environmental management plan - … st james... · l. training ... decommissioning of the...

Environmental Management Programme – Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Cluster Project DEA Ref: 12/12/20/2475 NEAS Ref: DEA/EIA/0000559/2011

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME For the proposed extension of the Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substations, including the Reconstruction of the existing Leksand-St James 88/22kV Powerline, and the construction of

the new proposed Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline, KwaZulu Natal. DEA Ref: 12/12/20/2475 NEAS Ref: DEA/EIA/0000559/2011.

June 2013

www.ksems.co.za Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc

Phone: 031 769 1578 Fax: 031 769 1579 Cell: 082 823 1844 E- Mail: [email protected]

P.O. Box 396; Gillitts; 3603 Company Registration no: 1999/049452/23

Members: K.A. Stanton (Director)

mailto:[email protected]


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AUTHORS

This Report was prepared by Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc Kerry Seppings BSc (Hons) MSc EAPSA certified Lead Environmental Consultant and Director

Certifications: Certified by the Environmental Assessment Practitioners of South Africa (EAPSA) Tertiary Education: University of Natal, Durban BSc (Hons) - Estuarine Ecology (Major), Urban Biogeography (Ecology) (Major) MSc awarded cum laude

Environmental Management and Open Space Planning Thesis “Developing an Open Space System for the Queensburgh Municipal Area”

Work Experience: 1993-1994 Queensburgh Municipality - Unofficial Environmental Advisor for duration of MSc 1994-1995 IDEAS- Partner in Environmental Consultancy

1995-1998 Environment Branch, North and South Central Local Council- Professional Environmental Officer 1999 - present; Director Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc.

Calum Cockerill BSS Environmental Consultant

Tertiary Education: University of KwaZulu Natal, Howard College, Durban BSs – Geography and Environmental Management Work Experience: 2009-2010; Environmental Officer/ Assistant Project Manager for Siyavusa Construction

2011- Present; Environmental Consultant for Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc Detailed CV’s and proof of certifications and degrees are available on request.


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Contents: 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

1.1 Background .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Objectives of the EMPr ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 1.3 Assigned responsibility ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 1.4 Compliance ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 1.5 Monitoring .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

1.6 Summary of the environmental process followed ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.7 Applicable legislation ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 1.8 Layout of the EMPr .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

2.0 Proposal ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.1 Site description .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Proposal .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

2.3 Specialists studies .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.1 Summary and recommendations of the wetland report ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.2 Summary and recommendations of the vegetation assessment .............................................................................................................................................. 22 2.3.3 Summary and recommendations of the heritage assessment .................................................................................................................................................. 23 2.3.4 Summary and recommendations of the avifauna assessment ................................................................................................................................................. 24

2.4 Procedures for environmental related emergencies and remediation ....................................................................................................................................... 25 2.4.1 Potential environmental incidences / emergencies.................................................................................................................................................................... 25 2.4.2 Response to environmental emergencies ................................................................................................................................................................................. 46 2.5 Environmental awareness plan .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 46

3.0 General administration ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 EMONDLO, ST JAMES, AND LEKSAND SUBSTATIONS 1: PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION CAMP INCEPTION, AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS A. Site Establishment ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 B. Vegetation Clearing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 C. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50 D. Sourcing Materials ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 50 E. Resource use and conservation ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 50 F. Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 50 G. Waste management ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 H. Stockpiles and Materials ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 51 I. Waste water ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 J. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 K. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52 L. Training ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52 M. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash Bay ....................................................................................................................................................................... 52 N. Conduct ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52 O. Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53


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P. Emergency Response ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 53 Q. Occupational Health & Safety .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53 R. Traffic, Access, Road ways and Equipment on site................................................................................................................................................................... 53 2: CONSTRUCTION: A. Vegetation Clearing and Rehabilitation ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 54 B. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54 C. Sourcing Materials ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 54 D. Resource use and conservation ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 55 E Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 F. Waste management ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 G. Stock Piles and Materials ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 H. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 I. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 J. Training ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 K. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash Bay ....................................................................................................................................................................... 59 L. Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 M. Conduct ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 N. Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 O. Emergency Response ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 60 P. Occupational Health & Safety .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60 Q. Traffic, Access, Road ways and Equipment on site................................................................................................................................................................... 60 3: POST CONSTRUCTION: A. Site Camp Decommissioning ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60 B. Vegetation Clearing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60 C. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 61 D. Sourcing Materials ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 E. Resource use and conservation ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 61 F. Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 G. Waste management ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 H. Stockpiles ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 I. Waste water ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 J. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 K. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 L. Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 M. Conduct ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 N. Occupational Health & Safety .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 O. Traffic, Access, Road ways and Equipment on site................................................................................................................................................................... 62 4: OPERATIONAL: A. Vegetation Clearing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 B. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 62 C. Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62


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D. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 E. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 EMONDLO-ST JAMES 88/22kV POWERLINE, AND LEKSAND-ST JAMES 88KV POWERLINE 1: PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION CAMP INCEPTION, AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: A. Site Establishment ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64 B. Vegetation Clearing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64 C. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 65 D. Sourcing Materials ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65 E. Resource use and conservation ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 65 F. Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65 G. Waste management ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 H. Stock Piles and Materials ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 I. Waste water ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 J. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 K. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 L. Training ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 M. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash Bay ....................................................................................................................................................................... 68 N. Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 68 O. Conduct ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 68 P. Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 68 Q. Emergency Response ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 68 R. Occupational Health & Safety .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 68 S. Traffic, Access, Road ways and Equipment on site................................................................................................................................................................... 69 2: CONSTRUCTION: A. Vegetation Clearing and Rehabilitation ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 B. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 69 C. Sourcing Materials ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 D. Resource use and conservation ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 70 E. Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 70 F. Waste management ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 72 G. Stock Piles and Materials ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 72 H. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 72 I. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 J. Training ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 K. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash Bay ....................................................................................................................................................................... 74 L. Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74 M. Conduct ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74 N. Air Quality ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75 O. Emergency Response ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 75 P. Occupational Health & Safety .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75 Q. Traffic, Access, Road ways and Equipment on site................................................................................................................................................................... 75


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R. Specialist Conditions .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75 3: POST CONSTRUCTION: A. Site Camp Decommissioning ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76 B. Vegetation Clearing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76 C. Stormwater ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 76 D. Sourcing Materials ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 E. Resource use and conservation ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 77 F. Incidents / spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 G. Waste management ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 H. Stockpiles ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 I. Waste water ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 J. Hazardous storage and disposal ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 K. Erosion Control .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 L. Sensitive Habitats ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 M. Conduct ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 N. Traffic, Access, Road ways and Equipment on site................................................................................................................................................................... 78 4: OPERATIONAL: B. Vegetation Clearing ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 F. Incidents / spills ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 78 5: DECOMMISSIONING OF THE SUBSTATION AND POWERLINE ..................................................................................................................................................... 79 Appendices Appendix 1: Letter of acceptance of EMPr ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 80 Appendix 2: EMPr checklist ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81 Appendix 3: EMP audit form ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 82 Appendix 4: Complaints register ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 83 Appendix 5: Non conformance record ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 84 Appendix 6: Emergency response plan .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 85 Appendix 7: Incident record ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 89 Appendix 8: Example of an emergency incident report form (Source: DEA website) ............................................................................................................................... 90 Appendix 9: Environmental awareness plan/ Environmental Toolbox Talks ............................................................................................................................................ 97 Appendix 10: Training Record ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 106 Appendix 11: Spill Response Plan .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 107 Appendix 12: Stormwater Management Plan .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 110 Appendix 13: Existing Access Roads Capable of Handling Eskom Construction Vehicles .................................................................................................................... 113 Appendix 14: Avifaunal sensitivity maps showing zones through which Leksand-St James 88kV powerline will require collision mitigation measures (Source: Figure 19, EWT, 2012) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 130 Appendix 15: Avifaunal sensitivity maps showing zones through which Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline will require collision mitigation measures (Source: Figure 19, EWT, 2012) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 132


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Figures Figure 1: Aerial photograph showing the location of the Emondlo Substation site (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ......................................................................... 14 Figure 2: Aerial photograph showing the location of the St James Substation site (Image source: Google Earth 2012 ........................................................................ .15 Figure 3: Aerial photograph showing the location of the Leksand Substation site (Image source: Google Earth 2012 .......................................................................... .16 Figure 4: Aerial photograph showing the route of the preferred Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude in blue, existing 22kV feeder lines shown in orange (Image source: Google Earth 2012) .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Figure 5: Aerial photograph showing the existing Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012) .................................. 18 Figure 6: Example of 220ltr metal drum used to store contaminated soil (Source: KSEMS) ................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 7: Occupational health and safety (http://www.alpinesafety.co.uk/acatalog/Intermediate.jpg) ...................................................................................................... 53 Figure 8: An example of a mixing tray used to mix cement ...................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Figure 9: An example of a spillage on site that will need to be cleaned up using a spill kit (www.spillcontainment.com) ........................................................................ 56 Figure 10: An example of hazardous material which has not been properly stored and is leaking on to bare soil. Hazardous material must always be kept separate from other storage areas and must be bunded .......................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Figure 11: Example of 220ltr metal drum used to store contaminated soil (Source: KSEMS) ................................................................................................................. 64 Figure 12: Occupational health and safety (http://www.alpinesafety.co.uk/acatalog/Intermediate.jpg) .................................................................................................... 68 Figure 13: An example of a mixing tray used to mix cement .................................................................................................................................................................... 70 Figure 14: An example of a spillage on site that will need to be cleaned up using a spill kit (www.spillcontainment.com) ...................................................................... 71 Figure 15: An example of hazardous material which has not been properly stored and is leaking on to bare soil. Hazardous material must always be kept separate from other storage areas and must be bunded .......................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Figure 16: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom Construction Vehicles along the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012) .................................................................................................................. 114 Figure 17: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom Construction Vehicles along the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012) .................................................................................................................. 115 Figure 18: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom Construction Vehicles along the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012) .................................................................................................................. 116 Figure 19: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 117 Figure 20: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 118 Figure 21: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 119 Figure 22: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 120 Figure 23: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 121 Figure 24: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 122 Figure 25: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 123

http://www.alpinesafety.co.uk/acatalog/Intermediate.jpg

http://www.spillcontainment.com/


http://www.spillcontainment.com/


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Figure 26: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 124 Figure 27: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 125 Figure 28: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 126 Figure 29: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 127 Figure 30: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 128 Figure 31: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012) ................................................................................................... 129

Acronyms

DEA Department of Environmental Affairs

DWA Department of Water Affairs

EA Environmental Authorisation

EAP Environmental Assessment Practitioner

ECO Environmental Control Officer

EMPr Environmental Management Programme

I&AP Interested and Affected Party


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1.0. Introduction 1.1. Background

Eskom Holdings S O C Ltd proposes to extend the Emondlo, St James and Leksand Substation yards, and reconstruct the existing Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline and establish the new Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline near Nqutu, south of Vryheid in KwaZulu Natal. Eskom Distribution has identified the need for the strengthening of supply to support the growing electrical demand in the Nquthu and Nondweni areas in KwaZulu Natal. With the expected future loads around Nquthu and Nondweni areas, the existing Bloedriver-Craigside 88kV Line 1 and Line 2 as well as Malonjeni-Leksand 88kV lines will overload, and the St James, Leksand and Malonjeni 88kV busbars will experience a drain on the network which will reduce the supply of electricity to the area. In order for the supply of electricity to these areas to remain consistent and Eskom to meet further electricity demand in the area this development is required. Calum Cockerill from KSEMS cc undertook the initial site visit for the proposed development. The Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) for the development has been compiled using the information gathered from site visits conducted for the BAR, aerial photography, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) GIS website, specialists reports undertaken for the BAR, and 1 in 50 000 topographical maps of the region.

1.2 Objectives of the EMPr

The objective of the Environmental Implementation Plan (EMPr) is to provide measures to mitigate and manage construction, operation and decommissioning activities in order to minimize potential negative impacts on the surrounding environment. This is achieved by;

Assigning environmental impact mitigation responsibilities to key personnel;

Developing specific action plans designed to ensure mitigation;

Managing and auditing the specified action plans; and

Managing stakeholder involvement. Integrated Environmental Management Principles (IEM) have been used as a foundation for the development of this EMPr and must be strictly applied during its implementation.

1.3 Assigned responsibility In order for the EMPr to be effectively implemented the following inputs will be required; Applicant – Eskom Holdings S O C Ltd are responsible for the following:

Ensuring that the engineer and contractors comply with the approved EMPr.

Ensuring compliance with the provisions for duty of care and remediation of damage in accordance with section 28 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), (No. 107 of 1998) and its obligations regarding the control of emergency incidents in terms of Section 30 of NEMA.

Notifying the DEA of any incident as defined in subsection 30(1)(a) of NEMA. Project Manager – Engineer is responsible for the following:

Appointing the appropriately qualified contractor to co-ordinate, supervise and expedite different action plans.

Ensuring adherence to the DEA conditions of authorization and any other laws and standards relevant to the construction of the facility.

Ensuring all elements of the work undertaken are properly and competently directed, guided and executed at appointed stages of the project.

Ensuring the adherence to statutory safety, health and environment (SHE) standards and ensuring the construction activities comply with the EMPr.

Monitoring the site and line corridor on a daily basis to ensure compliance.


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Overall responsibility and accountability for the site during the construction phase.

Avoiding and/or mitigating adverse impacts on the environment by the appropriate design and construction.

Ensuring transparency in their operation and environmental management of the site and line corridor.

Managing the contractors compliance and ensure documentation management.

Ensuring that the contractor has a copy of the EMPr and all agreed Method Statements. Contractors are responsible for the following:

Managing and operating their activities with due care and diligence.

Complying with all elements of the EMPr.

Ensuring that stakeholder interest is reported to the ECO.

Maintaining relevant documentation for review by the ECO. ECO (Environmental Control Officer) is responsible for the following:

Determining the conformance of the site with the EMPr criteria and compliance with the conditions of the EMPr.

Identification of possible areas of improvement during construction.

Undertaking ongoing monitoring of the construction site through regular site visits and record key findings. This includes photographic monitoring of the construction site. The frequency of these visits will be determined by the stage of the project.

Advising the Project Manager and the contractors on environmental matters during the construction phase of the development.

Monitoring implementation of the EMPr by the contractor.

Advising the project manager on actions or issues impacting on the environment and provide appropriate recommendations to address and rectify these matters.

Monitor compliance with the EA.

NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF CONTACT PERSONS The following list of contacts must be printed and made clearly visible on the site.

Name Designation Organization Contact number

Sifiso Ntombela Eskom Environmental Officer Eskom Holdings S O C Ltd 0317 10 5752

Kerry Stanton Independent Environmental Practitioner Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc

0828231844/ 031 769 1578

Calum Cockerill Independent Environmental Practitioner Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc

072 292 2818/ 031 769 1578

DEA Official DEA General Enquiries: Tel: 012 395 1694 Contact: Nyilo Ngoveni

DWA Official DWA 031 336 2742

Police SAPS Emergencies: Tel: 031 361 0000 General Enquiries: Tel: 031 300 3399

Emergency Spill Response EnviroServ Hazmat Services(24 Hour response for oil and chemical spills on land or water)

24 hr Emergency Response 0800 147 112 Consultant-031 902-1526


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Emergency Spill Response Drizit Environmental (24 Hour response for oil and chemical spills on land or water)

24 hr Emergency Response 0800 202 202 Consultant-031 274 2300

Emergency Spill Response Hazclean (24 Hour response for oil and chemical spills on land or water)

24 hr Emergency Response

Mhlathuze Landfill Permitted General Waste Sites (for All Non-Hazardous Waste)

Richards Bay (035-907 5789/90)

Used oil ROSE Foundation (for the free collection of used lubricating oil)

086 110 1961

1.4. Compliance

A copy of the EMPr must be available on site at all times. Compliance with all elements of the EMPr must be reviewed on a daily basis by the site engineer and all responsible parties must sign the acceptance letter in appendix 1. In addition it must be noted as per the Environment Conservation Act, and the National Environmental Management Act No 107 of 1998 (Section 28) offending parties will be held financially accountable for any pollution or environmental damage.

1.5. Monitoring The key to a successful EMPr is appropriate monitoring and review to ensure effective functioning of the EMPr and to identify and implement corrective measures in a timely manner. Monitoring for non-compliance must be done on a daily basis (using appendices 3-15) by the contractors under the guidance of the project manager / engineer. An appropriately timed audit report should be compiled by the ECO. All monitoring reports must be completed by the ECO. Paramount to the reporting to the reporting of non-conformance and incidents is that appropriate corrective and preventative action plans are developed and adhered to. Photographic records of all incidents and non-conformances must be retained. All non-compliances and any deviation from the conditions set out in the EMPr must be reported within 14 days of occurrence.

1.6. Summary of the environmental process followed The EIA process is a planning tool that assists with the assessment of social and environmental impacts through independent specialist input and public participation. The role of the EAP is to provide independent specialist input, manage the public participation and consolidate all relevant information culminating in the BAR and EMPr [Regulation 22 (2)]. The purpose of the BAR is to assess environmental impact and illustrate significance according to the extent, intensity and duration, taking into account specialist input and I & AP comment. All of this is done with the intent of making recommendations to reduce or avoid the negative impacts of the proposal. Ultimately a statement on whether or not the project should go ahead is made. Another important function of the BAR is the inclusion of the EMPr. The EMPr is a document where the findings of the BAR have been translated into measurable actions that must occur during construction and operation in order to mitigate identified environmental impacts. The EMPr is intended as a standalone, public document that becomes legally binding should the BAR be approved.


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EIA PROCESS

The current application is undergoing a Basic Assessment and as such the following steps have or will be followed:

An application form was submitted to the National Environmental Authority (DEA) on the 3/11/2011.

The application has been advertised in the Illanga and Mercury Newspapers on the ? of January 2013.

Signboards have been placed at the Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation Sites and along the Proposed Powerline Servitude and notices have also been handed out at the Othaka, Molefe, and Hlahlindlela at the

traditional Councils, and the Ward Councilors in the AbaQulisi and Nquthu Local Municipality for circulation within the community.

The following steps were followed during the public participation process.

Signboards were erected at the Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation Sites and along the corridor route on the 5

th of September 2011, the application was advertised in the Isolezwe and Mercury Newspapers

on the ? of January 2013.

First Public Meeting at the Othaka Traditional Authority on the 14th of March 2012 to discuss the proposed project and Basic Assessment process. Notices have been handed to the local Inkosi’s and community members for circulation within the community on the 14

th of March 2012, the handouts had been translated

into Zulu.

Second Public Meeting at the Molefe Traditional Authority on the 14th of March 2012 to discuss the proposed project and Basic Assessment process. Notices have been handed to the local Inkosi’s and community members for circulation within the community on the 14th of March 2012, the handouts had been translated into Zulu.

Third Public Meeting at the AbaQulusi Local Municipality with Ward Councillors, Municipal Managers, and the Hlahlindlela Traditional Authority on the 5th of September 2012 to discuss the proposed project and Basic Assessment process. Notices have been handed to the local Inkosi’s, ward councillors and community members for circulation within the community on the 5th of September 2012 , the handouts had been translated into Zulu.

Fourth Public Meeting at the Nquthu Local Municipality with Ward Councillors and Municipal Managers, on the 5th of September 2012 to discuss the proposed project and Basic Assessment process. Notices have been handed to the ward councillors members for circulation within the community on the 5th of September 2012 , the handouts had been translated into Zulu.

The following authorities and interest groups have also been notified on the 11

th of January 2011: Department of

Water Affairs (DWA), AMAFA Heritage KZN, WESSA, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Department of agriculture, forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Department of Agriculture, and Environmental Affairs (DAEA), Bird Life South Africa, Umzinyatha District Muncipality, Nquthu Local Muncipality, Zululand District Muncipality, AbaQulisi Local

Municpality, and the Ingonyama Trust.

The Basic Assessment report has been produced detailing impacts. This has been made accessible to all registered I &APs and to the authorities for comment and review.

I & APs are requested to provide comment within 40 days. All comments received will be included in a final

Basic Assessment report which will be submitted to DEA for approval.

DEA have 30 days after acknowledging receipt of the report to accept/reject the BAR and a further 30 days to

provide an Environmental Authorization approving or rejecting the proposal.

Current

status

I&AP Input

I&AP Input


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1.7. Applicable Legislation The following environmental legislation must be adhered to;

Constitution of South Africa Act No. 108 of 1996 National Environmental Management Act No 107 of 1998 – NEMA Environment Conservation Act No 73 of 1989 Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 1983 Paris Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage National Forests Act 1998 National Heritage Resources Act No 25 of 1999 National Water Act No 36 of 1998 National Water Resources Strategy 2004 Hazardous Substances Act No 15 of 1973 Hazardous Chemical Substance regulations 1995 Environmental Regulations for Workplaces 1987 General Administrative Regulations 2003 Construction Regulations 2003 National Standards (SANS10103:2003) Occupational Health & Safety Act No 85 of 1993 & Noise induced Hearing Loss Regulations 2003 National Environmental Management: Waste Act No 59 of 2008 Protected species – provincial ordinances National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act No 10 of 2004 National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act No 39 of 2004 National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977 Electricity Act No 41 of 1987 Eskom Conversion Act No 13 of 2001 Eskom Act No 40 of 1987 as amended by the Eskom Amendment Act No 51 of 1991 White Paper on the Energy Policy of the Republic of South Africa (December 1998) Agricultural Pests Act No 36 of 1983 Fencing Act No 31 of 1963 Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act No 36 of 1947 Forest Act No 122 of 1984 Land Survey Act No 9 of 1921 Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act No 28 of 2002 Municipal Structures Act No 117 of 1998

1.8. Layout of the EMPr

This EMPr is site and impact specific. Sections 1 and 2 are introductory sections whilst section 3 forms the bulk of the report. Section 3 has been designed so that each element is investigated for the different phases of development i.e. site inception, construction, post construction, operation and decommissioning. Where possible a photographic illustration has been included to assist with implementation of the EMPr. The layout of this EMPr allows for the users to quickly and efficiently locate and use relevant sections as the need arises. Example, in the event of a diesel spill on site the contractor can quickly locate and apply Section 2.E of the EMPr.


