A draft Basic Assessment Report has been compiled and made available for a 30-day commenting period. The commenting period commences on 13 November 2019 and closes on 13 December 2019. Should you wish to provide comment on the draft report and/or register as an Interested and Affected Party (I&AP), you may do so by emailing: comments@enviropart.co.za , telephone: 021 422 0999, fax: 021 422 0998 or by post: P.O. Box 945, Cape Town, 8000. Please provide comment or register as an I&AP by 13 December 2019.
INTRODUCTION
A draft Basic Assessment Report (BAR) has been compiled in support of an Environmental Impact Assessment being undertaken for the underground cabling of existing Eskom overhead electrical powerlines (Packages 2 and 3) and rerouting of existing City of Cape Town electrical cables (Packages 6a and 7) along the TR9/1 (N1) between Koeberg Interchange and Acacia Transmission Substation east of the Wingfield Interchange in Cape Town, Western Cape. Please see Locality Map attached.
The existing TR9/1 route (N1) is a major transport corridor playing a vital role to the City of Cape Town and Western Cape’s economy. Existing overhead powerlines from Acacia to Tafelbaai and Montague Gardens substations cross this corridor at multiple locations. The existing clearance envelopes at these crossing points restrict future transport infrastructure improvement and development.
The intention of the project is to relocate overhead powerlines to underground cables andbto remove any clearance constraints and allow for future development in the above-mentioned transport corridor. The Environmental Partnership has been commissioned to undertake the environmental assessment process for the above-mentioned project in line with the National Environmental Management Act (107 of 1998), as amended.
Please note that any future road development and maintenance along the N1 or N7 will follow separate legislated processes as required.
Proposed works for this environmental assessment process:
|
Electrical Package Name |
Route |
Brief Scope |
|
Eskom Package 2 |
Acacia to Tafelbaai (132 kV) |
Underground cabling of existing overhead electrical powerlines |
|
Transnet Acacia to Windemere (33 kV) |
Recovery of decommissioned cables and rerouting of existing underground cables |
|
|
Eskom Package 3 |
Acacia to Montague (2 x 132 kV) |
Underground cabling of existing overhead electrical powerlines |
|
City of Cape Town Package 6a |
|
Rerouting of existing underground cables |
|
City of Cape Town Package 7 |
Medium Voltage Cables |
Existing cables to be rerouted |
LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS
The 2014 NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations of 2014, as amended, apply to the proposed activity which necessitates a Basic Assessment Process. The proposed activity includes activities listed in GN327 and GN324 of the 2014 EIA Regulations, as amended. These are:
Listing Notice 1 (GN 327 of 2017)
Activity 19
The infilling or depositing of any material of more than 10 cubic metres into, or the dredging, excavation, removal or moving of soil, sand, shells, shell grit, pebbles or rock of more than 10 cubic metres from a watercourse.
Listing Notice 3 (GN 324 of 2017)
Activity 12
The clearance of an area of 300 square metres or more of indigenous vegetation except where such clearance of indigenous vegetation is required for maintenance purposes undertaken in accordance with a maintenance management plan.
In Western Cape:
(ii) Within critical biodiversity areas identified in bioregional plans
SITE DESCRIPTION
The areas along which the underground cabling of existing overhead electrical powerlines (Eskom Packages 2 and 3) and rerouting of existing City of Cape Town electrical cables (Packages 6a and 7) will occur lie on the N1 between Koeberg Interchange and Acacia Transmission Substation east of the Wingfield Interchange. Presently, land use in the study area comprises residential, railway, road, wetland areas, a school, and military bases.
The route of the activity is located in the City of Cape Town Urban Edge. One Critical Biodiversity Area occurs along the route of the proposed activity. The site is surrounded by a variety of land uses which include residential suburbs, roads, and commercial land.
PROJECT PROPOSAL
The proposal is to cable existing Eskom overhead powerlines underground and reroute existing City of Cape Town electrical cables. No alternative sites for cabling are proposed as the activity is a linear activity requiring the cabling of powerlines and cables to occur within the selected corridor of the N1 between Koeberg Interchange and Acacia Main Transmission Station (MTS) east of Wingfield Interchange.
Two alternatives are proposed and assessed in this Basic Assessment Report,
Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 wherein the activity is implemented. The “No-Go” Alternative, where the alternative is not implemented, is names Alternative 3. No buildings or other structures form part of the proposal.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS
The draft BAR is being made available to registered interested and affected parties and Organs of State for their perusal and comment by the following means:
- Distribution of an Information Sheet (summary of the draft BAR) to directly adjacent landowners to the sites where the listed activity is undertaken and Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs)
• Distribution of copies of the draft BAR to relevant Organs of State
• Placement of copies of the draft report on The Environmental Partnership’s website, www.enviropart.co.za for the duration of the 30-day commenting period
• The 30-day commenting period will commence on 13 November 2019 and close on 13 December 2019.
