
Swangjang, K., 2018. Comparative review of EIA in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 72, pp.33-42.
Yıldız, T.D., 2020. The impacts of EIA procedure on the mining sector in the permit process of mining operating activities & Turkey analysis. Resources Policy, 67, p.101681.
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