eThekwini Municipality Solid Waste Department (DSW)

1. eThekwini Municipality Solid Waste Department (DSW) Public Participation Meeting 8 June 2005 Proposed Electron Road Waste Transfer Station Pravin Amar Development Planners ENVIRONMENTAL

2. Agenda • 6.30pm - Registration • Welcome, Introduction, and Purpose of the meeting • Framework for the EIA Process • Responsibilities of the various role-players • Public Participation in the Scoping Phase • Project Proposal • Background • Site Overview • Technical Overview • Details of the Environmental Scoping Study • I&AP Input • Way Forward

3. Purpose of Today’s Meeting • To provide an overview of the EIA process to be carried out for this project • To provide a brief introduction to the proposed project • To offer opportunity to seek clarity on the project • To record issues and concerns of I & AP’s

4. Framework for the EIA Process • SA Constitution Act No 108 of 1996 • S24: Environment • S32: Access to Information • S33: Just Administrative Action • Environment Conservation Act No 73 of 1989 • EIA Regulations R1182-R1184 in terms of Sections 21, 22 & 26 of ECA • National Environmental Management Act No 107 of 1998 • Guidelines and manuals issued by the Government

5. Role-players in the EIA Process • Stakeholders: • Each has a role to play within the EIA process and responsibilities to undertake. This is further stipulated in government regulation R1182 - R1184. • Proponent: • Appoint an independent consultant • Responsible for all costs • Ensure that the consultant has no vested interest in the outcome of the project • Ensure suitability of the consultant • Ensure that the consultant provides adequate information to the competent authority

6. Responsibilities Contd. • Consultants: • acts on behalf of the applicant (not for) • be independent with no vested interest • have the necessary qualifications and experience • produce all processes, info, plans and reports • provide all relevant info to authorities • undertake the public participation process

7. Responsibilities Contd. • Interested and Affected Parties: • To provide inputs and comments within timeframes • Contribute and participate openly, effectively and honestly. • To provide input to the process in terms of scoping, assessing and mitigating impacts, reviewing impact reports and in terms of implementation and monitoring

8. Responsibilities Contd. • Relevant Environmental Authority: • Ensuring that the proponent complies with the requirements of the EIA process • Maintaining co-operation between the different sectoral agencies • Maintaining a close relationship with the proponent and provide guidance on the process • Evaluating and take decisions on the documents that arise from the EIA process • Ensuring that input is kept to a minimum.

9. Public Participation in the Scoping Process • Inform I&AP’s/stakeholders through public meetings and focus group meetings. • I&AP’s issues and concerns are recorded and evaluated in ESS report • Ensure that the decision making process is transparent enough in order to minimize conflict • Authorities to consider whether issues/ concerns are significant and require further assessment • Review and appeal process by I&APs and/or the applicant and/or another authority

10. The Project Proposal • Establishment of a Waste Transfer Station (WTS) • Collection point for waste within feasible distance from the waste generation area • Consolidation (compacted & containerised) prior to bulk transport to Buffelsdraai Landfill Site

11. Site Overview Bisasar Road Landfill MAKRO Electron Road

12. Site Overview • 2.94 Ha, owned by eThekwini Municipality, approximately 1km east of Bisasar Road Landfill Site • Current site usage - stockpiling, administration and parking for eThekwini water and electricity Existing Bisasar Road Site Proposed WTS

13. Project Description Mr. Chris McKay SKC Engineers

14. Project Background • January 2000 - Durban Unicity Waste Master Plan for Solid Waste Management Updated • Alternative to Bisasar Road Landfill Site • Limited airspace / complaints from adjacent community • Decentralised landfill option - Buffelsdraai Landfill Site • Minimum 90 Year lifespan / Expected commissioning January 2006

15. WTS Option • 2000 – DSW / consultants tour of Hong Kong – Waste Transfer Stations visited • Scheme design report / traffic survey (Nov 2000) • Conceptual Design report will be submitted to DWAF or permitting Authority prior to detailed planning stage

16. Technical Overview • Components of the WTS will include: • Enclosed transfer facility and associated tipping hall process equipment, and associated administrative areas • Roads and car park, associated hardstandings, gatehouse, weighbridges, and vehicle washing facility • Outdoor garden refuse disposal area, container yard, and bulky items storage area • Enclosed composting facility and future recycling yard.