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2.0. Proposal

2.1. Site Description Figure 1: Aerial photograph showing the location of the Emondlo Substation site (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Figure 2: Aerial photograph showing the location of the St James Substation site (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Figure 3: Aerial photograph showing the location of the Leksand Substation site (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Figure 4: Aerial photograph showing the route of the preferred Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude in blue, existing 22kV feeder lines shown in orange (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Figure 5: Aerial photograph showing the existing Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Directions to the Substation sites: Traveling on the N3 North bound towards Harrismith take the 230 exit for the N11/R616 towards Ladysmith/Bergville. At the stop street turn right onto the N11/R616 and continue onto the N11. Travel along the N11 for approximately 14.5 kms and take the off-ramp for the N11, at the top of the off-ramp turn right onto the N11. Continue on the N11 through Ladysmith for approximately 27.7 kms until you reach the turn off for the R602 on you right. Turn right onto the R602 and continue for approximately 44 kms to Dundee, travel through Dundee turn right onto Karel Landman Street then left onto Victoria Street/R33. Continue on Victoria Street/R33 for approximately 6 kms until you reach the turn off to the R68 on the right hand side, turn right onto the R68 and continue for approximately 26 kms where the Leksand Substation will be directly on your left hand side. Continue on the R68 for approximately 18.5 kms where the turn off to the St James Substation site will be situated on the left hand left of the road, turn left into St James Substation yard. When exiting the St James Substation site turn left onto the R68/Manzolwandle Rd and travel for approximately 950 metres to the traffic lights in Nquthu and turn left onto Iswandlwana Rd. Continue on Iswandlwana Rd for 31.4 kms where you will come to a four-way junction with Iswandlwana Rd, turn right onto Unknown Dirt Rd and travel for approximately 8 kms where the Emondlo Substation will be directly on your right.

Land cover & Vegetation: The land cover surrounding the Emondlo Substation site is Income Grassland which is tall and dominated by Hyparrhenia filipendula and Sporobolus africanus, and in areas pockets of Cymbopogon excavatus and Hyparrhenia hirta raise to the level of the grassland. The land cover surrounding the Leksand Substation site is Income Grassland is best preserved grassland area throughout the development, the land cover surrounding the St James Substation site is Income Grassland that is very short grassland dominated by Aristida junciformis and Sporobolus africanus due to the heavy impact of humans in this area. The land cover that the Preferred Emondlo-St James 88kV Powerline development traverses is dominated by four vegetation types, these being Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland, Income Sandy Grassland, Northern KwaZulu-Natal Mist Grassland, and Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetlands. The Income Sandy Grassland is the largest vegetation group in the study area, Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetland is limited to the low lying areas of the valley bottoms, the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland is found in limited pockets scattered in the landscape, and the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Grasslands is limited to a small area to the south-east around the town of Nquthu. The Leksand-St James 88kV Powerline passes over Income Grassland which is the dominate vegetation type except for one area where the powerline passes over a short distance of high ground west of Hlati-Dlamini on which Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland is the dominate vegetation type. (INDIflora cc, 2012) Gradient: The Emondlo Substation site has been constructed on a platform due to its position in the landscape, the gradient of the Emondlo Substation site is approximately 1:20-50 from North-East to South-West. The St James Substation site has been constructed on area of flat land, the gradient of the St James Substation site is approximately 1:60. The Leksand Substation site has been constructed on area of flat land, the gradient of the Leksand Substation site is approximately 1:50 from North-West to South-East. Co-ordinates: Latitude (S): Longitude (E): Substation Sites: Emondlo Substation Site: 27°57'50.10"S 30°41'15.31"E St James Substation Site: 28°12'50.30"S 30°40'0.91"E Leksand Substation Site: 28°14'10.30"S 30°29'19.70"E Powerline Servitude: Emondlo-St James 88kV Powerline: (Preferred Alternative): Start Point: 27°57'50.10"S 30°41'15.31"E


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Mid Point: 28° 5'47.35"S 30°38'11.15"E End Point: 28°12'50.30"S 30°40'0.91"E Leksand-St James 88kV Powerline: Start Point: 28°14'10.30"S 30°29'19.70"E Mid Point: 28°13'27.08"S 30°34'6.00"E End Point: 28°12'50.30"S 30°40'0.91"E Surrounding Land use: The Emondlo Substation site is located within an Income Grassland area used by the local community to graze livestock. There are rural homesteads approximately 200m to the North of the Emondlo substation site on the left hand side of the Unknown Dirt Road. The Leksand Substation site is located within an Income Grassland area on land that is owned by My Andrew Adams which he farms, Mr Andrew Adams has farming offices/sheds approximately 1000m to the North of the Leksand substation site, and the R68 road is situated to the South of the Leksand Substation Site. The St James Substation site is located within an Income Grassland area which is situated within the town of Nquthu, the area directly surrounding the site is Income Grassland that has been heavy impacted on by the community. There is a commercial shopping centre approximately 150 metres to the East of the St James Substation, residential housing is situated to the 450 metres to the North and 250 metres to the South of the St James Substation site, and the R68 road is situated to the South. Existing Infrastructure and Services: There is little existing infrastructure and services surrounding the Emondlo and Leksand Substation site, the only infrastructure noted around the Emondlo Substation are Eskom 22kV powerlines which are supplying electricity to the area and the Unknown Dirt Rd. The existing infrastructure and services surrounding the Leksand Substation site are Eskom 22kV and 88kV powerlines, Telkom lines on T-poles, and the R68. It is possible that waterlines and agriculture water lines could be situated in the area surrounding the substation site but no markers indicting the presence of these pipelines have been noted. There is multiple infrastructure and services surrounding the St James Substation site, the majority of these services are Municipal services that supply the town of Nquthu, these services include water mains, waste water and sewage lines, electrical lines, Telkom lines on T-poles, and the R68 road. The is little to no infrastructure or services in the area surrounding the Preferred Emondlo-St James 88kV Powerline until the powerline enters the town Nquthu, existing Eskom 22kV powerlines and Municipal water pipelines are the only infrastructure and services present in the area. The is little to no infrastructure or services in the areas surrounding the existing Leksand-St James 88kV Powerline until the powerline enters the town Nquthu, existing Eskom 22kV powerlines and Municipal water pipelines, R68 Road, and Telkom T-poles are the only infrastructure and services present in the area.

2.2. Proposal Eskom Holdings S O C Ltd proposes to extend the Emondlo, St James and Leksand Substation yards, and reconstruct the existing Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline and establish the new Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline near Nqutu, south of Vryheid in KwaZulu Natal. The Emondlo, St James and Leksand Substations are existing Eskom substations, in order to accommodate the additional electrical infrastructure for the new Emondlo-St James 88/22kV and reconstructed Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerlines the substation yards must be increased. The new Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline will start at Emondlo Substation (27°57'50.10"S and 30°41'15.31"E) and will finish at the St James Substation (28°12'50.30"S and 30°40'0.91"E) and is approximately 34.5 kilometers in length. The width required for the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude is 18 metres. The reconstructed Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline will start at the Leksand Substation (28°14'10.30"S and 30°29'19.70"E) and will finish at the St James Substation (28°12'50.30"S and 30°40'0.91"E) and is approximately 18.5 kilometers in length. The powerline will be reconstructed within the existing servitude of the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline, the approximate width of the existing servitude is 18 metres.


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Technical Information The existing Emondlo Substation will be extended in order to accommodate:

A split 88kV busbar by installing 1x 88kV link.

Establishment of a 88kV line bay for the existing Bloedriver-Emondlo 88kV powerline.

Establishment of a 88kV line bay for the new Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline.

Construction of the new Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline. The existing St James Substation will be extended in order to establish 3x88kV line bays:

1X88kV line bay for existing Leksand-St James 88kV line.

1X88kV line bay for the proposed Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline.

1X88kV line bay for the future Makhosini-St James 88kV powerline The existing Leksand Substation will be extended in order to accommodate:

An extension of the 88kV busbar.

Establish 1x88kV line bay for the new reconstructed Leksand-St James 88kV powerline.

The reconstruction of the existing Leksand-St James 88kV powerline.

2.3. Specialists studies The following specialist studies were carried out and have been summarized below:

Wetland/Riparian Habitat Delineation Study (WCS (Pty) Ltd);

Vegetation Assessment (INDIflora cc);

Heritage Impact Assessment (Active Heritage cc);

AviFauna Assessment (Endanger Wildlife Trust)

2.3.1. Summary and recommendations of the wetland report Wetland Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd was appointed to conduct a wetland delineation study (which has been included in Appendix D of the BAR) along the three alternative powerline servitudes for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline, and one powerline servitude for the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline. In order to negate or mitigate the impacts associated with the construction and maintenance of the transmission lines, it is necessary to determine the distribution of freshwater aquatic habitat within the proposed powerline servitudes identified in the BAR. (WCS (Pty) Ltd, 2012) The aquatic habitats identified by the specialist report fall into the following categories, Riparian A-channels, Riparian B-channels, Floodplain wetland, Unchannelled Valley Bottom Wetlands, and Seepage Wetlands. The following potential impacts where identified:

Impoundment of longitudinal flow upstream of road crossing, leading to localised, unnatural saturation above the road, and desiccation and wetland shrinkage downstream;

Confinement of flow through pipes and culverts beneath the road, the increased flow velocity leading to channel incision and sediment mobilisation;

Drainage off roads, with increased flow velocity and volume coupled with flow accumulation and confinement leading to severe soil erosion and sediment deposition into wetlands and streams. (WCS (Pty) Ltd, 2012)


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These impacts can be mitigated against with the implementation of a strategy adopted to avoid, reduce or mitigate potential impacts associated with the development. The specialist sited in the report that the following considerations where made with regards to the nature of the development, the the majority of the development footprint is suspended above the landscape, the physical disturbance will be limited to the temporal scale with most of the physical disturbance will be associated with the construction, the development is linear in nature with a confined footprint extending across the landscape, and the construction of towers must be situated outside the identified wetland and riparian habitats. (WCS (Pty) Ltd, 2012) As per recommendations by the specialist (WCS (Pty) Ltd, 2012), the development within the project area with no significant impact on the wetland habitat is feasible provided that:

Preference given to using the existing road and track network as far as possible; Likewise existing road crossings should, as far as possible, be incorporated into the network plan. This will influence the application for Water Use

Licences, as well as reduce the extent of mitigation structures required. If new roads are required, these should be planned in such a way that they avoid wetlands; Where building roads across wetlands is unavoidable, appropriate mitigation measures (including detailed method statements) should be incorporated

to ensure that the patterns of hydrological movement through these areas are not disrupted; Riparian crossings should be constructed in such a way as not to disrupt longitudinal flow; Rehabilitation of the access roads following the construction phase is an important constituent of the environmental management plan. This would entail

levelling the road to remove tyre ruts (preferential flow path), and then breaking up the surface of the levelled area with a cultivator to encourage the recolonisation by herbaceous vegetation.

If pylon construction within seepage areas, or areas subjected to widespread sheet erosion, is unavoidable then concrete blocks and potential impeding structures should be designed in such a way that a corner is orientated in the direction of flow. This will ensure that water flow is dispersed away from the obstacle, rather than confined around it.

2.3.2. Summary and recommendations of the vegetation assessment

INDIflora cc was appointed to conduct a vegetation assessment (which has been included in Appendix D of the BAR) along the three alternative powerline servitudes for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline, and one powerline servitude for the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline to establish an overview of the vegetation that is present and to determine if there were any protected or red data species within the development footprint. The vegetation specialist utilized a number of resources which included ‘The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland’ by Mucina and Rutherford, which classified the vegetation within the study area into four vegetation types, these are Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland, Income Sandy Grassland, Northern KwaZulu-Natal Mist Grassland, and Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetlands. The Income Sandy Grassland is the largest vegetation group in the study area, Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetland is limited to the low lying areas of the valley bottoms, the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland) is found in limited pockets scattered in the landscape, and the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Grasslands is limited to a small area to the south-east around the town of Nquthu. (INDIflora cc, 2012) However, after INDIflora cc conducted their site visit the specialist determined that the vegetation in the study area did not quite resemble the descriptions of Mucina and Rutherford (2006), this is due to much of the study area being transformed through cultivation, grazing and settlement. The vegetation within the development is mostly short to tall grasslands, and within the ridges and koppies short trees, and tall and short shrubs are present but grassland was sparse. This have led to the specialist giving the development area an irreplacibility rating of 0 in terms of the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife C-Plan as the land has been extensively transformed. (INDIflora cc, 2012) As noted by the specialist (INDIflora cc, 2012), the proposed development will not impact on the vegetation so negatively as to reduce the conservation value of the


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vegetation, however the following potential impacts have been identified:

Due to Eskom requirements to cut a servitude for the powerline and clear the area around the pylon bases will lead to servitudes being cut through the thickets fragmenting the vegetation units and creating new edges which could be affected by alien plant infestation or additional grazing pressure.

There will be a significant impact where the Leksand-St James 88kV servitude passes through the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland.

However, as per recommendations by the specialist (INDIflora cc, 2012), the following mitigation measures have been recommended: That Eskom does not apply herbicide during the bush clearing process which will allow the woody vegetation to grow back in time. By doing that the

fragmentation of vegetation units will be reduced and the new edges created will also be reduced. Tower base positions must be situated out of the wetlands and out of any areas where woodland is present (alien invasive woodlots excluded). No vegetation clearing must be conducted through the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland situated within the Leksand-St James 88kV servitude.

In conclusion INDIflora cc concluded that the study area has been heavily transformed through the dense occupation of the area by humans, and the style of subsistence living, heavy grazing of the land, and past land use practice has made the true characteristic of vegetation types barely recognizable. It is therefore unlikely that the proposed transmission lines will impact more heavily on the vegetation within the development area than the current impact by the local community. Therefore should the above recommendations can be taken into account Eskom should be allowed to build this line. (INDIflora cc, 2012)

2.3.3. Summary and recommendations of the heritage assessment Active Heritage cc was appointed to the conduct a Heritage assessment (which has been included in Appendix D in BAR) for the three alternative powerline servitudes for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline, powerline servitude for the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline, and Emondlo, St James, and Leksand substation sites to determine whether any areas of cultural heritage fall within the proposed development footprint that would need to be avoided. The heritage assessment conducted by Active Heritage cc identified forty eight heritage features in the general study area, with most of these heritage features being relatively modern grave sites. All forty eight heritage sites were identified along the proposed powerline servitudes for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline. These include one Early Stone Age occurrence, two Later Iron Age sites, one historical period bridge, one old trading store building, thirteen grave yards, twenty four cemeteries (defined as grave yards with more than eight individual graves), and three living heritage sites used by members of the Shembe religious movement. No heritage sites occur in the direct path of the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline servitude, and no heritage sites were identified in the immediate vicinity of the substations. (Active Heritage, 2012) As per recommendations by the specialist (Active Heritage, 2012), the construction of the proposed powerlines along the preferred powerline servitude as identified by the developer may proceed in terms of heritage values under the following conditions:

Avoid all heritage sites, including modern graves, during the construction phase. Strictly maintain a buffer zone of at least 20m around all sites. Sites no 20, 21, and 37 are situated very close to the proposed powerlines. The trajectory of the proposed routes must be altered slightly in order to allow

for a buffer zone of at least 20m around these sites. Alternatively a second phase heritage impact assessment, by a grave relocation expert, must be conducted of these grave sites.

Avoid sandstone outcrops and rock faces, where possible, as these areas may harbour unknown rock art sites and shelters with Later Stone Age archaeological deposits.

Only use established roads during the construction process. All secondary access roads planned need to be surveyed for heritage sites before construction may commence.


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Should the developer decide to move any of the proposed power-lines closer than 20m to any of the identified heritage sites then a second phase heritage impact assessment should be initiated.

Should any heritage material or artifacts be located during the construction process then all activities should stop in the immediate vicinity of the site and the local heritage agency Amafa contacted for further evaluation.

2.3.4. Summary and recommendations of the avifauna assessment

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) was appointed to conduct a Avifaunal Assessment (which has been included in Appendix D in BAR) for the three alternative powerline servitudes for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline, powerline servitude for the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline, and Emondlo, St James, and Leksand substation sites to determine the impact the development would have on the avifaunal communities found within the area. The avifauna assessment found that the proposed development is not situated in any Important Bird Area (IBA), however the south eastern tip of the large Grassland Biosphere Reserve (SA020; ZA016) is situated approximately 20 km north west of the Emondlo Substation. Negative interactions between wildlife and electricity structures take many forms, but two common problems in Southern Africa are electrocution of birds and birds colliding with power lines. In general, large, heavy flying birds are more vulnerable to collision with over-head powerlines, while perching Raptors are more vulnerable to electrocution (EWT; 2012). Electrocution is possible on 88kV lines, depending on the exact pole structure used. For this study, it is assumed that a bird friendly structure will be used, and the detailed impact assessment below, is based on this assumption. Therefore, the impact of electrocution is likely to be of low significance for the proposed power line (EWT; 2011).

The specialist has cited collisions as the biggest single threat posed by transmission lines to birds for this development. In general, large transmission lines with earth wires that are not always visible to birds, can have the largest impact in terms of collisions. Most heavily impacted upon are korhaans, bustards, storks, cranes and various species of water birds. These species are mostly heavy-bodied birds with limited manoeuvrability, which makes it difficult for them to take the necessary evasive action to avoid colliding with powerlines. Unfortunately, many of the collision sensitive species are considered threatened in southern Africa. The Red Data species vulnerable to powerline collisions are generally long living, slow reproducing species under natural conditions. Some require very specific conditions for breeding, resulting in very few successful breeding attempts, or breeding might be restricted to very small areas. Collision with the proposed line of certain large flying bird species such as Blue Crane, Grey-Crowned Crane, Black Stork, and Southern Bald Ibis is a possibility (EWT; 2012). During the construction phase and maintenance of substations and powerlines some habitat destruction and alteration inevitably takes place. Habitat destruction is anticipated to be of moderate significance in this study area (EWT; 2012). As per recommendations by the specialist (EWT, 2012), the proposed powerline can be built (on any route alternative, although Alternative 1 is preferred) provided that the various mitigation measures recommended in this report are implemented. The effect of this proposed development on the local avifauna can be kept to acceptably level the appropriate steps are taken, the following recommendations have been made:

Anti collision markers (flight diverters) must be fitted on the Leksand-St James 88kV and Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline. Sensitive areas have been mapped, within which the abovementioned collision mitigation must be implemented. Once final pylon positions are pegged, an avifaunal “walk through” is recommended in order to, “fine tune” these sensitive zones, and to identify the exact

spans of line for marking to mitigate for bird collisions. Provided that the high risk sections of line are mitigated in the form of marking, the impact should be contained.


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Provided that a bird-friendly steel lattice structure is used, as discussed elsewhere in the report, the impact of electrocution should be contained. This is important due to the presence of Vultures and large Raptors in the area, which are highly vulnerable to electrocution if an unsafe structure is used.

2.4. Procedures for environmental related emergencies and remediation

The purpose of this section is to anticipate a potential impact resulting in an environmental crisis which may occur due to unforeseen circumstances. Such events cannot be predicted and as such a procedure has been prepared. This procedure must be followed in the event of such an incident to prevent degradation to the surrounding environment and to contribute to the safety of the workers.

2.4.1. Potential environmental incidences / emergencies

The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) defines an ‘incident’ as an unexpected sudden occurrence, including a major emission, fire or explosion leading to serious danger to the public or potentially serious pollution of or detriment to the environment, whether immediate or delayed. The following hazards have the potential to occur within he proposed site: Time Frames Phase 1 – Pre-construction activities (i.e. setting up site camp etc) Phase 2 – Site camp establishment (i.e. site camp establishment, erection of temporary waste disposal facilities and ablutions, training programme for construction workers, creation of temporary stormwater facilities etc) Phase 3 – Construction activities (i.e. construction of the substation and powerlines etc) Phase 4 – Post Construction (i.e. removal of waste disposal facilities, removal of site camp, etc) Phase 5 – Rehabilitation (removal of alien vegetation around the substation and tower sites etc) Phase 6 – Operational phase (i.e. substation operational)

Construction impacts

Nature of impact (potential)

Mitigation measure Nature of impact (potential)

Mitigation measure Nature of impact (potential)

Interruption or damage to services (electricity, water etc).

This Impact can be fully mitigated against by identifying services prior to construction and avoiding damage to existing services. Alternatively, if service disruption is unavoidable, the parties will be affected must be notified in advance.

Phase 1-Phase 6 Eskom/Contractor The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site on a regular basis.

Onsite erosion of the drainage lines and link roads.

The exposure duration of exposed soil must be kept to a minimum and rehabilitation must be initiated as soon as construction is completed. The contractor must stabilise cleared areas to prevent and control erosion and/or sedimentation. Only vegetation that is required to be removed for the

Phase 1- Phase 5 Eskom/Contractor/ECO The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site on a regular basis. Monthly audits must be conducted by an ECO.


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construction of the substation/tower sites/ powerline corridor must be removed in a phased and controlled manner.

Erosion of stockpiled material (stone, sand, and gravel).

Material must be stockpiled in such a way that it cannot fall or cause injury or damage to properties or the natural environment. Stockpiles must not exceed 2m in height and must be covered to prevent erosion caused by exposure to heavy wind or rain. Alternatively, low walls or berms must be constructed around the stockpiles.

Phase 3 Contractor / ECO The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site on a regular basis. Monthly audits must be conducted by an independent ECO.

The onsite erosion of exposed soil before rehabilitation is completed.

The duration of exposed soil must be kept to a minimum and rehabilitation must be initiated as soon as construction is completed. The contractor must stabilise cleared areas to prevent and control erosion and/or sedimentation. Only vegetation that is required to be removed for the reconstruction of the substation/tower sites/ powerline corridor must be removed in a phased and controlled manner. Traffic and movement over stabilised areas must be restricted and controlled, and damage to stabilised areas must be repaired and maintained.

Phase 1-Phase 4 Contractor / Designated Representative (i.e. Resident Engineer) and ECO

The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site daily during phase 1 through phase 4. Compliance against the EMPr must be monitored on a monthly basis by the independent ECO.

Poor stormwater management during construction can lead to erosion and loss of soil.

Stormwater control must be instituted during construction; however this is a temporary impact of the proposal. A drainage system must be established for the construction camp. The drainage system must be regularly checked to ensure the unobstructed flow of water. The contractor must ensure that all construction methods adopted on site do not cause, or precipitate, soil erosion and must take adequate steps to ensure that the amount of stormwater is not significantly increased and can be appropriately dealt with. The designated

Phase 1 – Phase 4 Contractor / Designated Representative (i.e. Resident Engineer) and ECO

The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site daily / weekly. Compliance against the EMPr must be monitored on a monthly basis by the independent ECO.


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responsible person on site (usually the contractor) must ensure that no construction work takes place before adequate stormwater control measures are in place.

Generation of dust caused by construction vehicles moving over exposed soil.

Dust control must be implemented throughout the construction phase through the use of a water cart.



Impacts on watercourses, water bodies or drainage lines.