IMPACTS IDENTIFIED
The following is a summary of the impacts identified:
Planning, Design, and Construction Phase
Biophysical Impacts
- Aquatic habitat modification or loss as a result of the underground cabling of electrical powerlines and rerouting of existing electrical cables in wetland JES2368
- Aquatic habitat modification or loss as a result of the underground cabling of electrical powerlines and rerouting of existing electrical cables in wetland JES2365 and JES2366
- Aquatic habitat modification or loss as a result of the underground cabling of electrical powerlines and rerouting of existing electrical cables in wetland JES2345 and JES2344
- Aquatic habitat modification or loss as a result of the underground cabling of electrical powerlines and rerouting of existing electrical cables in wetland JES2342 and JES2384
- Aquatic habitat modification or loss as a result of the underground cabling of electrical powerlines and rerouting of existing electrical cables in wetland JES2318, JES2316, JES2317, JES2343
- Loss of a section of critically endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos on Erf 178073
- Impact on indigenous vegetation (CBA 1A area) in Fort Ikapa Military Base as a result of the underground cabling of electrical powerlines and rerouting of existing electrical cables
- Impact on/loss of vegetation associated with the rerouting of City of Cape Town Package 6a cables north of Acre Road in Kensington
- Waste Management
Social Impacts
- Visual Impact
- Noise impact
- Dust impact
- Vibration impact
- Job Creation
- Socio-economic impact of length of cables associated with each alternative
Operational Phase
- Increased prevalence of alien vegetation as a result of disturbance to wetlands
- Impact of maintenance activities on wetland areas
- Impact of maintenance activities on CBA1D area
- Wetland habitat modification
- Impact on avifauna as a result of cabling of overhead powerlines
WAY FORWARD
The draft BAR is being made available for a 30-day commenting period to registered Interested & Affected Parties and relevant Organs of State for their perusal and comment. The commenting period commences on 13 November 2019 and closes on 13 December 2019.
Comments on this report may be submitted on or before 13 December 2019 to:
The Environmental Partnership
Postal Address: P O Box 945, Cape Town, 8000
Tel: 021 422 0999
Fax: 021 422 0998
E-mail: comments@enviropart.co.za
- Status:Draft Basic Assessment Report
- Start date:Wednesday, 13 November 2019
- End date:Friday, 13 December 2019
Download attachments:
- Draft_BAR.pdf
- Appendix_A_-_EAP_Details_and_Expertise.pdf
- Appendix_B_Locality_Map.jpg
- Appendix_C(i)_Alternative_1_Site_Plan_Sheet_1_of_5.pdf
- Appendix_C(i)_Alternative_1_Site_Plan_Sheet_2_of_5.pdf
- Appendix_C(i)_Alternative_1_Site_Plan_Sheet_3_of_5.pdf
- Appendix_C(i)_Alternative_1_Site_Plan_Sheet_4_of_5.pdf
- Appendix_C(i)_Alternative_1_Site_Plan_Sheet_5_of_5.pdf
- Appendix_C(ii)_Alternative_2_Site_Plan_Sheet_1_of_4.pdf
- Appendix_C(ii)_Alternative_2_Site_Plan_Sheet_2_of_4.pdf
- Appendix_C(ii)_Alternative_2_Site_Plan_Sheet_3_of_4.pdf
- Appendix_C(ii)_Alternative_2_Site_Plan_Sheet_4_of_4.pdf
- Appendix_C(iii)_Alternative_1_Cross_Section_Sheet_1.pdf
- Appendix_C(iii)_Alternative_1_Cross_Section_Sheet_2.pdf
- Appendix_C(iii)_Alternative_1_Cross_Section_Sheet_3.pdf
- Appendix_C(iv)_Alternative_2_Cross_Section_Sheet_1.pdf
- Appendix_C(iv)_Alternative_2_Cross_Section_Sheet_2.pdf
- Appendix_C(iv)_Alternative_2_Cross_Section_Sheet_3.pdf
- Appendix_D_Site_Photographs.pdf
- Appendix_E(i)_Alternative_1_Freshwater_Sensitivity.pdf
- Appendix_E(ii)_Alternative_2_Freshwater_Sensitivity.pdf
- Appendix_E(iii)_Alternative_1_Botanical_Sensitivity.pdf
- Appendix_E(iv)_Alternative_2_Botanical_Sensitivity.pdf
- Appendix_F(i)_Freshwater_Specialist_Report_(Belcher_2018).pdf
- Appendix_F(ii)_Freshwater_Specialist_Report_(Day_2019).pdf
- Appendix_G(i)_Botanical_Specialist_Report_(2017).pdf
- Appendix_G(ii)_Dave_Table.pdf
- Appendix_G(ii)_Email_from_Botanist_(2019).pdf
- Appendix_H_EMPr.pdf
- Appendix_I_HWC_Comment.pdf
- Appendix_J_PPP_Report.pdf
- Appendix_K_Proof_of_Water_Use_Application_Commenced_With.pdf