1. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MEETING OF 30 JANUARY 2018

2. 10 years of EIA conference
2007 – conference attended by over 500 delegates –
deliberations signalled a desire for a more strategic environmental management system to deal explicitly with issues of sustainability
Requested a move away from total reliance on site-specific and activity-based EIAs towards a holistic integrated and strategic approach to environmental management
Industry and academics highlighted concerns regarding the number of EIA being commissioned for small-scale projects - placed a cost burden on small and medium economic enterprises

3. 20 years of EIA conference
2018 – International Association of Impact Assessment conference to be held in Durban in May 2017 marks the 20 years of EIA in SA
This input will discuss:
what has changed in 10 years and how have we been responding to stakeholders
how the Department is responding to the 18 Strategic Integrated Projects which provides an opportunity to pilot some IEM instruments to respond to the request to relieve the reliance on site-specific and activity-based EIAs towards a holistic integrated and strategic approach to environmental management

4. 18 Strategic Integrated Projects
Government is moving towards large-scale infrastructure development to unlock resources and create jobs.
The approach moves beyond single interventions to a model of Strategic Integrated Projects
The scale, and the catalytic and interrelated nature of the projects – marks a shift from project-level, municipal infrastructure projects to regional and national projects
Scale and intensity is unprecedented in South Africa

5. 18 Strategic Integrated Projects
Needs analysis done to identify bulk infrastructure requirements to catalyse development and job creation
Population
Identified areas of limited services
Considered resources e.g. mining and renewable energy
Water availability

6. 18 Strategic Integrated Projects
In line with the change in development (scale, influence and management) - the systems that support service delivery must transform to keep pace and remain ‘enabling’, including the EIA and EA processes
Processes must evolve to satisfy the expectation of a quickened pace and amplified impact of service delivery to remain relevant
The Department regarded the move towards large-scale integrated projects presented by the SIP programme, as an opportunity to improve the services that the sector provides

7. INSTUMENTS Amended EIA regulations 2014 Amendment in 2016
Reduce administration burden
EAs could run for a specific period through construction where no operation was relevant – costs in auditing and ease of compliance
Instrument regulations – being finalsied
Amendment in 2016
Made provision for generic EMPRs to reduce workload and costs – Electricity grid infrastructure, and electricity sub-stations
Programme of Strategic Environmental Assessment
Wind and solar – SIP 8
Electricity Grid infrastructure – SIP 10
SKA
Phased Gas Pipeline – Phakisa
Aquaculture zone – Phakisa
Shale gas – opportunities and constraints

8. Wind SEA – SIP 8

9. Wind SEA – Study objectives
Facilitate Sustainable Development through a holistic consideration of:
Environmental Impacts;
Social Needs; and
Economics.
Undertake Wide Stakeholder Consultation with:
Government Departments & Parastatals;
3 Spheres of Government;
Private Sector; and
Public.
Achieve Integration through the alignment policies and plans at:
National;
Provincial; and
Local levels.
Create an Enabling Environment through:
Streamlined Authorisations; and
Infrastructure Availability.

10. SIP 8 – Study Mission
Identify Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZs)
that are of strategic importance for large scale wind and solar photovoltaic development
in terms of Strategic Integrated Project 8,
and in which significant negative impacts on the natural environment are limited
and socio-economic benefits to the country are enhanced.

11. SIP 8 – Study Outputs
Geographical Areas to incentivise RE: Renewable Energy
Development Zones (REDZs)
Site Protocol: minimum requirements and streamlined environmental assessment process
Interdepartmental integration: development process (PSC and ERG consultation during SEA)
Scoping level pre-assessment datasets (incl. Agriculture, Landscape, Heritage, Terrestrial & Aquatic Biodiversity, Birds, Bats, Civil Aviation, Defence, Telecommunication, Weather Services, SKA, Mining, Noise, Flicker)
 online screening tool
Updated Legislation: Gazette and Exception Notice for the SIPs SEAs findings

12. Adjustments (Positive Mapping) Development Potential
Raw Resource
Adjustments (Positive Mapping)
Development Potential
Solar PV
Wind
TRANSMISSION LOSS
PRIORITY AREAS
SOCIO ECONOMIC NEED
TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE

13. Development Potential Highest Provincial Development Potential
Constraints Mask (Negative Mapping)
Study Areas
Solar PV
Wind

14. SIP 8 – SEA sensitivities
Absolute & Relative Sensitivity Layers for Wind & Solar PV for the 8 REDZs:
Agriculture
Landscape
Heritage
Terrestrial & Aquatic Biodiversity
Birds
Bats
Civil Aviation
Defence
Telecommunication
Weather Services
SKA
Mining
Noise
Flicker

15. SIP 8 – SEA sensitivities
Rivers and Wetlands
Land Cover
Protected Areas
Biomes
Forest Patches
Terrestrial Threatened Ecosystems
Vegetation Type Endemism
Additional Sensitive Vegetation Types
Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs)
Succulent-Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) Expert Derived Priority Areas
Eastern Cape Protected Areas Expansion Strategy (EPAES) Priority Areas
Pristine Thicket
Renosterveld Clusters
Riverine Rabbit Habitat
National Protected Areas Expansion Strategy (NPAES) Priority Areas
Extra Features Derived from Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
Expert Features

17. Generation vs Transmission Evacuation Capacities
Example: REDZ7: Upington

18. Electricity Grid Infrastructure Strategic Environmental Assessment - SIP 10

19. Achievements
SEA for wind and solar completed – REDZ and power lines to be gazetted within the week –
reduces EIA to BA
Reduced decision timeframe
National web-based environmental screening tool to be available for public testing in 1st quarter 2018
Protocols which determine the level of assessment are being finalised for first round of comment – will reduce level of complexity where environmental sensitivity is low
2nd phase of SEA is in progress – looking at old mining areas – existing grid faster implementation and rehabilitation, also possible water treatment and long term support for mining management

20. Link to NEMA amendments
Ensuring that the provision is just empowering and details can be provided in regulation
Adding wording 3(c) (bA) “minimum requirements for information and any conditions set out in such instruments, if any apply”;
“Removing the list of instruments
to give greater flexibility to instruments that can be developed over time
Environmental impact assessment and environmental management frameworks have specific regulations which may be interpreted that all should have regulations