Environmentally sensitive areas must be avoided where possible. The Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation are existing substations sites that are not situated within 500 metres of any watercourses, water bodies or drainage lines. The Leksand Substation is situated approximately 900 metres along from the Buffels River, the Emondlo Substation is located approximately 700 metres away from a drainage line, there are no watercourses, water bodies or drainage lines located near the St James Substation site however the St James Substation is situated approximately 30 metres from the R68 road which must protected from all stormwater contamination. The topography of the Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation sites are generally flat. If the construction process is managed carefully and the sites graded to prevent channelled runoff, then the extension of the proposed substations is not expected to impact upon the any nearby sensitive areas. No towers for the preferred Emondlo-St James powerline servitude must be constructed within a wetland area or riparian habitat. Access roads will




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need to be constructed and at some point may intersect with a wetland and riparian habitat. The wetland delineation assessment must be adhered to in respect to the construction of access roads through any wetland or riparian habitat and has been attached in Appendix D of the BAR. No dumping will be allowed into any watercourse, drainage lines or water bodies. Site staff shall not be permitted to use the stream or natural water source adjacent to the construction of the tower sites for the purposes of bathing, washing of clothing or for any construction related activities. Municipal water (or another source approved by the Engineer) should instead be used for all activities such as dust suppression, concrete mixing, and compacting etc. This impact can be mitigated against as long as the EMPr monitored, followed and enforced.

Emissions generated from construction vehicles and machinery.

The only emissions that will be generated will be from construction vehicles which will be minimal and is not expected to significantly affect the surrounding communities and the environment. This impact is only relevant during the construction phase. The construction vehicles used must be regularly maintained to ensure that excessive emissions are controlled.



Degradation and Contamination of the surrounding environment by cement and other hazardous materials.

Site workers must be trained in avoiding impacts in areas of potential concern. The Contractor must submit a method statement to the ECO for approval, detailing the location of the temporary bypasses, spill prevention measures, erosion and sedimentation control measures, surface water flow diversion,




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reinstatement, etc. Hazardous material storage areas must not be within 100m from a stream/drainage line or local residential homesteads. Designated concrete mixing areas and storage areas for all hazardous materials must be assigned prior to construction and must be stored within the construction site camp. Cement mixing must take place on a hard surface or on cement mixing trays. In addition cement and fuels must be stored within bunded and hard surfaced areas. If the creation of a permanent bunded area is not feasible, these materials must be stored on drip trays capable of holding at least 110% of the spilled volume.

Degradation and Contamination of watercourses, water bodies, wetlands or drainage lines surrounding the powerline servitudes by cement and other hazardous materials.

Site workers must be trained in avoiding impacts in areas of potential concern (e.g. stream banks). Environmentally sensitive areas (i.e. the drainage lines, streams) must be avoided where possible. No towers for the powerline may be constructed within 32 metres a wetland area or riparian habitat. Prior to construction all access roads to the tower sites must be identified by the ECO and ensure that no access tracks pass through or fall within 32 meters of wetland area or riparian habitat. The wetland delineation assessment must be adhered to in respect to the construction of access tracks through any wetland or riparian habitat and has been attached in Appendix D of the BAR. The Contractor must submit a method statement to the ECO for approval, detailing the location of the temporary bypasses, spill prevention measures, erosion and sedimentation control measures, surface




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water flow diversion, reinstatement, etc. Hazardous material storage areas must not be within 100m from a stream/drainage line or local residential homesteads. Designated concrete mixing areas and storage areas for all hazardous materials must be assigned prior to construction and must be stored within the construction site camp. Cement mixing must take place on a hard surface or on cement mixing trays. Cement mixing must not be permitted to occur where run off can enter storm water drains, watercourses, water bodies, wetlands or drainage lines. In addition cement and fuels must be stored within bunded and hard surfaced areas. If the creation of a permanent bunded area is not feasible, these materials must be stored on drip trays capable of holding at least 110% of the spilled volume.

Impacts on watercourses, water bodies or drainage lines.

No towers for the powerline may be constructed within 32 meters of or within a wetland area or riparian habitat. Prior to construction all access roads to the tower sites must be identified by the ECO and ensure that no access tracks pass through or fall within 32 meters of wetland area or riparian habitat. The wetland delineation assessment must be adhered to in respect to the construction of access tracks through any wetland or riparian habitat and has been attached in Appendix D of the BAR. No dumping must be allowed into any watercourse, drainage lines or water bodies. Site staff shall not be permitted to use the stream or natural water source adjacent to the construction of the tower sites for the purposes of bathing, washing of clothing




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or for any construction related activities. Municipal water (or another source approved by the Engineer) should instead be used for all activities such as washing of equipment, dust suppression, concrete mixing, compacting etc.

Improper disposal of toilet waste from chemical toilets resulting in contamination of surrounding drainage lines and stream.

The chemical toilets to be provided must be from a registered company and all sewage must be disposed of at an appropriate facility. Safe disposal certificates must be kept on record.



Damage and removal of existing vegetation for substation sites.

Workers must be educated on minimizing damage to vegetation during construction of the substations. The Emondlo substation will be extended and will require an area of approximately 1975m2 of land and thus vegetation within this area will need to be removed/covered when the platform is extended. A vegetation assessment (Appendix D of the BAR) has been conducted and the specialist notes that the extension of the Emondlo Substation site should not impact heavily on the surrounding Income Grassland, thus the damage to the surrounding vegetation is expected to be minimal. The St James substation will be extended and will require an area of approximately 1595m2 of land and thus vegetation within this area will need to be removed/covered when the platform is extended. A vegetation assessment (Appendix D of the BAR) has been conducted and the specialist notes that the extension of the St James substation site should not impact heavily on the Income Grassland surrounding the Substation site as the Income grassland has been heavily impacted on by the




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local community, thus the damage to the surrounding vegetation is expected to be minimal. The Leksand substation will be extended and will require an area of approximately 1875m2 of land and thus vegetation within this area will need to be removed/covered when the platform is extended. A vegetation assessment (Appendix D of the BAR) has been conducted and the specialist notes that the extension of the Leksand Substation site will impact on the vegetation surrounding the substation site due to the extension of the substation taking place within the fence boundary of the current substation site, thus the damage to the surrounding vegetation is expected to be minimal. Indiscriminate clearing of vegetation must be avoided and only those areas of vegetation directly affecting construction may be removed. The Rehabilitation of disturbed areas must be undertaken on completion of the extension of the Substation sites. Damage to the surrounding vegetation must be kept to a minimal.

Damage and removal of existing vegetation for Leksand-St James 88kV powerline.

Each tower site for the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline will require that an area of 20mX20m have bush clearing conducted to be removed all small shrubs, bushes, and trees from the site, grass must only be removed from those areas where the tower foundations will be excavated. The powerline servitude for the Leksand-St James 88kV will require that the area directly below the powerline kept clear of trees and other vegetation that could interfere with the powerline. Therefore, a 2m wide area will to be cleared between the towers when




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traveling over valleys and a 4m wide area when traveling over flat ground. However, the clearing of vegetation for the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline is expected to be minimal as the servitude has been maintained by Eskom for the existing wooden Leksand-St James 88kV powerline. A vegetation assessment (Appendix D of the BAR) has been conducted by IndiFlora cc (2012), the specialist has identified an area where the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline passes over Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland. The specialist states that there will be a significant impact on this vegetation type should bush clearing be conducted below the powerline. To minimize the impact on this area of vegetation it is recommended that no clearing of vegetation be conducted through this area for the powerline, and all stringing of the powerline conductor be conducted with the use of a ‘Bow’ or other suitable stringing technique. The removal of vegetation for the proposed tower sites and powerline must be conducted by a bush clearing specialist to insure that the damage to vegetation is minimized. Indiscriminate clearing of vegetation must be avoided and only those areas directly affecting the construction site may be removed. Where possible removal of indigenous and protected trees must be avoided, permits must be obtained from the DAFF/Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for the removal of these trees. The rehabilitation of disturbed areas will be undertaken on completion of the project.

Damage and removal of Each tower site for the Emondlo-St Phase 1 – Phase 4 Contractor / Designated The contractor / designated


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existing vegetation for Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline.

James 88kV powerline will require that an area of 20mX20m have bush clearing conducted to removed all small shrubs, bushes, and trees from the site, grass must only be removed from those areas where the tower foundations will be excavated. If a tower site falls within an area where agriculture has been conducted, the site must have all agriculture crops removed from site and the site rehabilitate with local indigenous grasses. The powerline servitude for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline will require that the area directly below the powerline kept clear of trees and other vegetation that could interfere with the powerline. Therefore, a 2m wide area will be cleared between the towers when traveling over valleys and a 4m wide area when traveling over flat ground. However, the clearing of wetland or riparian vegetation will not be conducted, as the area that the servitude crosses over has been heavily transformed through the dense occupation of the area by humans the impact on vegetation for the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline is expected to be minimal. A vegetation assessment (Appendix D of the BAR) has been conducted by IndiFlora cc (2012), the specialist has stated in his report that it is unlikely that the proposed transmission line will impact on the grassland more than it has been impacted on currently by the local community. However, the specialist has recommended that powerline and position of each tower be positioned out of any wetlands areas and to avoid all woodland areas where possible (alien

Representative (i.e. Resident Engineer) and ECO

representative must monitor the site daily / weekly. Compliance against the EMPr must be monitored on a monthly basis by the independent ECO.


35

invasive woodlots excluded). All vegetation clearing should be conducted by hand to during the bush clearing process which will allow the woody vegetation to grow back in time. The removal of vegetation for the proposed tower sites and powerline must be conducted by a bush clearing specialist to insure that the damage to vegetation is minimized. Indiscriminate clearing of vegetation must be avoided and only those areas directly affecting the construction site may be removed. Where possible removal of indigenous and protected trees must be avoided, permits must be obtained from the DAFF/Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for the removal of these trees. Rehabilitation of disturbed areas will be undertaken on completion of the project.

Risk of alien invasive encroachment into disturbed areas.

The establishment or spread of alien plant species on site must be monitored and the correct removal and disposal of alien plant species must be followed. Rehabilitation of disturbed areas must commence as soon as construction activities are completed in those areas.

Phase 5 – Phase 6 It is the responsibility of the Eskom to ensure that open spaces are maintained around the Substation and towers sites and corridor routes. Contractor / Designated Representative (i.e. Resident Engineer) and ECO

Compliance against the EMPr must be monitored on a monthly basis by the independent ECO.

Poaching/Hunting/Fishing of wildlife by construction workers.

Hunting or poaching is prohibited. During construction, guidelines set out by the ECO must be followed to ensure no potential impacts occur.



Disturbance of birds, Impact on Red Data and other species

Strict control should be maintained over all activities during construction, in particular heavy machinery and vehicle movements, and staff. Sensitive zones described elsewhere in the BAR, should be avoided where possible. It is difficult




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to mitigate properly for this as some disturbance is inevitable. During construction, if any of the “Focal Species” identified in the Avifaunal Assessment are observed to be roosting and/or breeding in the vicinity, the EWT is to be contacted for further instruction.

Destruction or alteration of bird habitat, Impact on Red Data and other species

Strict control should be maintained over all activities during construction, in particular heavy machinery and vehicle movements, and staff. It is difficult to mitigate properly for this as some habitat destruction is inevitable.



Littering around the site. Littering must not be permitted on the site and general housekeeping must be enforced. General waste bins must be readily available for litter disposal and general housekeeping.



Improper storage and disposal of solid waste.

All solid waste generated during the construction process must be placed in a designated waste collection area within the Construction Camp and must not be allowed to blow around the site, be accessible by animals, or be placed in piles adjacent the skips / bins. All solid waste must then be disposed of at the nearest licensed landfill and safe disposal certificates obtained. Separate skips/ bins for the different waste streams must be available on site. The waste containers must be appropriate to the waste type contained therein and where necessary should be lined and covered.



Risk of spills from construction equipment (oils, fuels, cement etc) contaminating soil and watercourse.

Any hazardous or dangerous goods utilized during the construction phase must be stored on an impermeable surface that is bunded, fenced, locked and covered. A spillkit must be clearly marked and visible when utilizing




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hazardous or dangerous materials to ensure the rapid containment of the spill. Spillkits must be regularly checked and maintained.

Improper storage of hazardous waste i.e.: used oils from vehicles, old cement bags.

Hazardous waste must be stored on a hard surface within a bunded area and must not be allowed to enter watercourses, water bodies, wetlands or drainage lines and the surrounding environment.



Improper disposal of rubble i.e.: burying or neglecting building rubble resulting in direct mechanical damage to surrounding vegetation and untidiness of the site.

All excess material and rubble must be removed from the site so not to restrict the rehabilitation process. All excess material and rubble must go to an approved, designated landfill and a safe disposal certificate must be obtained. Site workers must be trained in avoiding such impacts. Safe disposal certificates must be kept on record.



Noise generated by construction workers, machinery and construction vehicles disturbing surrounding residents.

Excessive noise must be controlled on site. Workers will be trained regarding noise on site and construction hours will be kept to working hours (07h00 to 17h00). The construction will need to be monitored by an ECO who will ensure compliance with the construction EMPr. All precautions must be taken to ensure that noise generation is kept to a minimum. If excessive noise is expected during certain stages of the construction, nearby residents must be notified prior to the event.



Lack of toilet facilities resulting in unsanitary conditions.

Adequate toilet facilities must be provided for all staff members as standard construction practice. Safe disposal certificates must be kept on record.



Speeding construction vehicles resulting in safety

Speeding will be prohibited. Construction vehicles must travel slowly along the

Phase 1 – Phase 4 Contractor / Designated Representative (i.e. Resident

The contractor / designated representative must monitor the


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issues for surrounding residents.

access roads to the substation site and tower sites and adhere to all traffic laws. Construction vehicles must not be permitted to park for extended periods of time on the roads or on road verges where they can block the roads and accesses. Flagmen must be kept in attendance to control traffic where road disruption is most likely.

Engineer) and ECO site daily / weekly. Compliance against the EMPr must be monitored on a monthly basis by the independent ECO.

Sourcing of raw materials i.e.: (gravel, stone, sand, cement and water) from unsustainable sources resulting in illegal sand winning and mining operations causing significant environmental damage.

All materials must be obtained from a registered and sustainable source and all delivery notes and slips must be made available to the Environmental Control Officer if requested e.g. mined material such as stone must only be obtained from permitted quarries. The contractor must submitted a source statement to the ECO for review.



Increase waste to landfill site.

Cannot be mitigated. Waste streams must be separated and recycled where possible to limit waste added to the landfill site. Recycling should be undertaken where possible to limit waste added to the landfill site.



Loss of land/open space due to construction of the proposed Emondlo-St James 88kV Powerline.

The land usage required for the proposed corridor servitude will be approximately 621 000 m

2 (34.5km X

18m).

This cannot be mitigated against.

Loss of open space due to substation extension.

Only limited earthworks will be required for the extension of the platform for Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation sites as the sites are fairly level. If areas of potential instability are identified before they become an erosion hazard and stabilized, it is not anticipated that earthworks will cause significant impacts. During construction unchannelled flow should be controlled to avoid soil erosion. Where large areas of soil are left exposed, rows of straw / hay



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or bundles of cut vegetation should be dug into the soil in contours to slow surface wash and capture eroded soil. The spacing between rows will be dependent on the slope. The site should be contoured after construction has been completed. A stormwater management plan has been developed and attached under Appendix 12 of the EMPr. Provided construction is well planned and the area immediately surrounding the substation sites are rehabilitated these impacts can be fully mitigated provided the EMPr is monitored, followed and enforced.

Positive impact - Potential temporary employment during the construction phase.

Positive impact not requiring mitigation.

Operational Impacts Mitigation Measures

Increase in hard surfaces leading to increased stormwater runoff.

The proposal is not expected to result in significant stormwater runoff. The substation sites are to be gravelled allowing for infiltration of rainwater, thus preventing sheet runoff. The access road will also be gravelled, ensuring infiltration of rainwater into the subsoil. The tower sites and other areas that were disturbed will be rehabilitated and reseeded thus restoring the area around the tower sites to a grasslands habitat, which will allow for infiltration of rainwater thus preventing sheet runoff. The access roads to the various tower sites will be rehabilitated to allow the natural vegetation to re-establish its-self ensuring infiltration of rainwater into the subsoil. All vehicles accessing the tower sites must travel along these designated access roads and no other access roads should be

Phase 6 Eskom/ ECO The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site on a regular basis. Compliance against the EMPr must be monitored by the independent ECO through a Post Construction Audit.


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created.

Risk of fire and explosion; Unauthorized access - third party interference (copper cable theft).

Fire can result from catastrophic failure of any item of electrical equipment, particularly those filled with mineral insulating oil, e.g. transformers. However, information provided by Eskom indicates that this is a very rare occurrence and would be contained within the bund wall area of the transformer. It is considered to be highly unlikely that a fire would be initiated by a flashover of the bushing except in the case of a direct lightning strike. Even internal faults are unlikely to cause a fire unless they cause the porcelain bushing to fracture and spew oil. Oil leaks would be contained by the bund wall entrapment area and sump arrangement which has been specially designed for that purpose. A standard “brick type” control room will be constructed inside the boundary of the substation yard for the protection of the line and substation equipment, as per Eskom’s standard control room layout. In terms of lightening protection for the substation, overhead screening will be provided by protective cones afforded by A-frame peak and lightening/lighting mast peaks. Equipment within the substation yard will be shielded by the steelwork (columns, beams and A-frames) structures and overhead steel wires. All steel work will be connected to an earthmat to prevent potentially high voltages from arising. The powerline towers will be protected by earthwires to dissipate lightning strikes and prevent lightning discharge to nearby objects. In addition to the towers being earthed, in terms of line design and construction, if a

Phase 6 Eskom/ Internal ECO The contractor / designated Eskom representative must monitor the site on a regular basis.


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tower happened to fall over, the power would automatically be switched off in approximately 30 milli-seconds. In terms of risks of fire and/or explosion due to copper cable theft, Eskom have stated that the only cables to be installed are the high voltage 88kV cables required to feed the substations. It is extremely rare that 88kV cables would be stolen as these cables are difficult to cut through and are suspended approximately 20 metres in the air. The majority of cables that are stolen are the medium voltage 11kV cables. Eskom have also indicated that if any section of the high voltage cable is cut into, this will trigger the cable protection and an alarm will be signaled at the Eskom control centre. The substations will be fenced and must be locked at all times.

Spillage of oil from transformers during operations.

Oil leaks will be contained by the catchment bund arrangement installed around each transformer that is connected via a concrete pipe manifold system to a separate concrete oil containment tank (oil holding dam) positioned towards the outer extremity of the substation yard. Transformer plinths are surrounded by bund walls and potential spillages are drained into sumps.


Increase in electricity supply to the Nquthi and Nondweni area.


Strengthening the electricity network that supplies the area.


Risk to neighbours- Exposure to electromagnetic

Information provided by Eskom stated that the electromagnetic field values are

Phase 6 Eskom/ Internal ECO The contractor / designated Eskom representative must


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fields. negligible at 15m from the source of the electromagnetic field, after which exposure levels are significantly reduced. The Emondlo Substation is an existing substation and given that the nearest neighbours are approximately 350m away from the substation site, the risk is minimal. The St James Substation is an existing substation and given that the nearest neighbours are approximately 100m away from the Substation site the risk is minimal. The Leksand Substation is an existing substation and given that the nearest neighbours are approximately 600m away from the substation site the risk is minimal. Given that the closest powerline is 23 metres from the ground at the tower sites there should be very limited risk to the community living close to the powerline. The local communities have built their houses around the existing Leksand-St James 88kV powerline servitude, the reconstruction of the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline will be constructed within this servitude. The Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline will avoid built-up areas and local homesteads where possible within the Alternative C1 servitude to minimize the number of homesteads in close relation to the corridor. Eskom Land Development department must ensure that all houses and homesteads remain outside of the registered servitude.

monitor the site on a regular basis.

Risk to neighbours- Risk of electrocution.

The substation sites must be fenced and gated such that access will be restricted. The towers will be fitted with anti personnel devises which will stop individuals from climbing on them.



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Children should be warned not to play near electrical substations, not to fly kites in the vicinity of powerlines, not to climb up pylons or over in to the substation. Safety warning signs are placed around the perimeter of the fenced areas. The perimeter fences must be kept clear of equipment or materials to prevent people from illegally accessing the substation. Ensure that access is restricted at all times and that damaged fencing is repaired immediately.

Potential for impact on ground/ surface water resources as a result of oil spills from the transformers.

Oil leaks will be contained by the catchment bund arrangement installed around each transformer that is connected via a concrete pipe manifold system to a separate concrete oil containment tank (oil holding dam) positioned towards the outer extremity of the substation yard.


Aesthetic or visual impacts arising from the substation.

The Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation sites are existing substations, therefore the extension of the substations will not significantly increase the impact on the aesthetics of the area.


Potential impact on property values.

The Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation sites are existing substations, therefore the extension of the substations will not impact on property values in the surrounding areas.


Impacts on ecology (fauna and flora) surrounding the substations.

There will be a loss of grassland as a result of the proposal. Certain insects and small mammals may frequent the substation sites and depending on their mobility will be able to move once disturbed. As noted by the specialist (INDIflora cc, 2012), the development of proposed project would not significantly impact on the vegetation due to the dense occupation of the area, the style of



44

subsistence living and heavy grazing of the land by livestock surrounding the substation sites. Negative interactions between wildlife and substations in southern Africa are normally the electrocution of fauna that enter the substation site, with birds and moneys being the most at risk. A system must be put in place to monitor any incidents involving fauna within the substation site, should the substation experience high rates of electrocutions of fauna all exposed cables must be insulated and bird guards installed.

Impacts on ecology (fauna and flora) as a result of the powerlines.

Negative interactions between wildlife and powerlines take many forms, but two common problems in southern Africa are electrocution of birds and birds colliding with powerlines. An avifaunal assessment was conducted by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), the specialist noted that the reconstruction of the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline and construction of the Alternative C1 Emondlo-St James 88kV Powerline can continue provide that provided that the various mitigation measures recommended in the avifaunal report are implemented.


Bird collision with overhead power line, Impact on Red Data and other species

Mark the identified sections of line with anti-collision marking devices on the earth wire to increase the visibility of the line and reduce likelihood of collisions. Marking devices should be spaced 10m apart. The sections of line that pose a concern and require marking should be finalized by an avifaunal specialist in a site “walkthrough” once final route is decided and towers/pylons pegged.


Bird electrocution, Impact on A “Bird Friendly” steel lattice structure Phase 6 Eskom/ Internal ECO The contractor / designated


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Red Data and other species (preferably 248 series type) should be used for the tower structures. There must be a space of at least 2m between the lower cross arm (where a bird can perch) and the bottom of the insulator hanging from the upper cross arm. Any deviation should be reported to EWT as it will alter this impact rating.

Eskom representative must monitor the site on a regular basis.

Aesthetic or visual impacts arising from the Leksand-St James 88kV powerline.

The Leksand-St James 88kV powerline is an existing powerline that will be reconstructed, the powerline will be constructed within the existing servitude therefore the powerline should not significantly impact on the aesthetics of the area. However this cannot be mitigated against due to the nature of the development, anything placed on the powerlines and towers to increase the aesthetics would decrease the powerlines ability to function.


Aesthetic or visual impacts arising from the Emondlo -St James 88kV powerline.

The construction of the Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline should not significantly impact on the aesthetics of the area, however this cannot be mitigated against due to the nature of the development, anything placed on the powerlines and towers to increase the aesthetics would decrease the powerlines ability to function.


Loss of sense of place. The Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substation sites are existing substations, the extension of the substations will not impact on the sense of place. The Leksand-St James 88kV powerline is an existing powerline that will be reconstructed, the powerline will be constructed within the existing servitude therefore the powerline should not significantly impact on the sense of place. The construction of the Emondlo-



46

St James 88kV powerline should not impact on the sense of place due to the presence of electrical infrastructure in the area.

Disposal of coolant oils used by transformers.

The transformers will not use PCB oils and will instead use an oil called nytrolibra which is in accordance with IEC 60296 (03 General specification). Used oils will need to be disposed of in an appropriate manner. These oils can be recycled provided this is done by a responsible and licensed operator and safe disposal certificates are obtained.

Phase 6 Eskom/ Internal ECO The contractor / designated representative must monitor the site on a regular basis.

Improved storm water management and prevention of erosion.


2.4.2. Response to environmental emergencies

The emergency response plan (Appendix 6) must be used to update the onsite emergency response plans. A record of all incidents must be recorded as defined in NEMA and NWA (Appendix 7). Incidents should be reported and recorded the relevant authority as soon as reasonably practicable after knowledge of the incident. An emergency incident report (Appendix D) must be completed in terms of section 30(5) of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998). “The responsible person or, where the incident occurred in the course of that person´s employment, his or her employer, must, within 14 days of the incident, report to the Director General, provincial head of department and municipality such information as is available to enable an initial evaluation of the incident, including: (a) the nature of the incident; (b) the substances involved and an estimation of the quantity released and their possible acute effect on persons and the environment and data needed to assess these effects; (c) initial measures taken to minimise impacts; (d) causes of the incident, whether direct or indirect, including equipment, technology, system, or management failure; and (e) measures taken and to be taken to avoid a recurrence of such incident.”

2.5. Environmental awareness plan In accordance with NEMA EIA (2010) regulations, an environmental awareness plan is required. As part of the environmental awareness plan ‘Toolbox Talks’ posters have been developed and can be used for training purposes.


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Objectives of the plan The objective of the environmental awareness plan is to inform employees and contractors of any environmental risks which may result from their work and the manner in which the identified possible risks must be dealt with in order to prevent degradation of the environment.

Content of the plan

The environmental awareness plan should include: 1. The definition of environment (people + air + soil + water +business); 2. Reasons for conserving and protecting the environment; 3. How the following activities can impact the environment: - Not using assigned ablutions, hazardous materials, uncleaned spills, mixing of cement or paint on

soil or grass surfaces, waste management i.e. use of waste receptacles and waste separation for recycling, vehicle washing polluting soil & ground water; litter;

4. What to do to prevent the above impacting the environment i.e. assign impermeable mixing areas, no vehicle washing on site, use of waste receptacles and separation of waste to allow for recycling, how to respond in an emergency and deal with a spill; and

5. Consideration of neighbours. The environmental awareness plan that should be presented to employees is attached in Appendix 9. A training record of all staff that has undergone environmental training must be kept on record (Appendix 10).

3.0 General administration An ECO must be appointed prior to construction to monitor implementation of the EMPr and conduct monthly inspections during the construction phase to

monitor compliance with the EMPr. An emergency response plan must remain on site as must a copy of the EMPr. This should be provided by the contractor and can be amended using

information provided. The contractor, engineer and ECO must obtain a copy of the EMPr prior to coming on site. An initial site meeting must be held with all responsible parties to

discuss the EMPr and ensure that all elements are understood. It must also be agreed that no ad hoc changes will be made to the EMPr and that any requested changes must be submitted in writing to the ECO who will

obtain clearance for the changes from either the DEA compliance officer auditing the site and / or the environmental consultant or an authority body, depending on the changes requested and depending on the status of the project.

A record of training and an incident record must be maintained and kept on site. Records proving source of materials must be kept on site. A record of audits conducted on the site as well as findings must be kept on site. A signboard must be erected at the entrance to the site that states the following:

o Emergency contact numbers: Name, contact details o Environmental control officer: Name, contact details o “You are required to follow the requirements of the official EMPr and to register with the site office and ECO.”

There must be posters at the site office indicating the environmental areas and the importance of keeping these in a pristine condition. Construction Site Establishment - The construction camp must be marked out with the approval of the ECO. The hazardous store area must be designated within the construction camp. The store must be bunded and located on a hard surface and roofed. The

store must be clearly demarcated and sign boarded. An inventory of goods stored must be maintained and updated weekly. Stockpile areas must be designated. These must be located within the construction camp area. No stockpiling to occur on or near slopes.


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Existing roads should be used and ad hoc roads should preferably not be created through the park. Should vehicle access be required during cable laying, designated driving areas must be created and vehicles must exercise caution as this is a public area. Haulage roads must be demarcated at site set up. These should be located exactly where the future roads will be built and must be clearly indicated. Turning areas must be located within the development areas and must be clearly designated.

Temporary stormwater protection measures must be established before construction activities commence. All staff to be trained on their environmental responsibilities before commencing work. All new staff to be trained before they start work on site. All construction staff will have basic environmental awareness training, which can be conducted at the same time as the required health, & safety training. Training should include (1) the definition of environment (people + air + soil + water +business); (2) reasons for conserving and protecting the environment;

(3) how the following activities can impact the environment: - Not using assigned ablutions, hazardous materials, uncleaned spills, mixing of cement or paint on soil or grass surfaces, waste management i.e. use of waste receptacles and waste separation for recycling, vehicle washing polluting soil & ground water; litter; (4) What to do to prevent the above impacting the environment i.e. assign impermeable mixing areas, no vehicle washing on site, use of waste receptacles and separation of waste to allow for recycling, how to respond in an emergency and deal with a spill; (5) Consideration of neighbours.

The waste area to be designated and demarcated within the construction camp. Storage of waste must be within a hard surfaced, bunded are located under cover and there must be a regular schedule for removal of waste.

Adequate spill kits and containers for spilled and contaminated material to be on standby on site. Adjoining neighbours must be advised of the work and hours of work at least one week prior to commencement. The hours of operations must be limited to

weekdays between 7am – 5pm. A meeting must be held between the Engineer, the Contractor and the ECO to approve all remediation activities and ensure that the site has been restored

to a condition, which has been approved by the ECO.

Generic Environmental Specifications Access to Eskom Servitudes In terms of Eskom’s servitude agreement, Eskom (and/or its appointed contractor) has the right to enter and be upon the property at any time whether it to be to perform work on the property itself, or to gain access to any adjacent property. However, Eskom will exercise due diligence in its attempts to notify the owner of any intention to enter the property to cut trees and bush and endeavor to obtain consent to the proposed work. In order to assist with access, Eskom may erect such gates as may be necessary in consultation with the property owner. Cutting or “dropping” fences shall under no circumstances be used to gain access to the servitude. All gates shall be left closed and the Eskom servitude gates shall be securely locked at all times. Access roads and routes shall be marked on site with danger tape. All trees / shrubs inside the 3m servitude or access road shall be cut flush with normal ground level. No protruding stumps shall be accepted and vehicle access shall be possible. Contractor liaison with Landowners / Tenants and Authorities The contractor must keep the tribal authorities abreast of clearing operations. Good working relations with the KZN Wildlife Regional Scientist must be maintained at all times. All landowners / tenants are to be contacted and informed of desired dates for bush clearing to commence on their property. By this means the local inhabitants can also be encouraged to use the chopped wood as firewood if it is to be left on site and so assist in clearing of the site. Negative comments must be fed back to Environmental Management. It shall be ascertained from the property owner / tenant concerned whether he/she wishes to retain the cut trees and bushes. If not, they shall be removed or disposed of or treated (chipping) in an appropriate manner to the satisfaction of the owner. Burning shall not be permitted under any circumstance. Where it is desirable to cut trees beyond the servitude building restriction width, the consent of the owner / tenant and ECO shall be obtained where no special agreement exists. Any damage to property, including but not limited to, crops, stock, fencing and gates, shall be compensated, repaired or replaced at the contractor’s expense, to the satisfaction of Eskom and the landowner.


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EMONDLO, ST JAMES, AND LEKSAND SUBSTATIONS

1: PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCITON CAMP INCEPTION, AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A: Site Establishment: The construction camp for the civil works contractors must be located next to the substation site at the position agreed with by the ECO, Eskom and

Landowners. The size of the construction camp must be minimized and must not encroach on any privately owned land or into the informal settlements. The construction camp must comprised of:

o Site Office; o Ablution facilities; o Eating area; o General Waste storage area- Bins and / or skips must be provided within the construction camp at convenient intervals; o Materials storage area- The materials storage area must be identified and designated within the construction camp; o Stockpile storage area; o Hazardous Materials storage area (i.e. Cargo Container line with chipboard); and o Hazardous Waste storage area (210ltr metal drum for the storage of contaminated soil/materials Figure 6).

The construction site must be fenced to ensure that no animals or unauthorized personnel can gain access to the site. The construction camp may not be situated on slopes greater than 1:5. Construction must take into consideration the movements of residents and must therefore allow access at all times.

B: Vegetation Clearing:

Figure 6: Example of 220ltr metal drum used to store contaminated soil (Source: KSEMS).


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Indiscriminant clearing of vegetation must be avoided and only those areas directly affecting the construction site maybe be removed. If vegetation clearing cannot be avoided then the ECO must be consulted prior to removal of vegetation. Pesticides and herbicides may not be used control alien vegetation within the construction camp, removal of any alien vegetation should be done by

hand.

C: Stormwater: There should be limited storage of sand and cement within the construction camp as this could contaminate stormwater during construction. All potential stormwater contaminants must be bunded in the construction camp to prevent run-off into the surrounding grassland, neighbouring

properties or the roads. Stormwater should not be allowed to pool within the construction camp and should not be discharged onto neighbouring properties. Stormwater should

not flow directly onto nearby roads but should be directed into the municipal drains or natural drainage lines. The Contractor must attend to drainage of the construction camp to avoid standing water or sheet erosion. The contractor must ensure that all construction methods adopted on site do not cause, or precipitate, soil erosion and must take adequate steps to

ensure that the amount of stormwater is not significantly increased and can be dealt with the existing infrastructure. The designated responsible person on site (usually the contractor) must ensure that no construction work takes place before adequate stormwater control measures are in place.

The stormwater management plan attached as Appendix 12 of the EMPr must be implemented.

D: Sourcing Material Contractors must prepare a source statement indicating the sources of natural materials used in the construction of the substation (i.e. topsoil, sands,

gravels/crushed stone etc), and submit these to the ECO for approval at the commencement of work at the substation site. A source statement indicates where and which company mined the material.

Where possible, a signed document from the supplier of natural materials should be obtained confirming that they have been obtained in a sustainable manner and in compliance with relevant legislation.

All delivery slips for natural resources and other materials required for the construction of substation must be stored on site at all times. Delivery slips indicate the material delivered to site, the quantity of material delivered, and which company/outlet that the material was purchased from.

E: Resource use and conservation: Water used within the construction camp must be from a tanker or an approved municipal source. A record of water usage for the construction camp and construction site must be kept within the site office. The 50 000l per day General Authorisation by DWA is only applicable if the water is abstracted from the water resource. Should the quantity of water

extracted from a natural water source (i.e. river/dam) exceed 50 000 liters per day a water use permit must be acquired from DWA. Topsoil that is removed for the construction camp must be stockpiled and used for rehabilitation of the construction camp during the decommissioning of

the construction camp.

F. Incidents/Spills The spill response plan attached under Appendix 11 of this EMPr must be implemented. The Contractor must be in possession of an Emergency Response Plan that details the appropriate response/procedures that must be undertaken for all

incidents/emergencies that could potential occur during construction. The Contractor must be in possession of an emergency spill kit that is complete and available at all times on site. The ECO must be aware of the location

of the emergency spill kit and have access to it. The ECO must be aware of the spillage procedure with regard to spillages of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. Adequate spill kits and containers for spilled and contaminated material to be on standby within the construction camp.


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G. Waste Management A register of all waste removed from the construction camp must be complied and stored within the site office. The register must indicate the type of

waste (General, Hazardous, Construction, Rubble) removed from site and to which landfill site that waste has been removed to. Sufficient bins must be provided within the construction camp. Recycling bins should be placed within the construction camp to encourage recycling and ensure the separation of waste. Separation of waste and recycling of paper, glass etc must be implemented. Composting of organic waste is encouraged. The waste containers must be appropriate to the waste type contained therein and where necessary should be lined and covered. Refuse must be separated at source and disposed of in the appropriate bins, which must be emptied regularly.

H. Stock Piles and Materials: Stockpiles must be positioned and sloped to create the least visual impact. Stockpiles may not be located within 32m of the stream/drainage line or local residential homesteads. Stockpiles must be protected against unfavorable weather conditions. Stockpiles must not exceed two (2) metres in height. Materials must be stacked in a way that they cannot fall and cause injury or damage to property or the surrounding environment I. Waste Water Adequate wastewater collection facilities must be provided. No contaminated runoff or gray water may be discharged from the construction camp. The Contractor must submit a method statement to the ECO detailing how wastewater would be collected from all wastewater generating areas, as well

as storage and disposal methods. If the Contractor intends to carry out any on-site wastewater treatment, this should also be included. Adequate toilets must be available on site for use by construction staff at all times. The chemical toilets to be provided must be from a registered company and all sewage must be disposed at an appropriate facility. The chemical toilets servicing the camp must be maintained in a good state, and any spills or overflows must be attended to immediately by a sanitation

expert. Chemical toilet waste must be removed by the approved contractor and safe disposal certificates must be maintained and kept within the construction

camp.

J: Hazardous storage and disposal A full inventory of hazardous substances and MSDS for each substance stored on site must be maintained and each substance must be stored and

managed in accordance with the MSDS. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) must be readily available on site for all chemicals and hazardous substances to be used in the construction of the

substation. Where possible and available, MSDSs should additionally include information on ecological impacts and measures to minimise negative environmental impacts during accidental releases or escapes.

Ensure all staff must be trained on proper hazardous waste disposal prior to commence of construction. All fuel/oil/hazardous chemicals or substances required for the construction of the substation site must be stored within the Hazardous Materials storage

area. Hazardous chemical working / refueling areas must be bunded with an impermeable liner to protect groundwater quality. This can be done using a plastic

liner covered with soil, and should be undercover. Storage areas containing hazardous substances / materials must be clearly signed and must have fire extinguishers in close proximity. The hazardous materials storage area must be fully secured to prevent people and animals from accessing it. Fuel bowsers, should they be required, must be in good condition and be provided with a drip tray for use when dispensing/ refueling equipment and


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must be placed under the pump and dispensing unit of the bowser during overnight storage. If possible an undercover area must be provided for overnight storage of the bowser/s.

Fuel storage areas, should they be required, must be bunded with a catchpit of at least 110% the storage capacity of the fuel storage container. This bund must have a controlled stormwater outlet with a filter.

Decanting of any chemical must be done within the confines of a suitably sized drip tray. Decanting from large containers (e.g. 210L drums) should be done using a hand pump, where possible. Residents living adjacent to the construction site and within 100 metres of the hazardous materials storage area must be notified of the existence of the

hazardous storage area on site.

K. Erosion Control The Contractor must, as an initial and ongoing exercise, implement erosion and sedimentation control measures within the construction camp to the

satisfaction of the ECO.

L: Training The ECO must conduct ‘Environmental Induction Training’ for all contractors involved in the construction of the substation. The ‘Environmental Induction

Training’ must be offered in English and isiZulu, and must cover the following: The definition of environment (people + air + soil + water +business) Reasons for conserving and protecting the environment; How the following activities can impact the environment: - Not using assigned ablutions, hazardous materials, uncleaned spills, mixing of

cement or paint on soil or grass surfaces, waste management i.e. use of waste receptacles and waste separation for recycling, vehicle washing polluting soil & ground water; litter;

What to do to prevent the above impacting the environment i.e. assign impermeable mixing areas, no vehicle washing on site, use of waste receptacles and separation of waste to allow for recycling, how to respond in an emergency and deal with a spill;

Consideration of neighbours. The need for a “clean site” policy; The details of the EMPr as well as the conditions of the Environmental Authorisation issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs

(DEA); The location of all sensitive areas (i.e. dams, rivers, wetlands, indigenous vegetation) and must informed staff members of the importance of

ensuring these areas are not impacted on during construction; and Ensure that all workers are trained on what possible archaeological or historical objects of value may look like, and to notify the site manager

if one is found. The contractor / developer must ensure that all staff have received environmental training and keep records of training. Staff must sign the register. The contractor must ensure that all site staff are informed of the details of the EMPr document as well as the conditions of the Environmental

Authorization issued by the Department Environmental Affairs (DEA) on a regular basis.The EMPr environmental awareness plan/ environmental toolbox talks attached in Appendix 9 must be undertaken by the contractor during construction of the substation.

The contractor / developer must ensure that all staff have received environmental training and keep records of training. Staff must sign the register.

N. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash bay Excessively noisy machinery must be removed from site. Only emergency (breakdown where equipment is no longer mobile) and minor maintenance (e.g. greasing) may be done on site. Any other planned or

required maintenance must be done offsite at a suitable location. M: Conduct


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Workers must be briefed by the person in charge of managing construction / management activities on the do’s and don’ts on the property, when workers arrive at the property. This must be repeated in weekly toolbox talks.

O: Air Quality The contractor must ensure that the necessary equipment is in place to control dust generated during construction of the substation.

P: Emergency Response Emergency contact numbers must be displayed within the construction camp. All construction staff must be made aware of emergency phone numbers to use in the case of an emergency. All staff must be trained on how to react in the case of an emergency. An emergency response team must be set up to manage emergencies.

Q: Occupational Health & Safety All construction staff must be provided with relevant PPE (Hardhat, ear protection, protective clothing, eye protection, dust masks, safety footwear).

R: Traffic, Access, and Road ways on site Access points to the construction camp must be agreed by the engineer and ECO prior to commencement of construction. Construction signage must be erected 50 metres before the construction activities in both directions. Construction signage indicating speed limits must be erected on the road verge.

Figure 7: Occupational health and safety (http://www.alpinesafety.co.uk/acatalog/Intermediate.jpg).




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2: CONSTRUCTION

A: Vegetation Clearing and Rehabilitation: Alien vegetation re-growth must be controlled throughout the entire construction site during the construction period. Only vegetation directly impacting on the extension of the substation site may be removed. Vegetation must only be removed as it becomes absolutely necessary for work to proceed within the proposed site. Caution must be taken to ensure that

the unnecessary removal of vegetation especially on steep areas does not occur. Removal of vegetation must occur in a phase manner. No dumping of the removed vegetation is permitted in the properties of the surrounding residents. Care must be taken to avoid the introduction of alien plant species to the site. Substation banks and areas striped of vegetation must be reseeded or re-grassed with indigenous grasses immediately once construction activities have

been completed in these areas. In areas where construction activities have been completed and where no further disturbance would take place, rehabilitation and re-vegetation should

commence as soon as possible.

B: Stormwater: Storm water control must be maintained. Flow of stormwater must not be impeded during construction. Stormwater must not be allowed to pool on or around the construction site. During construction unchannelled flow must be controlled to avoid soil erosion. Where large areas of soil are left exposed, sandbags, rows of straw / hay

or bundles of cut vegetation should be dug into the soil in contours to slow surface wash and capture eroded soil. The spacing between rows will be dependent on the slope.

Contamination of stormwater must be avoided at all times. Nothing other than stormwater is permitted to enter the stormwater system. Any contaminated runoff from the construction site i.e. washings, water runoff from bunded areas that may have picked up contaminants or spills etc

must be collected and stored to prevent contamination to the surrounding environment. Contaminated waste water must be disposed of at a registered Hazardous waste facility.

Washing of any vessels or any containers may not enter waterways or stormwater. These washings are to be contained and removed as waste. Grey water (i.e. soapy wash water) may be disposed of at a sewer connection after the settable solids have been removed, but hazardous wastes i.e. where water has been used to wash cement mixing equipment must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Alternately the wash water can be collected and returned with the supplier’s truck for disposal by the supplier.

Any incidents involving stormwater must be reported to the ECO for the purposes of maintaining the site’s incident records. Any stormwater that pools within trenches must be pumped out immediately. Run off from the site during construction will need to be controlled and temporary stormwater measures put in place to direct stormwater to the existing

facilities. Storm water drains for the substation must be open, high friction and semi permeable where possible, numerous small storm water outflow points should

be constructed rather than a few outflow points and all outflow points must reduce water velocity to avoid soil erosion. Storm water discharge from the site will not be permitted to increase with development of the site and will be detained where possible on site through the

use of temporary measures such as sandbagging and the construction of berms and swales.

C: Sourcing Materials: Make certain transportation of materials is such that no spillage occurs on route to the site. Ensure that all materials are sourced from those sites set out in the source statement and that any changes to sources of materials are updated on the


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source statement. Receipts for all materials required for the construction of the substation are retained within the site office. Contractors must ensure that any spillage of materials on the site is removed appropriately and the area rehabilitated where necessary. Order only required amounts of all building materials so as to avoid excess storage on site where possible.

D: Resource Use and Conservation: Water use on the site must be recorded and monitored. Cement/concrete mixing must only be conducted within the construction camp and must not be permitted to occur where run off can enter the stormwater

system or contaminate the surrounding environment. Stone chip / gravel excess shall not be left near or outside the substation yard. This shall be swept / raked into piles and placed within the yard or

removed from the site. The concrete batching activities shall be located in the construction camp only. Concrete mixing directly on the ground shall not be allowed and must take place on impermeable surfaces to the satisfaction of the ECO. eg.

Impermeable mixing trays (Figure 8).

E: Incidents / Spills: Drip trays must be made available for all construction vehicles and Hazardous chemical/substances bought on to the construction site. Drip trays must be cleaned out daily and material collected disposed of as hazardous waste. The environment surrounding the Substation must be protected from any contamination. Should any soil or groundwater be contaminated by a spillage it must be removed, stored in a sealed container and disposed of at a licensed disposal

facility. A monitoring system must be put in place to ensure safety and to detect any leakage or spillage of coolants from all oil contaminating equipment. An incident record (Appendix 11) must be maintained on site and all spills entered into the incident record. Minor incidents will include small spills of less

Figure 8: An example of a mixing tray used to mix cement.


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than 5l that do not enter the stormwater drains, housekeeping issues and general small non compliances with the requirements of the EMPr. The list of incidents to be included in the reporting to the authorities.

Minor incidents: small spills less than 5 l that do not enter stormwater, minor non compliance with EMPr that does not cause major environmental impact i.e. housekeeping issues etc . Action: Supervisor and staff on site to record and address and notify ECO. ECO to advise on remediation measures and to follow up on actions taken to address incident. Records: On site incident register.

Major incidents: Large spills or any spills that enter stormwater, contamination of soil, fires, explosions. Action: Report immediately to ECO, action to be taken to prevent further damage and incident to be reported to authorities. ECO to advise on remediation measures and to follow up on actions taken to address incident. Records: On site incident register and report to authorities.

Should any spills (as indicated in Figure 9 of hazardous materials occur on the site or in the storage area, the relevant clean-up specialists must be contacted immediately. Materials that absorb fuel & oil, such as Drizit, sawdust or earth must be placed over the spill. This contaminated material must be uplifted and disposed off at a recognized hazardous waste site.

In the event of a spillage that cannot be contained and which poses a serious threat to the local environment, the following Departments must be

informed of the incident in accordance with Section 30 of the National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998, within forty-eight (48) hours.

The Local Authority;

Department of Water Affairs;

Figure 9: An example of a spillage on site that will need to be cleaned up using a spill kit (www.spillcontainment.com).

http://www.spillcontainment.com/products/spill_response/spillkits.htm


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20m buffer for the

railway line.

The KZN Department of Environment Affairs;

The Local Fire Department; and

Any other affected department.

F: Waste Management: The designated waste area must be utilized at all times. Littering is prohibited and the construction site must be cleaned daily. All solid waste generated during the construction process (including packets, plastic, rubble, cut plant material, waste metals etc) must be placed in the

designated waste area in the Construction Camp and must not be allowed to blow around the construction site, be accessible by animals, or be placed in piles adjacent the skips / bins.

Waste must be disposed at the appropriate landfill site by an approved contractor. Safe disposal certificates for all waste forms (i.e. general/construction/hazardous) must be obtained and kept on site within the site office. All construction rubble must be disposed of at a registered landfill site. The excavation of rubbish pits on site is not allowed. Rubble must not be buried on site. Burning of rubbish on site is not allowed. Waste must not be allowed to accumulate on site but should be disposed of regularly by a reputable contractor. Rubble can be temporarily stored on site in the designated ‘Construction Rubble’ storage area within the construction camp. No dumping to occur in the open space and surrounding environment. Solid paint waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Hazardous waste such as oils, contaminated rags etc must be disposed of at a hazardous class landfill.

G: Stockpiles and Materials : General building/other materials including non-hazardous materials and chemicals must be kept in the designated material storage area when not in use. Stockpiles must be covered if exposed to heavy wind and rain or alternatively, low walls or berms must be constructed around the stock piles. Damp down surfaces and stockpiles as required to prevent wind blow dust. Alien vegetation must not be permitted to grow on the stockpiles.

H: Hazardous Storage and Disposal: Transport of hazardous materials around the site should be limited, and materials must be transported in sealed bags/containers. Mixing/decanting of all chemicals and hazardous substances must take place either on a drip tray or on an impermeable surface. Drip trays must be cleaned out daily and material collected disposed of as hazardous waste. All hazardous chemicals to be returned to the storage area at the construction camp each night. No vehicles transporting concrete to the site may be washed on site. The transportation, handling and storage of hazardous substances must comply with all the provisions of the Hazardous Substances Act and relevant

SANS codes. Appropriate signage must be fixed for all hazardous materials or materials requiring special management.

Do not mix hazardous materials with other demolition materials.

Store paints, chemicals and oils in a bunded storage area which should be roofed to prevent entry of water and locked to prevent illegal entry. Any welding wash water / flux waste must be disposed of at appropriate waste site. Firefighting equipment to be kept near store for materials. All spillage/leaks of hazardous materials/substances must be cleaned up to the satisfactory of the ECO and areas rehabilitated.


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I: Erosion Control: Stabilization of cleared areas to prevent and control erosion and/or sedimentation shall be actively managed. During construction, the contractor shall protect all areas susceptible to erosion by installing necessary temporary and permanent drainage works as

soon as possible and by taking any other measures necessary to prevent stormwater from concentrating in streams and scouring slopes, banks, etc. In areas where construction activities have been completed and where no further disturbance would take place, rehabilitation and re-vegetation should

commence as soon as possible. The duration of the exposed soil must be kept to a minimum and rehabilitation must be initiated as soon as construction is completed. All areas that have been stripped of vegetation, including the roadsides, must be dampened periodically to avoid excessive dust. Soil erosion measures must be implemented in sensitive areas such as water discharge points. It is anticipated that water will be provided from the

municipal system and as such the applicant / developer must ensure that all discharge points (i.e. taps) are in good working condition thus preventing leakage and potential soil erosion.

Traffic and movement over stabilised areas must be restricted and controlled, and damage to stabilised areas must be repaired and maintained to the satisfaction of the ECO.

Erosion barriers must be regularly cleaned and checked.

J: Training: Toolbox talks attached in Appendix 9 must be conducted and retained on site, regular toolbox sessions must be held to ensure that staff are reminded

about environmental and safety issues and procedures.

Figure 10: An example of hazardous material which has not been properly stored and is leaking on to bare soil. Hazardous material must always be kept separate from other storage areas and must be bunded.


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The ECO must be on hand to explain more difficult / technical environmental issues and to answer questions throughout the construction phase. Use should be made of environmental awareness posters on site.

K. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash bay All vehicles and equipment must be kept in good working order to maximize efficiency and minimize pollution. Vehicles travelling along the access roads must adhere to speed limits ensure the safety of the business residents. The contractor/ECO must check vehicles and equipment daily for leaks and ensure that no contamination of soil or vegetation occurs. Drip trays must be provided for all stationary plant. Drips trays must be used way refueling of plant and machinery is conducted. No washing of machinery can take place on site. Cement trucks are not permitted to wash out cement mixers on site. Noise suppressors must be used on machinery on site. All construction vehicles will be fitted with standard silencers and will be well maintained. L. Sensitive Habitats In the event of a spill, the Contractor must take prompt action to clear polluted areas and prevent spreading of the pollutants. The Contractor must be

liable to arrange for professional service providers to clear affected areas, if required. Environmentally sensitive areas (i.e. the drainage lines, streams and rivers) must be avoided where possible. Site staff must not be permitted to use the stream or any other open water body or natural water source adjacent to or within the designated site for the

purposes of bathing, washing of clothing or for any construction related activities. Municipal water (or another source approved by the Engineer) should instead be used for all activities such as washing of equipment, dust suppression, concrete mixing, compacting etc.

AMAFA must be contacted if any heritage objects are identified during earthmoving activities and following procedure is to be followed:

stop construction

report finding to ECO/Engineer/local police station report to AMAFA to investigate

M: Conduct: Surrounding business residents must be treated with respect and courtesy. Excessive noise must be prevented. Trespassing on private / commercial properties adjoining the site is forbidden. Construction activities must comply with designated working hours and surrounding residents must be informed prior to noisy activities. No alcohol, drugs, snares, slingshots or animals may be brought onto the property. Workers that are under the influence of alcohol or drugs may not operate chainsaws, vehicles or other machinery. The digging of pit latrines for this purpose is not allowed under any circumstances. Staff must use facilities provided and are not permitted to use any

other areas on site as toilet facilities. The contractor must ensure that staff do not play music or create any other disturbance to neighbours, staff must use only the chemical toilets provided,

that staff are not permitted to build fires for any purpose on the site and that all staff behave in a socially acceptable manner and do not use drugs or alcohol on site.

No fires may be made on the property unless under the guidance of the ECO for the purposes of controlled burning of grasslands or within controlled braai areas in the Construction Camp.

The harvesting of firewood, medicinal plants, tree bark, flowers or other natural materials is forbidden on the site and adjacent properties. No workers may sleep on the property unless proper accommodations have been established.

N: Air Quality:


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A complaints register must be maintained on site at all times and be made accessible to the surrounding community (or any affected person(s)) to record complaints regarding odours, emissions and/or excessive levels of dust.

Vehicles and machinery are to be kept in good working order and to meet manufacturer’s specifications for safety, fuel consumption etc. Speeding must be prohibited. Dust suppression techniques must be adopted to control dust generated during construction of the Substation and access road (e.g. keep dusty areas

watered, compact stockpiled soil, construct physical barriers, control traffic on site). Vehicles travelling along the access roads must adhere to speed limits to avoid creating excessive dust.

O: Emergency Response: If a spill occurs, stop the source, contain it, clean up in accordance with MSDSs and notify relevant authorities. An emergency procedure to follow/activate must be drawn up and all employees must be made aware of this. Emergency phone numbers and responsible persons must be indicated. P: Occupational Health & Safety: The necessary PPE (Hardhat, ear protection, protective clothing, eye protection, dust masks, safety footwear) must be worn. Appropriate construction signage must be erected to ensure that pedestrians are aware that construction is being conducted and that it is an unsafe area. All procedures and equipment must be used in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation (OHSA) of South Africa, Act 85

of 1993. Potentially hazardous areas such as trenches are to be demarcated and clearly marked.

O: Traffic, Access, and Road ways on site: Vehicle entry point must be limited to the designated area and the contractor must ensure that no other entry point is used. No vehicle or machinery washing must occur on site. Construction vehicles must travel slowly along the roads to the construction site and adhere to all traffic laws. No ad hoc haulage roads or turning areas may be created. Construction vehicles must not be permitted to park for extended periods of time on the roads or on road verges where they can block the roads and

access to the site. A designated parking area must be set aside and must not disrupt vehicle traffic from surrounding areas. All vehicles to remain in the parking area

designated within the construction site.

3: POST CONSTRUCTION

A: Site Camp Decommissioning: Clearance from the ECO must be obtained to ensure that all of the requirements of the EMPr have been complied with before the PCA is conducted. Bins and / or skips must be removed from the construction site. Construction camp to be rehabilitated if required. All building materials and waste must be removed at the end of construction. Any fences, barriers or demarcations utilized during construction must be removed. The area that previously housed the construction camp is to be checked for spills of substances such as oil, paint etc. Waybills/safe disposal certificates have been produced showing the removal of waste / spoil / rubble to a registered waste site. Used oil has been collected by a registered used oil contractor and documentation to this effect has been provided. B: Vegetation Clearing:


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Re-grassing of areas disturbed by construction activities or earthworks must commence immediately after the completion of an activity. Alien vegetation growing in disturbed areas must be removed. All surfaces hardened due to construction activities are to be ripped and re-vegetated to the satisfaction of the ECO. All areas that have been disturbed by construction activities (including the construction camp area) must be cleared of alien vegetation as directed by the

ECO. C: Stormwater The entire site for the substation must be graveled ensuring infiltration of rainwater into the subsoil. Thus if the natural vegetation surrounding the site is

maintained this will provide sufficient control of stormwater runoff from the site. D: Sourcing Materials: Ensure that all materials (Including topsoil, sands, indigenous gravels, crushed stone etc) are removed from the construction site. Ensure that areas where materials were stored during construction are rehabilitated to ensure no erosion or degradation of the surrounding area occurs.

E: Resource Use and Conservation: Contractor to supply a certificate indicating water usage for the construction camp and construction site during construction. F: Incidents / spills: No evidence of spills must be evident after construction. Any damage to neighbouring properties around the Substation site due to spillages occurring during the construction period, must be remedied and

repaired.

G: Waste management: All outstanding safe disposal certificates must be submitted to the ECO. All bins and other waste storage containers are removed from site. A final check must be done to ensure that no waste is left on site. Ensure that no burying of rubble on site, or dumping in drainage lines/rivers has occurred. Surfaces are to be checked for waste products from activities such as concreting and must be cleared in a manner approved by the ECO. All excess cement/concrete must be removed from the construction camp and construction site. All excess aggregate must also be removed. The Contractor must check that the stormwater channels and the drainage gutters are free from building rubble, spoil materials and waste materials. Used oil, lubricants, cleaning materials, etc. to be disposed of at an approved hazardous waste site, safe disposal certificates to be submitted to the ECO. Ensure clean up and rehabilitation of areas where any chemical toilet spillage has occurred.

H: Stockpiles : All residual stockpiles must be removed from site or spread on site as directed by the ECO. All leftover building materials must be removed from the site. No foreign material generated / deposited during construction shall remain on site. Areas affected by stockpiling shall be reinstated to the satisfaction of

the ECO. No building rubble, spoil materials or waste materials may be dumped on any adjoining sites. All excess material and rubble must go to an approved, designated landfill and a safe disposal certificate must be obtained and submitted to the ECO. I: Waste Water Ensure clean up and rehabilitation of areas where any waste water spillage has occurred. All waste water conservancy tanks will be removed from site once emptied. The areas where the conservancy tanks had been placed will be suitably


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rehabilitated. J: Hazardous storage and disposal: Hazardous materials that require disposal (cement, paints, solvents, old fuel / oil etc) must be disposed of to a registered hazardous landfill site. These

materials may be removed by an appropriate hazardous waste contractor. Proof of appropriate disposal must be submitted to the ECO for scrutiny. K: Erosion Control: Re-vegetation of cleared land must utilize only 100% locally indigenous plant material to ensure no erosion occurs once the site is vacated. Any eroded soil on paths / roadways / other areas must be collected and replaced in the area from which it was eroded. All areas affected by erosion during the construction phase must be rehabilitated to the satisfaction of the ECO. L: Sensitive Habitats Ensure that no sensitive habitats have been damaged during the construction phase. Where any sensitive habitats have been damaged that rehabilitation measures have been undertaken to the satisfaction of the ECO. M: Conduct: Any damage caused by misconduct must be remedied and rehabilitated.

N: Emergency Response: Firefighting equipment must be readily within the substation site.

O: Occupational Health & Safety: Adequate signage must be erected on the fence of the substation site to ensure that surrounding residents and pedestrians are aware that:

o The substation is restricted area, o Contact details of Eskom for emergencies o And any other requirements

P: Traffic, Access, Road ways, Equipment and Vehicles on site: All temporary signage must be removed on completion of construction. All existing access roads to and from the construction site must be cleared. The entrance point to the proposed substation must be clearly demarcated and must be obstructed.

4: OPERATIONAL

A: Vegetation Clearing: The maintenance of the substation site from alien and indigenous vegetation re-growth must be controlled and conducted on a regular basis. B: Stormwater Stormwater drains for the substation must be kept clear of materials, waste, and vegetation must be controlled and conducted on a regular basis. C: Incidents / spills: A spill response procedure must be designed to manage spills during operation. Maintenance personnel of the development must be made aware of the

spill response procedure. All spills must be immediately cleaned. Spill kits must be readily available. In the event of a transformer failure, spillage of the coolant and insulation oil must be monitored and remedied. The appropriate corrective actions should

be executed to avoid oil/coolant from entering the stormwater system.


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The integrity of the transformer bund must be regularly checked by maintenance personnel.

D: Hazardous storage and disposal: Accumulated oil from the sump of the substation must be disposed of at an appropriately licensed waste disposal facility. Certificates of safe disposal

must be kept on file. Hazardous substances / materials are to be transported in sealed containers or bags. Used coolant oil must be handled with the appropriate PPE and be disposed of suitably. During routine maintenance, transformer failure must be closely monitored. This would constitute preventive management to avoid the spillage of

insulation/coolant oil. Hazardous materials that require disposal (paints, solvents) must be disposed of to a registered hazardous landfill site. These materials may be removed

by an appropriate hazardous waste contractor. Proof of appropriate disposal must be available to the ECO for scrutiny. Appropriate signage must be fixed for all hazardous materials or materials requiring special management.

E: Erosion Control: Suitable erosions control measures must be implemented in sensitive areas such as near water discharge points and edges of slopes should erosion

occur.


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EMONDLA-ST JAMES 88/22kV POWERLINE, AND LEKSAND-ST JAMES 88KV POWERLINE

1: PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION CAMP INCEPTION, AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A: Site Establishment: The construction camp for the civil works contractors must be located next to the one if the substation sites at the position agreed with by the ECO,

landowners, and Eskom, or at an alternative site that has been approved in writing by the ECO. The size of the construction camp must be minimized and must not encroach on any privately owned land or into the informal settlements. The construction camp must comprised of:

o Site Office; o Ablution facilities; o Eating area; o General Waste storage area- Bins and / or skips must be provided within the construction camp at convenient intervals; o Materials storage area- The materials storage area must be identified and designated within the construction camp; o Stockpile storage area; o Hazardous Materials storage area (i.e. Cargo Container line with chipboard); and o Hazardous Waste storage area (210ltr metal drum for the storage of contaminated soil/materials Figure 11).

The construction site must be fenced to ensure that no animals or unauthorized personnel can gain access to the site. The construction camp may not be situated on slopes greater than 1:5. Construction must take into consideration the movements of residents and must therefore allow access at all times.

B: Vegetation Clearing: Vegetation clearing of the servitude must be undertaken by a ‘bush clearing’ specialist prior to construction of the powerline commencing. Vegetation clearing for the powerline servitude is not permitted to be greater than 4 meters in wide over flat areas, and 2 meters over valleys.

Figure 11: Example of 220ltr metal drum used to store contaminated soil (Source: KSEMS).


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Where possible removal of indigenous and protected trees must be avoided. Alternately these trees should be removed and replanted during the rehabilitation process.

Where the removal of indigenous and protected trees is unavoidable, Eskom must apply for the necessary permits from the DAFF or Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

Indiscriminant clearing of vegetation must be avoided and only those areas directly affecting the construction camp maybe be removed. If vegetation clearing cannot be avoided then the ECO must be consulted prior to removal of vegetation. Pesticides and herbicides may not be used control alien vegetation within the construction camp, removal of any alien vegetation should be done by

hand.

C: Stormwater: There should be limited storage of sand and cement within the construction camp as this could contaminate stormwater during construction. All potential stormwater contaminants must be bunded in the construction camp to prevent run-off into the surrounding grassland, neighbouring

properties or the roads. Stormwater should not be allowed to pool within the construction camp and should not be discharged onto neighbouring properties. Stormwater should

not flow directly onto nearby roads but should be directed into the municipal drains. The Contractor must attend to drainage of the construction camp to avoid standing water or sheet erosion. The stormwater management plan attached as Appendix 12 of the EMPr must be implemented. The contractor must ensure that all construction methods adopted on site do not cause, or precipitate, soil erosion and must take adequate steps to

ensure that the amount of stormwater is not significantly increased and can be dealt with the existing infrastructure. The designated responsible person on site (usually the contractor) must ensure that no construction work takes place before adequate stormwater control measures are in place.

D: Sourcing Material Contractors must prepare a source statement indicating the sources of natural materials used in the construction of the powerline (i.e. topsoil, sands,

gravels/crushed stone etc), and submit these to the ECO for approval at the commencement of work at the powerline. A source statement indicates where and which company mined the material.

Where possible, a signed document from the supplier of natural materials should be obtained confirming that they have been obtained in a sustainable manner and in compliance with relevant legislation.

All delivery slips for natural resources and other materials required for the construction of powerline must be stored on site at all times. Delivery slips indicate the material delivered to site, the quantity of material delivered, and which company/outlet that the material was purchased from.

E: Resource use and conservation: Water used within the construction camp must be from a tanker or an approved municipal source. A record of water usage for the construction camp and construction site must be kept within the site office. The 50 000l per day General Authorisation by DWA is only applicable if the water is abstracted from the water resource. Should the quantity of water

extracted from a natural water source (i.e. river/dam) exceed 50 000 liters per day a water use permit must be acquired from DWA. Topsoil that is removed for the construction camp must be stockpiled and used for rehabilitation of the construction camp during the decommissioning of

the construction camp.

F. Incidents/Spills The spill response plan attached under Appendix 11 of this EMPr must be implemented. The Contractor must be in possession of an Emergency Response Plan that details the appropriate response/procedures that must be undertaken for all

incidents/emergencies that could potential occur during construction. The Contractor must be in possession of an emergency spill kit that is complete and available at all times within the construction camp. The ECO must be


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aware of the location of the emergency spill kit and have access to it.

The ECO must be aware of the spillage procedure with regard to spillages of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. Adequate spill kits and containers for spilled and contaminated material to be on standby within the construction camp. All trucks involved with the construction of the powerline must have a spill kit stored within the drivers’ cabin.

G. Waste Management A register of all waste removed from the construction camp must be complied and stored within the site office. The register must indicate the type of

waste (General, Hazardous, Construction, Rubble) removed from site and to which landfill site that waste has been removed to. Sufficient bins must be provided within the construction camp. Recycling bins should be placed within the construction camp to encourage recycling and ensure the separation of waste. Separation of waste and recycling of paper, glass etc must be implemented. Composting of organic waste is encouraged. The waste containers must be appropriate to the waste type contained therein and where necessary should be lined and covered. Refuse must be separated at source and disposed of in the appropriate bins, which must be emptied regularly. All trucks involved in the construction of towers must have ‘Refuse bags’ stored within the drivers’ cabin for the collection of litter on site.

H. Stock Piles and Materials: Stockpiles must be positioned and sloped to create the least visual impact. Stockpiles may not be located within 32m of the stream/drainage line or local residential homesteads. Stockpiles must be protected against unfavorable weather conditions. Stockpiles must not exceed two (2) metres in height. Materials must be stacked in a way that they cannot fall and cause injury or damage to property or the surrounding environment I. Waste Water Adequate wastewater collection facilities must be provided. No contaminated runoff or gray water may be discharged from the construction camp. The Contractor must submit a method statement to the ECO detailing how wastewater would be collected from all wastewater generating areas, as well

as storage and disposal methods. If the Contractor intends to carry out any on-site wastewater treatment, this should also be included. Adequate toilets must be available on site for use by construction staff at all times. The chemical toilets to be provided must be from a registered company and all sewage must be disposed at an appropriate facility. The chemical toilets servicing the camp must be maintained in a good state, and any spills or overflows must be attended to immediately by a sanitation

expert. Chemical toilet waste must be removed by the approved contractor and safe disposal certificates must be maintained and kept within the construction

camp. J: Hazardous storage and disposal A full inventory of hazardous substances and MSDS for each substance stored on site must be maintained and each substance must be stored and

managed in accordance with the MSDS. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) must be readily available on site for all chemicals and hazardous substances to be used in the construction of the

powerline. Where possible and available, MSDSs should additionally include information on ecological impacts and measures to minimise negative environmental impacts during accidental releases or escapes.

Ensure all staff must be trained on proper hazardous waste disposal prior to commence of construction. All fuel/oil/hazardous chemicals or substances required for the construction of the substation site must be stored within the Hazardous Materials storage

area.


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Hazardous chemical working / refueling areas must be bunded with an impermeable liner to protect groundwater quality. This can be done using a plastic liner covered with soil, and should be undercover.

Storage areas containing hazardous substances / materials must be clearly signed and must have fire extinguishers in close proximity. The hazardous materials storage area must be fully secured to prevent people and animals from accessing it. Fuel bowsers, should they be required, must be in good condition and be provided with a drip tray for use when dispensing/ refueling equipment and

must be placed under the pump and dispensing unit of the bowser during overnight storage. If possible an undercover area must be provided for overnight storage of the bowser/s.

Fuel storage areas, should they be required, must be bunded with a catchpit of at least 110% the storage capacity of the fuel storage container. This bund must have a controlled stormwater outlet with a filter.

Decanting of any chemical must be done within the confines of a suitably sized drip tray. Decanting from large containers (e.g. 210L drums) should be done using a hand pump, where possible. Residents living adjacent to the construction site and within 100 metres of the hazardous materials storage area must be notified of the existence of the

hazardous storage area on site.

K. Erosion Control The Contractor must, as an initial and ongoing exercise, implement erosion and sedimentation control measures within the construction camp to the

satisfaction of the ECO.

L: Training The ECO must conduct ‘Environmental Induction Training’ for all contractors involved in the construction of the towers and powerline. The ‘Environmental

Induction Training’ must be offered in English and isiZulu, and must cover the following: The definition of environment (people + air + soil + water +business) Reasons for conserving and protecting the environment; How the following activities can impact the environment: - Not using assigned ablutions, hazardous materials, uncleaned spills, mixing of

cement or paint on soil or grass surfaces, waste management i.e. use of waste receptacles and waste separation for recycling, vehicle washing polluting soil & ground water; litter;

What to do to prevent the above impacting the environment i.e. assign impermeable mixing areas, no vehicle washing on site, use of waste receptacles and separation of waste to allow for recycling, how to respond in an emergency and deal with a spill;

Consideration of neighbours. The need for a “clean site” policy; The details of the EMPr as well as the conditions of the Environmental Authorisation issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs

(DEA); The location of all sensitive areas (i.e. dams, rivers, wetlands, indigenous vegetation) and must informed staff members of the importance of

ensuring these areas are not impacted on during construction; and Ensure that all workers are trained on what possible archaeological or historical objects of value may look like, and to notify the site manager

if one is found. The contractor / developer must ensure that all staff have received environmental training and keep records of training. Staff must sign the register. The contractor must ensure that all site staff are informed of the details of the EMPr document as well as the conditions of the Environmental

Authorization issued by the Department Environmental Affairs (DEA) on a regular basis.The EMPr environmental awareness plan/ environmental toolbox talks attached in Appendix 9 must be undertaken by the contractor during construction of the substation.

The contractor / developer must ensure that all staff have received environmental training and keep records of training. Staff must sign the register.


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N. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash bay Excessively noisy machinery must be removed from site. Only emergency (breakdown where equipment is no longer mobile) and minor maintenance (e.g. greasing) may be done on site. Any other planned or

required maintenance must be done offsite at a suitable location.

M. Sensitive Habitats A 40 m buffer must be demarcated from all grave and archaeological sites. No construction vehicles are permitted to traverse any wetland areas or watercourses without prior approval of the ECO.

O: Conduct Workers must be briefed by the person in charge of managing construction / management activities on the do’s and don’ts on the property, when workers

arrive at the property. This must be repeated in weekly toolbox talks.

P: Air Quality The contractor must ensure that the necessary equipment is in place to control dust generated during construction of the powerline.

Q: Emergency Response Emergency contact numbers must be displayed within the construction camp. All construction staff must be made aware of emergency phone numbers to use in the case of an emergency. All staff must be trained on how to react in the case of an emergency. An emergency response team must be set up to manage emergencies.

R: Occupational Health & Safety All construction staff must be provided with relevant PPE (Hardhat, ear protection, protective clothing, eye protection, dust masks, safety footwear).

Figure 12: Occupational health and safety (http://www.alpinesafety.co.uk/acatalog/Intermediate.jpg).




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S: Traffic, Access, and Road ways on site Access points to the construction camp must be agreed by the engineer and ECO prior to commencement of construction. Construction signage must be erected 50 metres before the construction activities in both directions. Construction signage indicating speed limits must be erected on the road verge.

2: CONSTRUCTION

A: Vegetation Clearing and Rehabilitation: Alien vegetation re-growth must be controlled at each tower site during the construction period. Only vegetation directly impacting on the excavation of the foundation for the tower pylons may be removed. Vegetation must only be removed as it becomes absolutely necessary for work to proceed within the proposed tower site. Caution must be taken to

ensure that the unnecessary removal of vegetation especially on steep areas does not occur. Removal of vegetation must occur in a phase manner. No dumping of the removed vegetation is permitted in the properties of the surrounding residents. Care must be taken to avoid the introduction of alien plant species to the tower sites. Areas striped of vegetation for the tower pylons must be reseeded or re-grassed with indigenous grasses immediately once construction activities have

been completed in these areas. In areas where construction activities have been completed and where no further disturbance would take place, rehabilitation and re-vegetation should

commence as soon as possible.

B: Stormwater: Storm water control must be maintained. Flow of stormwater must not be impeded during construction. Stormwater must not be allowed to pool on or around the tower sites. During construction unchannelled flow must be controlled to avoid soil erosion. Contamination of stormwater must be avoided at all times. Nothing other than stormwater is permitted to enter the stormwater system. Any contaminated runoff from the construction site i.e. washings, water runoff from bunded areas that may have picked up contaminants or spills etc

must be collected and stored to prevent contamination to the surrounding environment. Contaminated waste water must be disposed of at a registered Hazardous waste facility.

Washing of any vessels or any containers is not permitted on the construction site. Any incidents involving stormwater must be reported to the ECO for the purposes of maintaining the site’s incident records. Any stormwater that pools within the foundation excavations for the tower pylons must be pumped out immediately. Run off from the construction camp during construction will need to be controlled and temporary stormwater measures put in place to direct stormwater to

the existing facilities. Storm water discharge from the site will not be permitted to increase with development of the site and will be detained where possible on site through the

use of temporary measures such as sandbagging and the construction of berms and swales should it become necessary.

C: Sourcing Materials: Make certain transportation of materials is such that no spillage occurs on route to the tower sites. Ensure that all materials are sourced from those sites set out in the source statement and that any changes to sources of materials are updated on the


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source statement. Receipts for all materials required for the construction of the powerline are retained within the site office. Contractors must ensure that any spillage of materials on the site is removed appropriately and the area rehabilitated where necessary. Order only required amounts of all building materials so as to avoid excess storage within the construction camp where possible. No materials or equipment must be stored on tower construction sites.

D: Resource Use and Conservation: Water use on the site must be recorded and monitored. Cement/concrete mixing must only be conducted within the construction camp and must not be permitted to occur where run off can enter the stormwater

system or contaminate the surrounding environment. The concrete batching activities shall be located in the construction camp only. Concrete mixing directly on the ground shall not be allowed and must take place on impermeable surfaces to the satisfaction of the ECO. eg.

Impermeable mixing trays (Figure 14).

E: Incidents / Spills: Drip trays must be made available for all construction vehicles and Hazardous chemical/substances bought on to the construction site. Drip trays must be cleaned out daily and material collected disposed of as hazardous waste. The environment surrounding the each tower site must be protected from any contamination. Should any soil or groundwater be contaminated by a spillage it must be removed, stored in a sealed container and disposed of at a licensed disposal

facility. A monitoring system must be put in place to ensure safety and to detect any leakage or spillage of coolants from all oil contaminating equipment. An incident record (Appendix 11) must be maintained on site and all spills entered into the incident record. Minor incidents will include small spills of less

than 5l that do not enter the stormwater drains, housekeeping issues and general small non compliances with the requirements of the EMPr. The list of

Figure 13: An example of a mixing tray used to mix cement.


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incidents to be included in the reporting to the authorities.

Minor incidents: small spills less than 5 l that do not enter stormwater, minor non compliance with EMPr that does not cause major environmental impact i.e. housekeeping issues etc . Action: Supervisor and staff on site to record and address and notify ECO. ECO to advise on remediation measures and to follow up on actions taken to address incident. Records: On site incident register.

Major incidents: Large spills or any spills that enter stormwater, contamination of soil, fires, explosions. Action: Report immediately to ECO, action to be taken to prevent further damage and incident to be reported to authorities. ECO to advise on remediation measures and to follow up on actions taken to address incident. Records: On site incident register and report to authorities.

Should any spills (as indicated in Figure 15 of hazardous materials occur on the site or in the storage area, the relevant clean-up specialists must be contacted immediately. Materials that absorb fuel & oil, such as Drizit, sawdust or earth must be placed over the spill. This contaminated material must be uplifted and disposed off at a recognized hazardous waste site.

In the event of a spillage that cannot be contained and which poses a serious threat to the local environment, the following Departments must be

informed of the incident in accordance with Section 30 of the National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998, within forty-eight (48) hours.

The Local Authority;

Department of Water Affairs;

The KZN Department of Environment Affairs;

The Local Fire Department; and

Figure 14: An example of a spillage on site that will need to be cleaned up using a spill kit (www.spillcontainment.com).

http://www.spillcontainment.com/products/spill_response/spillkits.htm


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20m buffer for the

railway line.

Any other affected department.

F: Waste Management: The designated waste area must be utilized at all times. Littering is prohibited and the construction site must be cleaned daily. All solid waste generated during the construction process (including packets, plastic, rubble, cut plant material, waste metals etc) must be placed in the

designated waste area in the Construction Camp and must not be allowed to blow around the construction site, be accessible by animals, or be placed in piles adjacent the skips / bins.

Waste must be disposed at the appropriate landfill site by an approved contractor. Safe disposal certificates for all waste forms (i.e. general/construction/hazardous) must be obtained and kept on site within the site office. All construction rubble must be disposed of at a registered landfill site. The excavation of rubbish pits on site is not allowed. Rubble must not be buried on site. Burning of rubbish on site is not allowed. Rubble can be temporarily stored on site in the designated ‘Construction Rubble’ storage area within the construction camp. No dumping to occur in the open space and surrounding environment. Solid paint waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Hazardous waste such as oils, contaminated rags etc must be disposed of at a hazardous class landfill.

G: Stockpiles and Materials : General building/other materials including non-hazardous materials and chemicals must be kept in a designated material storage area. Stockpiles must be covered if exposed to heavy wind and rain or alternatively, low walls or berms must be constructed around the stock piles. Damp down surfaces and stockpiles as required to prevent wind blow dust. Alien vegetation must not be permitted to grow on the stockpiles.

H: Hazardous Storage and Disposal: Transport of hazardous materials around the site should be limited, and materials must be transported in sealed bags/containers. Mixing/decanting of all chemicals and hazardous substances must take place either on a drip tray or on an impermeable surface. Drip trays must be cleaned out daily and material collected disposed of as hazardous waste. All hazardous chemicals to be returned to the storage area at the site camp each night. No vehicles transporting concrete to the site may be washed on site. The transportation, handling and storage of hazardous substances must comply with all the provisions of the Hazardous Substances Act and relevant

SANS codes. Appropriate signage must be fixed for all hazardous materials or materials requiring special management.

Do not mix hazardous materials with other demolition materials.

Store paints, chemicals and oils in a bunded storage area which should be roofed to prevent entry of water and locked to prevent illegal entry. Any welding wash water / flux waste must be disposed of at appropriate waste site. Firefighting equipment to be kept near store for materials.


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I: Erosion Control: Stabilization of cleared areas to prevent and control erosion and/or sedimentation shall be actively managed. During construction, the contractor shall protect all areas susceptible to erosion by installing necessary temporary and permanent drainage works as

soon as possible and by taking any other measures necessary to prevent stormwater from concentrating in streams and scouring slopes, banks, etc. In areas where construction activities have been completed and where no further disturbance would take place, rehabilitation and re-vegetation should

commence as soon as possible. The duration of the exposed soil must be kept to a minimum and rehabilitation must be initiated as soon as construction is completed. All areas that have been stripped of vegetation, including the roadsides, must be dampened periodically to avoid excessive dust. Soil erosion measures must be implemented in sensitive areas such as water discharge points. It is anticipated that water will be provided from the

municipal system and as such the applicant / developer must ensure that all discharge points (i.e. taps) are in good working condition thus preventing leakage and potential soil erosion.

Traffic and movement over stabilised areas must be restricted and controlled, and damage to stabilised areas must be repaired and maintained to the satisfaction of the ECO.

Erosion barriers must be regularly cleaned and checked.

J: Training: Toolbox talks attached in Appendix 9 must be conducted and retained on site, these regular toolbox sessions must be held to ensure that staff are

reminded about environmental and safety issues and procedures.

Figure 15: An example of hazardous material which has not been properly stored and is leaking on to bare soil. Hazardous material must always be kept separate from other storage areas and must be bunded.


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The ECO must be on hand to explain more difficult / technical environmental issues and to answer questions throughout the construction phase. Use should be made of environmental awareness posters on site.

K. Equipment Maintenance and Vehicle Wash bay All vehicles and equipment must be kept in good working order to maximize efficiency and minimize pollution. Vehicles travelling along the access roads must adhere to speed limits ensure the safety of the business residents. The contractor must check vehicles and equipment daily for leaks and ensure that no contamination of soil or vegetation occurs. Drip trays must be provided for all stationary plant. Drips trays must be used when refueling of plant and machinery is conducted. No washing of machinery can take place on site. Cement trucks are not permitted to wash out cement mixers on site. Noise suppressors must be used on machinery on site. All construction vehicles will be fitted with standard silencers and will be well maintained. L. Sensitive Habitats In the event of a spill, the Contractor must take prompt action to clear polluted areas and prevent spreading of the pollutants. The Contractor must be

liable to arrange for professional service providers to clear affected areas, if required. Wetlands must be demarcated and no new roads (even temporary roads) must be constructed on or through wetlands. If any wetlands are impacted a

Water Use License Application must be acquired from the DWA. Environmentally sensitive areas (i.e. the drainage lines, streams and rivers) must be avoided where possible. Site staff must not be permitted to use the stream or any other open water body or natural water source adjacent to or within the designated site for the

purposes of bathing, washing of clothing or for any construction related activities. Municipal water (or another source approved by the Engineer) should instead be used for all such activities.


stop construction

notify manager

report finding to local police station report to AMAFA to investigate

M: Conduct: Surrounding business residents must be treated with respect and courtesy. Excessive noise must be prevented. Trespassing on private / commercial properties adjoining the site is forbidden. Construction activities must comply with designated working hours and surrounding residents must be informed prior to noisy activities. No alcohol, drugs, snares, slingshots or animals may be brought onto the property. Workers that are under the influence of alcohol or drugs may not operate chainsaws, vehicles or other machinery. The digging of pit latrines for this purpose is not allowed under any circumstances. Staff must use facilities provided and are not permitted to use any

other areas on site as toilet facilities. The contractor must ensure that staff do not play music or create any other disturbance to neighbours, staff must use only the chemical toilets provided,

that staff are not permitted to build fires for any purpose on the site and that all staff behave in a socially acceptable manner and do not use drugs or alcohol on site.

No fires may be made on the property unless under the guidance of the ECO for the purposes of controlled burning of grasslands or within controlled braai areas in the Construction Camp.

The harvesting of firewood, medicinal plants, tree bark, flowers or other natural materials is forbidden on the site and adjacent properties.


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No workers may sleep on the property unless proper accommodations for this have been established.

N: Air Quality: A complaints register must be maintained on site at all times and be made accessible to the surrounding community (or any affected person(s)) to record

complaints regarding odours, emissions and/or excessive levels of dust. Vehicles and machinery are to be kept in good working order and to meet manufacturer’s specifications for safety, fuel consumption etc. Speeding must be prohibited. Dust suppression techniques must be adopted to control dust generated during construction of the Substation and access road (e.g. keep dusty areas

watered, compact stockpiled soil, construct physical barriers, control traffic on site). Vehicles travelling along the access roads must adhere to speed limits to avoid creating excessive dust.

O: Emergency Response: If a spill occurs, stop the source, contain it, clean up in accordance with MSDSs and notify relevant authorities. An emergency procedure to follow/activate must be drawn up and all employees must be made aware of this. Staff must be supplied with the relevant emergency phone numbers to use in the case of an emergency. P: Occupational Health & Safety: The necessary PPE (Hardhat, ear protection, protective clothing, eye protection, dust masks, safety footwear) must be worn. Appropriate construction signage must be erected to ensure that pedestrians are aware that construction is being conducted and that it is an unsafe area. All procedures and equipment must be used in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation (OHSA) of South Africa, Act 85

of 1993. Potentially hazardous areas such as trenches are to be demarcated and clearly marked.

Q: Traffic, Access, and Road ways on site: Vehicle entry point must be limited to the designated area and the contractor must ensure that no other entry point is used. No vehicle or machinery washing must occur on site. Construction vehicles must travel slowly along the roads to the construction site and adhere to all traffic laws. No ad hoc haulage roads or turning areas may be created. Construction vehicles must not be permitted to park for extended periods of time on the roads or on road verges where they can block the roads and

access to the site. A designated parking area must be set aside and must not disrupt vehicle traffic from surrounding areas. All vehicles to remain in the parking area

designated within the construction site. R: Specialist Conditions: Preference must be given to using the existing road and track network as far as possible. Existing road crossings should, as far as possible, be incorporated into the network plan. If new roads are required, these should be planned in such a way that they avoid wetlands. Where building roads across wetlands is unavoidable, appropriate mitigation measures (including detailed method statements) should be incorporated to

ensure that the patterns of hydrological movement through these areas are not disrupted. Riparian crossings should be constructed in such a way as not to disrupt longitudinal flow. Rehabilitation of the access roads following the construction phase is an important constituent of the environmental management plan. This would entail

levelling the road to remove tyre ruts (preferential flow path), and then breaking up the surface of the levelled area with a cultivator to encourage the recolonisation by herbaceous vegetation.


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If pylon construction within seepage areas, or areas subjected to widespread sheet erosion, is unavoidable then concrete blocks and potential impeding structures should be designed in such a way that a corner is orientated in the direction of flow. This will ensure that water flow is dispersed away from the obstacle, rather than confined around it.

Eskom must not apply herbicide during the bush clearing process, this will allow the woody vegetation to grow back in time. Tower base positions must be situated out of the wetlands and out of any areas where woodland is present (alien invasive woodlots excluded). No vegetation clearing must be conducted through the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland situated within the Leksand-St James 88kV servitude. Avoid all heritage sites, including modern graves, during the construction phase. Strictly maintain a buffer zone of at least 20m around all sites. Avoid sandstone outcrops and rock faces, where possible, as these areas may harbour unknown rock art sites and shelters with Later Stone Age

archaeological deposits. Only use established roads during the construction process. All secondary access roads planned need to be surveyed for heritage sites before

construction may commence. Should the developer decide to move any of the proposed powerlines closer than 20m to any of the identified heritage sites then a second phase heritage

impact assessment should be initiated. Should any heritage material or artifacts be located during the construction process then all activities should stop in the immediate vicinity of the site and

the local heritage agency Amafa contacted for further evaluation. Anti collision markers (flight diverters) must be fitted on the Leksand-St James 88kV and Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline. Sensitive areas have been mapped (Avifaunal Assessment is attached under Appendix D of the BAR) within which the abovementioned collision

mitigation must be implemented. Once final pylon positions are pegged, an avifaunal “walk through” is recommended in order to, “fine tune” these sensitive zones, and to identify the exact

spans of line for marking to mitigate for bird collisions.

3: POST CONSTRUCTION

A: Site Camp Decommissioning: Clearance from the ECO must be obtained to ensure that all of the requirements of the EMPr have been complied with before the PCA is conducted. Bins and / or skips must be removed from the construction site. Construction camp to be rehabilitated if required. All building materials and waste must be removed at the end of construction. Any fences, barriers or demarcations utilized during construction must be removed. The area that previously housed the construction camp is to be checked for spills of substances such as oil, paint etc. Waybills/safe disposal certificates have been produced showing the removal of waste / spoil / rubble to a registered waste site. Used oil has been collected by a registered used oil contractor and documentation to this effect has been provided. B: Vegetation Clearing: Re-grassing of areas disturbed by construction activities or earthworks must commence immediately after the completion of an activity. Alien vegetation growing in disturbed areas must be removed. All surfaces hardened due to construction activities are to be ripped and re-vegetated to the satisfaction of the ECO. All areas that have been disturbed by construction activities (including the construction camp area) must be cleared of alien vegetation as directed by the

ECO. C: Stormwater Ensure that all tower sites have been rehabilitated, thus if the natural vegetation surrounding the site is maintained this will provide sufficient control of


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stormwater runoff from the tower sites. D: Sourcing Materials: Ensure that all materials (Including topsoil, sands, indigenous gravels, crushed stone etc) are removed from the construction site. Ensure that areas where materials were stored on during construction are rehabilitated to ensure no erosion or degradation of the surrounding area

occurs.

E: Resource Use and Conservation: Contractor to supply a certificate indicating water usage for the construction camp and construction site during construction. F: Incidents / spills: No evidence of spills must be evident after construction. Any damage to neighbouring properties around the tower sites due to spillages occurring during the construction period, must be remedied and repaired.

G: Waste management: All outstanding safe disposal certificates must be submitted to the ECO. All bins and other waste storage containers are removed form site. A final check must be done to ensure that no waste is left on site. Ensure that no burying of rubble on site, or dumping in drainage lines/rivers has occurred. Surfaces are to be checked for waste products from activities such as concreting and must be cleared in a manner approved by the ECO. All excess concrete must be removed from the construction camp and construction sites. All excess aggregate must also be removed. Used oil, lubricants, cleaning materials, etc. to be disposed of at an approved hazardous waste site, safe disposal certificates to be submitted to the ECO. Ensure clean up and rehabilitation of areas where any chemical toilet spillage has occurred.

H: Stockpiles : All residual stockpiles must be removed from site or spread on site as directed by the ECO. All leftover building materials must be removed from the site. No foreign material generated / deposited during construction shall remain on site. Areas affected by stockpiling shall be reinstated to the satisfaction of

the ECO. No building rubble, spoil materials or waste materials may be dumped on any adjoining sites. All excess material and rubble must go to an approved, designated landfill and a safe disposal certificate must be obtained and submitted to the ECO. I: Waste Water Ensure clean up and rehabilitation of areas where any waste water spillage has occurred. All waste water conservancy tanks will be removed from site once emptied. The areas where the conservancy tanks had been placed will be suitably

rehabilitated. J: Hazardous storage and disposal: Hazardous materials that require disposal (cement, paints, solvents, old fuel / oil etc) must be disposed of to a registered hazardous landfill site. These

materials may be removed by an appropriate hazardous waste contractor. Proof of appropriate disposal must be available to the ECO for scrutiny. K: Erosion Control: Re-vegetation of cleared land must utilize only 100% locally indigenous plant material to ensure no erosion occurs once the site is vacated. Any eroded soil on paths / roadways / other areas must be collected and replaced in the area from which it was eroded.


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All areas affected by erosion during the construction phase must be rehabilitated to the satisfaction of the ECO. L: Sensitive Habitats Ensure that no sensitive habitats have been damaged during the construction phase. Where any sensitive habitats have been damaged that rehabilitation measures have been undertaken to the satisfaction of the ECO. Ensure that ‘bird diverters’ have been installed on the powerline in the areas indicated by the Avifaunal Specialist. M: Conduct: Any damage caused by misconduct must be remedied and rehabilitated.

N: Traffic, Access, Road ways, Equipment and Vehicles on site: All temporary signage must be removed on completion of construction. All existing access roads to and from the construction site must be cleared.

4: OPERATIONAL

A: Vegetation Clearing: The maintenance of the corridor servitude and tower bases from alien and indigenous vegetation re-growth must be controlled and conducted on a

regular basis. B: Incidents / spills: A spill response procedure must be designed to manage spills during operation. Maintenance personnel of the development must be made aware of the

spill response procedure.


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5: DECOMMISSIONING OF A SUBSTATION AND POWERLINE

A decommissioning plan for the old transformers must be drawn up and submitted to DEA prior to decommissioning. The plan must be forwarded to the Assistant Manager of the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Component for approval.

The decommissioning plan must address the following: Air quality, Soil erosion Waste management Stormwater management Worker conduct Dust Landscaping, re-vegetation, stabilization and rehabilitation Land contamination Removal of structures associated with the electrical substation Complaints register

Prior to decommissioning the surrounding community must be notified. Decommissioning must take place only during working hours. All solid waste and rubble must be disposed of at an approved landfill site. Soil is to be rehabilitated due to oil contamination from transformers. Rehabilitation measures must be put into place. All structures, foundations, concrete and tarred areas are demolished. Rubble must be removed by an approved contractor and taken to a licensed landfill

site. Waste recycling must be encouraged. A long-term monitoring system must be in place to ensure total rehabilitation of the site following decommissioning.


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Appendix 1: Letter of acceptance of EMPr

(To be printed on appropriate letter head)

RE: Proposed extension of the Emondlo, St James, and Leksand Substations, including the Reconstruction of the exiting Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline, and the construction of the new Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline, KwaZulu Natal. To whom it may concern This is to state that the undersigned have received a copy of the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) developed for this site by Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc (KSEMS) dated January 2013. The undersigned do hereby agree to abide by the strictures of the Environmental Management Programme (EMPr). Any contravention of the EMPr will be recorded and corrective action will be carried out. Any changes to the EMPr must be approved by the Environmental Control Officer (ECO), the consultant Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc (KSEMS) and the relevant authority. Such changes are to be made in writing and a record must be maintained. As Agreed on this day _______ of ______________(Month) __________(Year) Environmental Control Officer (ECO) Name _________________________________________________ Signed _________________________________________________ Contractor Name _________________________________________________ Company _________________________________________________ Signed _________________________________________________ Engineer Name _________________________________________________ Company _________________________________________________ Signed _________________________________________________


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Appendix 2: EMPr checklist

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME CHECK LIST

Contractor

Telephone Number

Project

Issue Page number

No of pages

Signature

1 Cover Sheet Identifying Persons and Contacts

2 Project Description

3 Construction Site Layout Plan

4 Action Plan Responsibilities

5 EMPr Audit Form

6 Non Conformance Register

7 Incidents Record

8 Letter of Acceptance of EMPr

9 Complaints

10 Appendix 6:

11 Appendix 7:

12 Appendix D:

13 Training Record

Contractors Representative Completing this Form

Name Signature

Date Revision Number


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Appendix 3: EMPr audit form

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT DURING AND POST CONSTRUCTION CHECKLIST PRE-CONSTRUCTION PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

COMPLIANT: YES NO

EMPr TRAINING

Has the EMPr been communicated to workers? Toolbox 1 (EMPr)

CONSTRUCTION PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

SITE ESTABLISHMENT:

Contractor’s camp set up as per EMPr.

Is the EMPr available on site.

Is there adequate sanitation on site.

Is demarcation of the site complete.

No excess removal of vegetation.

No cultural/historical objects found.

Topsoil being stockpiled for rehabilitation.

Is an emergency plan available on site.

Is an complaints register available on site

Is an incident register available on site

SITE INFRASTRUCTURE

Roads and access to the site being utilized.

Gates and fences have been erected.

SITE MANAGEMENT

Construction rubble on site.

General waste on site.

Liquid waste on site.

Hazardous waste onsite.

Has waste been removed to a landfill site:

Which Landfill Site:

General:

Construction:

Hazardous:

Any spillage of Hazardous materials on site.

No excessively noisy construction equipment found on site.

Firefighting equipment on site.

Health and safety file on site.

EARTHWORKS ANS TRAFFIC

Excavations and trenches have been boarded and fenced.

Signage erected along the roads.

Flags man on the road.

STOCKPILES, STORAGE AND HANDLING

Topsoil, sand, gravel stockpile as per EMPr.

Vehicles and equipment stored as per EMPr.

Fuel stored as per EMPr.

Hazardous substances stored as per EMPr.

EROSION CONTROL

Stormwater being control as per EMPr.

Erosion protection in place on site.

POST-CONSTRUCTION PHASE

All vegetation rehabilitation has been completed.


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Appendix 4: Complaints register

This a register for recording all complaints received from neighbours i.e. Complaints about noise, odours, dust etc.

Date of complaint

Complainant’s name Contact Details (phone) Nature of complaint Corrective action taken Date action completed


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Appendix 5: Non conformance record

This is record of non compliances with the EMPr i.e. any action taken that is in violation of the EMPr must be recorded e.g. mixing concrete directly on

soil, site staff using neighbouring properties as toilet facilities, dumping of material over fence etc.

Date of non

conformance Details of non conformance Party / ies responsible Corrective action taken

Date action completed


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Appendix 6: Emergency response plan (This must be used to update existing emergency response plans)

1.0 AIM

1) The effective response to emergency incidents. 2) The control of emergency incidents. 3) Recording incidents and ensuring that where possible, all measures are taken to prevent them from re-occurring

2.0 DEFINITION OF AN “INCIDENT” As defined by NEMA, section 30 “Control of emergency incidents” . (1) In this section— (a) “incident” means an unexpected sudden occurrence, including a major emission, fire or explosion leading to serious danger to the public or potentially serious pollution of or detriment to the environment, whether immediate or delayed; (b) “responsible person” includes any person who—

(i) is responsible for the incident; (ii) owns any hazardous substance involved in the incident; or (iii) was in control of any hazardous substance involved in the incident at the time of the incident;

(c) “relevant authority” means— (i) a municipality with jurisdiction over the area in which an incident occurs;

(ii) a provincial head of department or any other provincial official designated for that purpose by the MEC in a province in which an incident occurs; (iii) the Director General;

(iv) any other Director General of a national department.

As defined by the National Water Act section 20 “Control of emergency incidents”

(1) In this section ``incident'' includes any incident or accident in which a substance -

(a) pollutes or has the potential to pollute a water resource; or

(b) has, or is likely to have, a detrimental effect on a water resource. DEFINITION OF AN INCIDENT ON SITE Spills, contamination of soil and or stormwater, fires, explosions. 3.0 CONTENTS OF REPORT TO AUTHORITIES As taken from NEMA, section 30 :Control of Emergency Incidents” (3) The responsible person or, where the incident occurred in the course of that person´s employment, his or her employer must forthwith after knowledge of the incident, report through the most effective means reasonably available— (a) the nature of the incident; (b) any risks posed by the incident to public health, safety and property; (c) the toxicity of substances or byproducts released by the incident; and (d) any steps that must be taken in order to avoid or minimise the effects of the incident on public health and the environment to—


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(i) the DirectorGeneral; (ii) the South African Police Services and the relevant fire prevention service; (iii) the relevant provincial head of department or municipality; and (iv) all persons whose health may be affected by the incident. (4) The responsible person or, where the incident occurred in the course of that person´s employment, his or her employer, must, as soon as reasonably practicable after knowledge of the incident— (a) take all reasonable measures to contain and minimise the effects of the incident, including its effects on the environment and any risks posed by the incident to the health, safety and property of persons; (b) undertake cleanup procedures; (c) remedy the effects of the incident; (d) assess the immediate and longterm effects of the incident on the environment and public health. (5) The responsible person or, where the incident occurred in the course of that person´s employment, his or her employer, must, within 14 days of the incident, report to the DirectorGeneral, provincial head of department and municipality such information as is available to enable an initial evaluation of the incident, including— (a) the nature of the incident; (b) the substances involved and an estimation of the quantity released and their possible acute effect on persons and the environment and data needed to assess these effects; (c) initial measures taken to minimise impacts; (d) causes of the incident, whether direct or indirect, including equipment, technology, system, or management failure; and (e) measures taken and to be taken to avoid a recurrence of such incident. (6) A relevant authority may direct the responsible person to undertake specific measures within a specific time to fulfil his or her obligations under subsections (4) and (5): Provided that the relevant authority must, when considering any such measure or time period, have regard to the following: (a) the principles set out in section 2; (b) the severity of any impact on the environment as a result of the incident and the costs of the measures being considered; (c) any measures already taken or proposed by the person on whom measures are to be imposed, if applicable; (d) the desirability of the State fulfilling its role as custodian holding the environment in public trust for the people; (e) any other relevant factors. (7) A verbal directive must be confirmed in writing at the earliest opportunity, which must be within seven days. (8) Must— (a) the responsible person fail to comply, or inadequately comply with a directive under subsection (6); (b) there be uncertainty as to who the responsible person is; or (c) there be an immediate risk of serious danger to the public or potentially serious detriment to the environment, a relevant authority may take the measures it considers necessary to— (i) contain and minimise the effects of the incident; (ii) undertake cleanup procedures; and (iii) remedy the effects of the incident.

As taken from the National Water Act section 20 “Control of emergency incidents”

(2) In this section, ``responsible person'' includes any person who -

(a) is responsible for the incident;


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(b) owns the substance involved in the incident; or

(c) was in control of the substance involved in the incident at the time of the incident.

(3) The responsible person, any other person involved in the incident or any other person with knowledge of the incident must, as soon as reasonably practicable

after obtaining knowledge of the incident, report to -

(a) the Department;

(b) the South African Police Service or the relevant fire department; or

(c) the relevant catchment management agency.

(4) A responsible person must -

(a) take all reasonable measures to contain and minimise the effects of the incident;

(b) undertake clean-up procedures;

(c) remedy the effects of the incident; and

(d) take such measures as the catchment management agency may either verbally or in writing direct within the time specified by such institution.

The following emergency procedures are guidelines only and must be used in conjunction with the emergency response plan provide by the contractor.

4.0 ON SITE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 4.1 SPILL RESPONSE 4.1.1 RESPONSIBLE PERSON/S The spill is reported to the Foreman who must report to his superior who must report to the ECO. All employees must be made aware of the procedure in case of a spill. The ECO must report to relevant authorities if contamination occurs and if spill falls within the definition of a spill 4.1.2 PROCEDURE

1. Identify nature and size of spill e.g. oil 20L. Consult MSDS for safety precautions 2. Protect exposed stormwater drains, prevent entry of substance to stormwater drains and drainage line. 3. For a small spill (less than a litre, locate spill kit, contain spill according to the training from the spill kit suppliers 4. For large spill (unable to deal with on site), contact external spill control contractors 5. Determine appropriate method for disposal of material base on information provided in MSDS 6. Determine if any contamination has occurred i.e. entry to stormwater, , soil contamination 7. If contamination has occurred, consult with authorities on need for ongoing monitoring and or rehabilitation requirements. Determine medium and long term

effects. Stormwater incidents must be reported to Waste water 8. If no contamination has occurred, determine if spill falls under definition of an “incident” and if so, report to relevant authorities. 9. Record in Incidents register Nature of incident

Cause of incident Contamination if any Measures taken to control spill and handle contamination If spill falls under definition of an incident


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Mitigation measures taken to prevent re-occurrence 10. Record in non-compliance register and incident (if defined as incident) 11. The ECO shall review all spill reports 12. Adjustments will be made, if necessary, to the operational and emergency procedures to prevent future occurrences

4.3 FIRE 4.3.1 RESPONSIBLE PERSON/S The spill is reported to the Foreman who must report to his superior who must report to the ECO. All employees must be made aware of the procedure in case of a spill. The ECO must report to relevant authorities if contamination occurs and if spill falls within the definition of a spill 4.3.2 PROCEDURE

1. Identify source and nature of fire 2. In case of small fire extinguish with material appropriate to the nature of the fire. Consult MSDS. 3. Immediately contact the ECO. In case of a large fire contact Fire Department 4. Seal off exposed stormwater drains to ensure spill does not cause any external contamination 5. Determine whether any contamination has occurred 6. If contamination has occurred, consult with authorities to determine appropriate rehabilitation and monitoring 7. Record in incident register: Nature of incident

Cause of incident Clean up measures

Mitigation measures taken 8. Record in non-compliance register and record as incident if applicable. 9. The ECO shall review all fire reports 10. Adjustments will be made, if necessary, to the operational and emergency procedures.


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Appendix 7: Incident record

This is record of incidents as defined in NEMA and the NWA. Incidents must be recorded and reported to the applicable authorities.

Date of incident

Details of incident Party / ies responsible Corrective action taken Date action completed


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Appendix 8: Example of an emergency incident report form (Source: DEA website)

Department: Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Document Type: Emergency Incident Report

Title:

Document Status: Pilot reporting format

Reference: [A reference that may be used in future correspondence]

Initial Submission Date:

[Date of initial submission of the report to the Department: Environmental Affairs and Tourism]

Revision No.: example Compiled by: [Full name and contact details of the person submitting the report]

This form provides a template for the emergency incident report required in terms of section 30(5) of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998) (hereinafter “NEMA”) in which the responsible person or, where the incident occurred in the course of that person´s employment, his or her employer, must, within 14 days of the incident, report to the Director General, provincial head of department and municipality such information as is available to enable an initial evaluation of the incident, including: (a) the nature of the incident; (b) the substances involved and an estimation of the quantity released and their possible acute effect on persons and the environment and data needed to assess these effects; (c) initial measures taken to minimise impacts; (d) causes of the incident, whether direct or indirect, including equipment, technology, system, or management failure; and (e) measures taken and to be taken to avoid a recurrence of such incident. In terms of section 30(1)(a) of NEMA, an “incident” means an unexpected sudden occurrence, including a major emission, fire or explosion leading to serious danger to the public or potentially serious pollution of or detriment to the environment, whether immediate or delayed. In line with section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996), “serious” is taken to be a measure of the impact of an incident where such an incident has had, could have had, is having, or will have a negative impact on human health or well-being.

3. RESPONSIBLE PERSON

In terms of section 30(1)(b) of NEMA, the “responsible person” includes any person who: (i) is responsible for the incident; (ii) owns any hazardous substance involved in the incident; or (iii) was in control of any hazardous substance involved in the incident at the time of the incident

Name: [Full name of person, company, etc.] Designation: [designation of responsible person (n/a for companies, etc.)]

Postal Address: [Full postal address including postal code] Physical Address: [Full physical address]


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3. RESPONSIBLE PERSON

In terms of section 30(1)(b) of NEMA, the “responsible person” includes any person who: (i) is responsible for the incident; (ii) owns any hazardous substance involved in the incident; or (iii) was in control of any hazardous substance involved in the incident at the time of the incident

Telephone (B/H) [Business hours contact telephone number and area code]

Telephone (A/H) [After hours contact telephone number and area code]

Nature of Business: [Brief summary of the nature of the business]

4. Emergency Incident Summary Information

Mark the appropriate boxes

Fire: Spill: Explosion: Gaseous Emission:

Injuries Reportable injuries: Hospitalisation: Fatalities:

Open water impacts: Ground water impacts: Atmospheric impacts: Soil impacts:

Own emergency response involved

Fire prevention services involved

Government hazardous materials emergency response involved

More than 1 governmental emergency response service involved

Emission of non-toxic substances at low concentrations

Emission of non-toxic substances at high concentrations

Emission of toxic substances at low concentrations

Emission of toxic substances at high concentrations

No evacuation required Immediate area evacuated Immediate surrounds evacuated Evacuation of the general public

5. Initial Emergency Incident Report

In terms of section 30(3) of NEMA, the responsible person or, where the incident occurred in the course of that person´s employment, his or her employer must forthwith after knowledge of the incident, report through the most effective means reasonably available: (a) the nature of the incident; (b) any risks posed by the incident to public health, safety and property; (c) the toxicity of substances or byproducts released by the incident; and (d) any steps that must be taken in order to avoid or minimise the effects of the incident on public health and the environment to: (i) the Director General; (ii) the South African Police Services and the relevant fire prevention service; (iii) the relevant provincial head of department or municipality; and (iv) all persons whose health may be affected by the incident.

Description Date: Time: Medium: Contact Details:

Director General: [submission date] [submission time] [Fax, phone, SMS, letter, etc.) [who was the report made to?]

SAPS:

Relevant fire prevention service:

Relevant province or municipality

Affected persons: Provide details of who was contacted and how they were contacted as Annexure A to this report


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6. Incident Details

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(a) and (d), the responsible person must report on the nature of the incident as well as the causes of the incident, whether direct or indirect, including equipment, technology, system, or management failure

Incident start time:

[The exact time that the unexpected event started] Incident duration: [the duration of the unexpected event]

Duration of danger:

[The time taken from the start of the event to the time when the impacts of the event no longer posed a threat to anyone’s health or well-being]

Duration of exposure: [The duration of conditions that had a direct impact anyone’s health or well-being]

Incident description

[Brief description of the incident detailing, but not limited to, a description of: (i) what happened; (ii) how it happened; (iii) where it happened; (iv) the timing and sequence of events; and (v) why it happened. A detailed discussion may be included as an annex.]

Plans, diagrams, maps or any other graphical material relating to the incident description must be attached as annexures B1, B2, etc.

Wind speed and direction

[The wind speed and direction at the point of the incident at the time of the incident]

Ambient air temperature [ambient air temperature at the time of the incident]

Weather conditions

[Sunny, light rain, mist, heavy rain, etc.] Other relevant meteorological conditions

[Temperature inversion, floods, etc]

7. POLLUTANTS RELEASED DURING INCIDENT

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(b), the responsible person must report on the substances involved and an estimation of the quantity.

List all the pollutants directly released during the incident (i.e. exclude those pollutants that resulted from mitigation measures, e.g. flaring, treatment, dilution etc.)

Substance or mixture of substances

Reference Number Phase Total Quantity emitted Unit Nature of emission

[The name recognised by any national or internationally recognised chemical referencing system]

[Reference to any national or internationally recognised chemical referencing system]

[solid, semi-solid, liquid or gas]

[the total measured or estimated quantity released into the environment]

[the unit of measure in respect to the quantity]

[emitted from truck, underground pipe, stack, etc.]

8. SECONDARY POLLUTANTS RESULTING FROM INCIDENT

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(b), the responsible person must report on the substances involved and an estimation of the quantity released.


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List all the pollutants that resulted from mitigation measures, e.g. flaring, treatment, dilution etc.


Reference Number Phase Total Quantity emitted Unit Nature of emission



[solid, semi-solid, liquid or gas]

[the total measured or estimated quantity released into the environment]

[the unit of measure in respect to the quantity]

[emitted from truck, underground pipe, stack, etc.]

9. POLLUTANT concentrations

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(b), the responsible person must report on the substances involved and an estimation of the quantity released.

List all the pollutants detailed above.


Reference Number Estimated pollutant concentration

10m 100m 500m Concentration unit (e.g. ppm)



[estimate the concentration of the pollutant in water, soil and/or air within a 10m radius of the epicentre of the incident]



[[Provide the unit of concentration used in

columns 0, 0 and 0.]

10. Incident Impact

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(b), the responsible person must report on possible acute effect on persons and the environment and data needed to assess these effects;

Minor injuries [Describe the number and types of any minor injuries that resulted from the incident or efforts to manage the incident or the impacts thereof]

Reportable injuries

[Describe the number and types of any injuries requiring statutory reporting that resulted from the incident or efforts to manage the incident or the impacts thereof]

Hospitalisation [Describe the number and types of any injuries that required professional medical care that resulted from the incident or efforts to manage the incident or the impacts thereof]

Fatalities [Describe the number and cause of any fatalities that resulted from the incident or efforts to manage the incident or the impacts thereof]


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Biological impacts

[Describe any impacts on biological life, other than human life, e.g. fish kills, plant mortality, etc.]

Impact area [Describe the area possibly affected by the incident or the impacts thereof including: (i) size of the area; (ii) socio-economic context; (iii) population density; (iv) sensitive environments (if any), etc.]

Data Attach relevant impact reports, medical reports, death certificates, post mortem reports, environmental monitoring data, etc. as Annexes C1, C2,… to this report

11. EXISTING PREVENTION PROCEDURES AND/OR SYSTEMS

Foresight [Briefly describe whether the incident could have, or had, been foreseen, e.g. was it included in any environmental impact assessment, risk assessment, health and safety plan, etc.]

Procedures and/or systems

Attach any relevant safety, health and environmental plans (including any statutory planning requirements) that detail what actions must be taken in the event of the incident that is the subject of this report

Procedure and/or systems failures

[Describe any failures or shortfalls in procedures and/or systems that may have contributed to the incident]

Technical measures [Describe any technical measures, equipment, ‘fail-safe’ devices, etc. that are in place to prevent the occurance of the incident]

Technical failure [Describe any failures of technical measures, equipment, ‘fail-safe’ devices, etc. that are in place to prevent the occurance of the incident]

12. INITIAL Incident MANAGEMENT

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(c), the responsible person must report on initial measures taken to minimise impacts.

Evacuation [Describe any evacuation activities including information on the number of people evacuated and whether these people were staff or otherwise]

Technical measures [Describe all technical measures taken to address the incident]

Mitigation measures [Describe all measures taken to minimise the impact]

Emergency Services

[Describe any governmental emergency services involvement]

13. cleanup and/or decontamination


Cleanup and/or decontamination [Provide a detailed description of all cleanup and/or decontamination activities and the environmental quality and impacts resulting from these activities as well as contact details for any contracted service providers in an annex.]

Permissions and Instructions

Provide details of any permissions and/or instructions received from any organ of state during initial incident management, cleanup and/or decontamination

Type Statuate Issued By Details


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13. cleanup and/or decontamination


[Describe the nature or type of permission or instruction]

[Provide a reference to the legal mandate for the permission or instruction]

[Provide contact details for the permitting or instructing authority]

[provide a summary of the activities carried out in terms of the permission or instruction]

14. MITIGATION MEASURES

In terms of NEMA section 30(5)(e), the responsible person must report on measures taken and to be taken to avoid a recurrence of such incident.

Measure Objective Cost Timing

[Briefly describe each of the measures taken, and to be taken, to avoid a recurrence of such incident]

[Briefly describe the objective of the measure, i.e. the desired outcome of the measure]

[Estimate the cost of the measure in terms of capital costs and/or recurrent costs]

[Provide information on the timing for the full implementation of the measure]

15. AUTHORISATIONS

Provide detail on all authorisations (including permits, licenses, certificates, etc.) in respect of the activity to which the incident relates.

Type Statuate Issued By Issue & Expiry Date

[Describe the nature or type of authorisation, e.g. Registration Certificate]

[Provide the reference for the authorisation, e.g. section X of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1989)]

[Provide contact details for the issuing authority]

[provide the date of issue and expiry]

16. History

Provide details on any and every similar incident involving the responsible person in the last 24 months. Similar incidents include those that: (i) involved similar circumstances; (ii) involved similar emissions; (iii) involved similar personal; and/or (iv) involved similar impacts.

Incident title Report reference Date of incident Summary of event

[Provide the title used in the relevant [Provide the reference in respect of the [Date of incident] [Provide a summary of the event]


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16. History

Provide details on any and every similar incident involving the responsible person in the last 24 months. Similar incidents include those that: (i) involved similar circumstances; (ii) involved similar emissions; (iii) involved similar personal; and/or (iv) involved similar impacts.

Incident title Report reference Date of incident Summary of event

emergency incident report] relevant emergency incident report]

Signed by, or as a mandated signatory for, the responsible person:

Date:


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Appendix 9: Environmental Awareness Plan / Environmental Toolbox Talks

TOOLBOX TALK 1: Definitions, EMPr, and Site Environmental Rules.

ISSUE: Do’s and Don’ts of the Construction Site.

PRESENTER:

What is the Environment?

Environment (NEMA, 1998) - means the surroundings within which humans exist and that are made up of:

• the land, water and atmosphere of the earth; • microorganisms, plant and animal life; • any part or combination of (i) and (ii) and the interrelationships among and between them; and • the physical, chemical, aesthetic and cultural properties and conditions of the foregoing that influence human health and

wellbeing; What is the Pollution?

Pollution (NEMA, 1998) - means any change in the environment caused by -

• substances; • radioactive or other waves; or • noise, odours, dust or heat, emitted from any activity, including the storage or treatment of waste or substances, construction

and the provision of services, whether engaged in by any person or an organ of state, where that change has an adverse effect on human health or wellbeing or on the composition, resilience and productivity of natural or managed ecosystems, or on materials useful to people, or will have such an effect in the future;

What is an EMPr? Environmental Management Programme – refers to a document that used to investigate, assess and evaluate the impacts that a

development is likely to have on the environment during the construction, operation and decommission phases. Why should we protect the Environment?

• It is our right to live in a clean and healthy environment. • To ensure that future generations live in a clean environment. • To prevent the loss of species diversity. • To prevent loss of ecological goods and services

Environmental Site Rules:

• No urinating or defecating on site. Toilet facilities provided at the construction site must be used at all times

• Do not waste water

• No littering

• No washing of cars or other vehicles on site

• Do not use spill kits for disposal of waste


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TOOLBOX TALK 2: Dispensing, storage and disposal of hydrocarbons/ mineral oils

ISSUE: Spillage

Incorrect treatment and disposal of a spillage

PRESENTER:

What is a Hydrocarbon (mineral oil)?

Diesel/hydraulic oil etc. are hydrocarbons and therefore classified as hazardous substances. A hazardous substance is any material that poses an unreasonable risk to people, property and the environment. The environment is our surroundings, soil, air and water.

What is the risk?

Regular dispensing and offloading of diesel increases the risk of a spillage occurring.

Changing hydraulic lines/ greasing parts / basic maintenance of vehicles

Leaks from vehicles and equipment

Hydrocarbons are toxic if swallowed by humans or animals. The presence of hydrocarbons in water can also prevent aquatic

organisms from breathing and may result in aquatic kills depending on the extent of the spill. Hydrocarbons should therefore be

prevented from contaminating ground or surface water.

Note:

Only 1 litre of oil can contaminate a soccer field of water. It is therefore essential to prevent spillages as far as possible and to ensure that if they do occur that they are properly cleaned up and that the resulting material is disposed of correctly.

What is a spillage?

All situations involving the spilling of a hydrocarbon on to the floor or ground or water.

How do we manage this?

1 Correct Storage:

a. Refer to issues around the bunded area.

b. Should be contained in waterproof and leak proof containers. Any containers or points that are leaking to be addressed immediately.

c. Should be stored in a dedicated area on site.

2 Correct Dispensing:

a. Should check lines for leaks before starting with dispensing.

b. Place drip tray so as to catch any drips. How would you and into what would you empty the drip tray?

c. Ensure all residual diesel/oil is drained from pipe before disconnecting.

3 Maintenance of vehicles and equipment

a. Check equipment and vehicles for leaks daily. Report leaks to supervisor immediately. Contain slow drips using a drip tray.

b. Do not use excessive grease when greasing vehicle or equipment parts.

4 Correct Spillage Handling and Disposal:

a. Clean all spillages immediately. This means treat and remove spillage.

b. Dispose in hazardous waste drum or skip.

c. Report spillage to supervisor.


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TOOLBOX TALK 3: Use and maintenance of Drip trays

ISSUE: Drips trays not being used when they should be

Incorrect maintenance of drip trays resulting in spillages

PRESENTER:

What is a Drip Tray?

A drip tray is a plastic or metal container that can be used to contain a liquid. A container is suitable to be used as a drip tray, if

• it is heavy enough not to be blown away; • has no holes in the base or side from which a liquid could leak; and • the sides are high enough that the liquid will not overflow. • The drip tray must be sized according to the amount of liquid that needs to be captured and contained.

What is the risk?

There is a risk of spillage of hydrocarbons or other chemicals under the following circumstance: • Various equipment and vehicles may develop slow hydrocarbon leaks (oils); • During maintenance of vehicles and equipment, there is a risk that hydrocarbons, grease, diesel/petrol may be spilt; • Refuelling of equipment and vehicles; • During decanting of chemicals such as paint and curing compound etc, some of the chemicals may be spilt on the ground;

and/or • While applying paint or grease you need something to put the tin, paint brush or roller into. • Temporary storage of chemicals at point of use

Under all these circumstances the correct use of a drip tray could prevent a spillage on to the ground or into water. What is correct use of a drip tray?

Note that the use of a drip tray should be an additional precaution to other controls. For example:

• Decanting of chemicals should be done within a bunded area as far as possible. A funnel should be used when discharging liquids into a container with a small opening. Spillage of chemicals should always be avoided. A drip tray should be used only as a precaution in case there is a spill.

• Vehicles and equipment should be checked daily and maintained correctly to prevent leaks. Drip trays should be placed underneath equipment and vehicles when stationary as a precaution in case there is a leak.

• Temporary storage of chemicals at point of use. Chemicals should always be returned to chemical store at the end of the shift.

• When refuelling vehicles or equipment a drip tray should be used to capture any excess or spillages from the nozzle of the hose. There should be no overfilling of vehicles and equipment.

• Drip trays may be used for the placing of paint brushes and rollers while applying curing compound.

Correct maintenance?

Drip trays should be maintained empty. Drip trays are to be checked daily, cleaned and emptied into the hazardous waste skip. Drip trays that are not being used should be stored under cover to prevent them filling with rain water.


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TOOLBOX TALK 4: Use, handling and storage of hazardous chemicals

ISSUE: Incorrect storage of chemicals

Spillage of chemicals

PRESENTER:

What is a Hazardous Chemical?

These are substances that may be dangerous to humans and or the environment if not handled, stored and disposed of correctly. The definition of a hazardous chemical is based on the amount, concentration or inherent properties of the waste. e.g. Consumption of Alcohol,

Amount – the effect of 1 glass versus 5 litres. It is the same with a chemical. One drop may not be harmful but continuous dripping over a period of a week could be very harmful. Concentration – Beer as opposed to wine, there is alcohol in both but there is more alcohol in the wine than in the beer. It is the same with some chemicals. Inherent properties – Methylated spirits versus Beer, one bottle of methylated spirits could kill you but one beer won’t because of the type of alcohol in the beer versus that in methylated spirits. It is the same with some Chemicals.

What is the risk?

There is a risk of spillage of chemicals under the following circumstance: • During decanting of chemicals such as paint and curing compound etc, some of the chemicals may be spilt on the ground;

and/or • While applying paint or grease you need something to put the tin, paint brush or roller into. • Temporary storage of chemicals at point of use.

What are the correct use, handling and storage of hazardous chemicals?

• Hazardous chemicals should be stored in a roofed, bunded area that is kept locked. Entry of rain water into the bunded area must be prevented.

• All chemicals or chemical contaminated items should be stored within the bunded area. NOT on the wall of the bunded area or outside the bunded area on a concrete slab.

• Empty chemical containers and drums should be stored in the bunded area until removed or smaller containers thrown in the hazardous waste skip e.g. paint tins, paint brushes or rollers.

• Decanting of chemicals should be done within a bunded area as far as possible. A funnel should be used when discharging liquids into a container with a small opening. Spillage of chemicals should always be avoided.

• All chemical containers should be labelled. No food related containers are to be used for the storage of chemicals e.g. cool drink bottles.

• Temporary storage of chemicals at point of use. Chemicals should always be returned to chemical store at the end of the shift.

• Drip trays may be used for the placing of paint brushes and rollers while applying curing compound or shutter oil. • All these chemicals must have an MSDS (material safety data sheet). This information is required to ensure that all chemicals

are stored, handled and disposed of in the best possible way to ensure the safety of staff and the environment.

Correct maintenance of bunded area

Any cracks in the walls or floors and holes in the roof are to be repaired as soon as possible. Bunded area is to be kept free of spillages. Any spillages are to be cleaned up and disposed of as hazardous waste.


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TOOLBOX TALK 5: Hazardous Waste handling, storage and disposal

ISSUE: Mixing of wastes

Incorrect containment of hazardous wastes

PRESENTER:

What is Hazardous waste?

These are wastes that may be dangerous to humans and or the environment if not handled, stored and disposed of correctly. The definition of a hazardous waste is based on the amount, concentration or inherent properties of the waste. e.g. Consumption of Alcohol,

Amount – the effect of 1 glass versus 5 litres Concentration – Beer as opposed to wine Inherent properties – Methylated spirits versus Beer

Name some examples of hazardous wastes generated on site:

Used oils (hydrocarbons), contaminated spill absorbent or sand, paints (hydrocarbons), batteries (acid), fluorescent tubes (mercury) etc. Correct handling, storage and disposal:

• Should be contained in waterproof and leak proof containers until they are removed from site. • Should be stored in a dedicated area on site. • Should not be disposed of with domestic waste, but must be disposed in containers for hazardous waste only. •

Why?

• To prevent unnecessary exposure of staff and the environment to harmful wastes • Reduce amount paid by the company for the disposal of hazardous wastes by ensuring that wastes are separated correctly.

What is an incident?

• Paint tin, fluorescent tube etc. in domestic waste bin • Liquid running out of the bottom of the hazardous waste bin


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TOOLBOX TALK 6: Waste segregation and separation

ISSUE: Mixing of wastes

Incorrect disposal of mixed waste

PRESENTER:

What is waste separation?

This is the separation of hazardous and general waste Some examples of hazardous wastes generated on site:

Used oils (hydrocarbons), contaminated spill absorbent or sand, paints, batteries (acid), fluorescent tubes (mercury), concrete. Some examples of general waste generated on site:

Cool drink bottles, chip packets, plastic, leftover food, paper etc. Correct handling, storage and disposal

• General waste must be disposed of in the green wheelie bins or marked skips provided • Hazardous waste to be thrown in marked skips provided or 210L marked drums provided in certain areas • The two must not be mixed! • If hazardous waste is found in general waste, all must be disposed of as hazardous waste.

Why?

• The two waste types are disposed of at different waste dumps. The general waste dump is built only to deal with general waste. Hazardous waste accidentally disposed of here, could pollute the water and harm the people in the area.

• Disposal of general waste at a hazardous waste site results in an unnecessary cost to the company, as it is a lot more expensive to dispose of hazardous waste than general waste.


• Mixed waste in any of the skips or bins.


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TOOLBOX TALK 7: Wasting drinking water

ISSUE: Scarcity of drinking water

Expense to produce drinking water

PRESENTER:

What are examples of wasting of drinking water?

• Not turning a tape off properly after use. • Poor maintenance of water fittings resulting in continuous leaking or dripping. • Overfilling and / or overflowing of water containers.

Why should we not waste drinking water?

Good, clean water is scarce in South Africa and expensive to produce and must therefore be used sparingly. Remember anything we put into the water (river, lake or dam) has to be removed before we can drink the water. The more we pollute the water the more expensive it becomes to clean it. Ways to save water:

• Don’t drink directly from the tape, rather fill a glass with water, switch the tape off and drink from the glass. • Report any maintenance issues with water fittings or lines, as soon as possible.


• Dripping or leaking tapes or water connections. • Overflowing of containers that contain water.


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TOOLBOX TALK 8: Protection of sensitive areas

ISSUE: All sensitive areas must be clearly demarcated as no-go areas.

PRESENTER:

Examples of sensitive areas

- Watercourses (Stream)

- As cited in the Avifaunal and Wetland Assessment sensitive areas must not be impacted upon, and recommendations must be implemented.

Why should we protect these areas?

- To prevent degradation of the watercourses as it is a scarce freshwater resource and must therefore be protected. The more we pollute the water the more expensive it becomes to clean it.

Ways to save these areas?

- Indigenous trees must be clearly demarcated. Employees and workers must not cause damage to these trees.

- Report any damage to these sensitive areas.

- No dumping is in the watercourses or surrounding environment.

All sensitive areas must be clearly demarcated as no-go areas. Only alien control maintenance staff and rehabilitation staff are allowed

to access these areas in order to protect the area. Site staff must be made well aware of these areas’ locations. If an area that is not

included above is identified and is sensitive it must also be demarcated.


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TOOLBOX TALK 9: Cultural Hertiage

ISSUE: Damage to cultural areas

PRESENTER:

What happens when an object is found on site?


• stop construction

• notify manager

• report finding to local police station

• report to AMAFA to investigate

All the No Go areas must be demarcated, no site staff are allowed to access these areas in order to protect the cultural heri tage of the

area. Site staff must be made well aware of these areas’ locations. If an area that is not included above is identified and is sensitive it

must also be demarcated.


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Appendix 10: Training Record This is record of training carried out on site.

DATE: TIME: LOCATION:

ENVIRONMENTAL TOOLBOX TALK:

NUMBER: Refer to EMPr:

PRESENTER:

NAME COMPANY/ID NUMBER SIGNATURE


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Appendix 11: Spill Response Plan

Spillages of Hazardous Materials

Applicable Legislation and Controlling Documentation

- Environmental Management Programme prepared by Messrs Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc (KSEMS)

- OHS act 85 of 1993, Hazardous Chemical Substances regulations (GNR 1179) OHS act 85 of 1993 Construction Regulations (GNR 1010 para 18), Environmental regulations for workplaces (GNR 2281 para 6)

- The National Environmental Management Act of 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998)

Attached Drawings - None

Major Equipment Required - Drizit Chemical / EnviroServ/ Oil spill kit

Further Attachments - None


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SPILL RESPONSE PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE EMONDLO, ST JAMES, AND LEKSAND SUBSTATIONS, INCLUDING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EXISTING LEKSAND-ST JAMES

88/22KV POWERLINE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PROPOSED EMONDLO-ST JAMES 88/22KV POWERLINE, KWAZULU NATAL.

1) Description

The correct management of spillages and approved methods for disposal of contaminated substances.

2) Programme The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all hazardous substances kept on site must be available. The contact numbers for Drizit Environmental Solutions/EnviroServ Hazmat Services must be available on site at all times and prominently displayed around the site. Staff must be trained in the correct disposal methods of hazardous substances and emphasis placed on the use of different disposal skips / bins for various substances. Spills kits for chemical and oil must be readily available on site and at least three labourers trained in the correct usage of these kits.

3) Construction sequence and method It is recommended that Drizit Environmental Solutions/ EnviroServ Hazmat Services supply spill kits to the site. Drizit/EnviroServ will carry out training for proper use of the spill kits and environmentally sound clean-up techniques. Spill kits must be monitored for content; once any of the materials are depleted to 50% or below, Drizit/EnviroServ must be called in to replace the diminished material. The first person to sight a spillage must report it to the Environmental Control Officer or Environmental Manager on site. In the event of a hazardous spill the Emergency Preparedness Procedure below must be followed. In the event of a major spill, Drizit/EnviroServ contractors should be called to the site. Alternatively, and for minor spills, the person responsible, or the Environmental Assistants if available, must clean up the contaminated area as follows; • Protect stormwater drainage lines by blocking them to ensure contaminant does not enter the system. • Spread of the spillage must be stopped and contained. Sand can be used to form a berm. Spill Kits from

Drizit/EnviroServ which are designed for spills that pose an environmental threat are available on all sites. Staff members trained in the usage of these spill kits must implement procedures.

• If spill escapes into a drainage line, temporary dams can be constructed from sand, in the form of berms, to contain contaminants.

• Only remove temporary containment berms when instructed by the Environmental Control Officer or Environmental Manager.

• Any contaminated soil / vegetation / water must be lifted and disposed of in a hazardous waste disposal unit and, if necessary, remedial action must be undertaken in consultation with the relevant authorities including DWA.

• Waybills for disposal must be retained for auditing purposes and the incident must be documented. Hazardous substances must be stored under lock and key and kept away from food and water sources. The storage room which is to be marked appropriately with relevant signage and the storage of the substances must be done in accordance with the MSDS. Sub-contractors who require hazardous substances for the execution of their duties will also be expected to store these substances in an appropriate storage area or they will be required to keep the substances off site at their usual business premises. All conditions related to hazardous substances referred to in the approved EMPr must be adhered to.

4) Resources

A minimum of 1 chemical or oil spill kit is required on site. They must be stored in the Hazardous Storage area where they can be readily accessed. Environmental Assistants and stores Manager must be trained by Drizit/EnviroServ in the correct usage of spill kits.


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5) Environmental

All spillages, once cleaned up (including contaminated soil) must be disposed of in a Hazardous Waste Receptacle. If no such receptacle is available then the contaminants must be taken directly to a hazardous landfill site and the waybill retained for auditing purposes.

6) Health and Safety

If the size of the spillage is significant or contaminants are allowed to enter a water body or indigenous / natural environment then the relevant authorities, including the Department of Agriculture and Environment Affairs and the Department of Water Affairs, must be notified.


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Appendix 12: Stormwater Management Plan

Stormwater Control

Applicable Legislation and Controlling Documentation

- Environmental Management Programme prepared by Messrs Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc (KSEMS)

- National Water Act of 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) - OHS act 85 of 1993, Construction regulations (GNR 1010 Para 11)

Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations (85 of 1993) Water Services Act of 1997 (Act no. 108 of 1997)

- The National Environmental Management Act of 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998)

Attached Drawings - None

Major Equipment Required - None

Further Attachments - None


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STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE EMONDLO, ST JAMES, AND LEKSAND SUBSTATIONS, INCLUDING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EXISTING

LEKSAND-ST JAMES 88/22KV POWERLINE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PROPOSED EMONDLO-ST JAMES 88/22KV POWERLINE, KWAZULU NATAL.

1) Description

The correct management of stormwater and the control of erosion during the construction phase of the project.

2) Programme A drainage system must be put in place which must be planned and approved by the engineer. Storm water run-off resulting from the construction activities must be estimated and the drainage system assessed accordingly by the engineers. Key elements are the reduction of flow velocity which could cause erosion problems on site, avoiding points of concentrated flow and preventing contamination of stormwater and ultimately the river.

3) Construction sequence and method Discharging stormwater into natural watercourses is only acceptable under certain conditions. No pollutants i.e. soaps, cement, paints or any other domestic pollutants are allowed to enter the natural system. Run off from cement mixing activities must not enter stormwater or the river untreated. The following conditions, as per the EMPr, should be adhered to at all times during construction:

There should be limited storage of sand and cement on the site as this could contaminate stormwater during construction.

All potential stormwater contaminants must be located in a bunded area in the site camp to prevent run-off into the surrounding environment.

Any runoff from the construction site must not be allowed to cause excessive erosion or sediment input in to the drainage lines.

Flow of stormwater must not be impeded during construction. Contamination of stormwater must be avoided at all times. A drainage system must be established for the construction camp. The drainage system must be regularly

checked to ensure an unobstructed water flow. During construction unchannelled flow must be controlled to avoid soil erosion. Where large areas of soil

are left exposed, sandbags / rows of straw / hay / silt fencing or other suitable controls should be dug into the soil in contours to slow surface wash and capture eroded soil. The spacing between rows will be dependent on the slope.

Any incidents involving stormwater contamination must be reported to the ECO for the purposes of maintaining the site’s incident records.

Construction activities should ideally be undertaken in the winter months when storms are less frequent.

4) Resources

The resources required for stormwater control will be dependent on the impacts of the flow velocity from the stormwater and should be sourced accordingly. In the event of minor channel cutting or erosion from stormwater, sandbags, haybales, silt fencing or other suitable controls must be sourced to prevent further erosion and the input of sediment to the river. In the case of major erosive action from severe weather events, structures such as gabion basket or reno mattresses are required to control the negative impacts of stormwater. The contractor should consult with the environmental officer and ECO to establish the best form of erosion control should it be necessary.

5) Environmental

Any eroded banks or pieces of land must be quickly repaired and the relevant erosion control measures implemented to reduce the amount of sediment entering the drainage lines. Rehabilitation of exposed areas must be undertaken as soon as is possible in order to vegetate the area and assist in the prevention of erosion by stormwater.


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6) Health and Safety

Eroded areas must be repaired and stabilized to reduce the likelihood of the banks collapsing and potential injuries to site workers resulting. Sediment must be prevented from entering the drainage lines so as to not reduce the water quality of the river or impact on the surrounding grassland.


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Appendix 13: Existing Access Roads Capable of Handling Eskom Construction Vehicles


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Figure 16: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom Construction Vehicles along the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Figure 19: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Leksand-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in pink (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Figure 20: Aerial photograph showing existing access roads indicated in yellow that are capable of handling Eskom 8-Ton Construction Vehicles along the Emondlo-St James 88/22kV powerline servitude shown in blue (Image source: Google Earth 2012).


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Appendix 14: Avifaunal sensitivity maps showing zones through which Leksand-St James 88kV powerline will require collision mitigation measures

(Source: Figure 19, EWT, 2012)


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Appendix 15: Avifaunal sensitivity maps showing zones through which Emondlo-St James 88kV powerline will

require collision mitigation measures (Source: Figure 19, EWT, 2012)


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