17. Technical Overview • Project Commissioning • Coincides with anticipated closure of Bisasar Road Landfill Site • Operational Capacity • 1920 tons per day • Inbound – Similar to current number of vehicles entering Bisasar Landfill • Outbound – as inbound and approx. 50 long-haul vehicles per day (approx 4 to 5 per hour) • Operating hours –10 hours per day

18. Technical Overview • Facility Layout Composting Facility Future Re-cycling Weigh-bridges Container Yard / bulky items Vehicle Wash bay Plant / Compaction / loading Tipping Hall Electron Road Site Access / Security

19. Technical Overview • Entry to site via Electron Road / manned gatehouse – random screening of inbound loads • “Stacking area” to internally accommodate queuing vehicles • Incoming vehicles are weighed (2 weighbridges) • Oversize objects to bulky items yard / Garden waste to allocated Bay Site Entry / Exit

20. Technical Overview • Tipping Hall and Compaction Ventilation system Tipping Hall Compaction Plant Conceptual process flow Containerisation and loading

21. Technical Overview • Tipping Hall • Enclosed facility, negative pressure ventilation / odour scrubbing system • Vehicles directed to tipping bay via traffic signalization system • 70m tipping face – 20 RCV’s simultaneously • Loads discharged to pit, waste conveyed by impact conveyor / live floor

22. Technical Overview • Conveyance and Compaction • Operator controlled conveyance to compactor charge chamber • Pre-compaction by hydraulic ram to container size (approx. 30m3) or pre-determined limit • Compacted waste (bullet) loaded into ISO 6m container, sealed, loaded on to interlink/flat bed for long haul transportation • Due to nature and operation and safety aspects, recovery and/or recycling in tipping hall cannot be accommodated Conceptual process flow

23. Technical Overview • Composting Facility • Rationale: • Reduce haulage cost of garden refuse to landfill • Limit the use of valuable airspace • Involves conversion of garden refuse / organic waste to compost • Enclosed facility – ventilated and fitted with odour control system • Automated mechanical system (windrows) • Conceptual design only at this stage - Scoping process to inform the detailed design phase

24. Technical Overview • Future Re-cycling area • Space provisions in layout plan • Re-cycling facilities constructed at future date

25. Example of what the Waste Transfer Station will look like

26. Overview of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Process Mr. Nigel Seed WSP Environmental

27. Background to the EIA Process • Prior 1970 • Project appraisals based on Technical and Cost Benefit • 1970s • America introduces the first EIA procedure and requirement • 1980s • Sustainable development notion introduced • Interdependence between economic development, environment and people • Sustainable development becomes the fundamental basis for EIA procedure • 1980s - Current • Currently undertaken in more than 100 countries • South African EIA Regulations promulgated in 1997

28. Background to the EIA Process • Definition of the EIA process: Assessment of the environmental consequences of a planned development, together with input of people and interest groups. The information gathered is passed on to planners and decision-makers

29. Basic EIA Principles • Fundamental EIA principles are recognised internationally • Identifies environmental issues that need to be investigated further Screening / Scoping • Identifies how the development will impact on specific components of the environment • Assesses impact significance Impact Assessment

30. Legal Context of the EIA Process • Environmental Conservation Act – Regulation 1182 • Change of land use from agricultural or undetermined use to any other landuse • Current landuse on the site is undetermined • Establishment, expansion, upgrading, or closure of facilities for all waste types • The proposed project is a waste facility

31. Environmental Scoping Process • Scoping is the current phase of the EIA process • Aims and Objectives: • Investigate the receiving environment (baseline assessment) • Understand technical aspects of the proposed project • Identify environmental issues / which components of the environment could be affected • Assess potential impacts (positive and negative) • Identify possible alternatives (e.g. no project option, site, technology) • Determine the need for / scope of the Impact Assessment phase

32. Environmental Scoping Process • Scoping Procedure • Application Form • Submitted to the DAEA September 2004 • DAEA - Project may not proceed until such time as the Environmental Authorisation has been issued • Plan of Study – Detailing the process to be followed • Submitted to the DAEA November 2004 • DAEA accepted the POS accepted and advised that scoping may proceed

33. Environmental Scoping Process • Scoping Procedure • Public Participation • Advertising (newspaper, leaflets, known stakeholders) • Background Information Document (English and Zulu) • Environmental Assessment • Desktop review / site assessment • Biotic, physical, and socio-economic aspects • Determine the environmental baseline / receiving environment

34. Environmental Scoping Process • Scoping Procedure • Technical Review • Technical documents, plans etc, discussions with project engineers • Review of existing facilities (local and international) • Identify possible emissions / operational issues

35. Potential Environmental Issues • Typical Environmental Issues • Air quality / odour • Traffic • Groundwater / Surface water

36. Potential Environmental Issues • Air quality / odour • Risk assessment conducted by international specialists, objectives are to: • Identify the types of compounds (incl odourous) that could be emitted from the facility • Review possibility and probability of the release of compounds into the ambient air • Explore Best Available Technology (BAT) options • Determine the need / scope for an air quality impact assessment (i.e. during the impact assessment phase)

37. Potential Environmental Issues • Traffic • Preliminary traffic impact assessment undertaken November 2000 • Negligible traffic impact as traffic volumes will be similar to those generated by Bisasar Road Landfill • Recommendations - Minor widening of Electron Road / Verulam intersections to facilitate movement of log haul vehicles • Verification traffic study will only be undertaken prior to the detailed planning stage

38. Potential Environmental Issues • Groundwater • Effluent will be generated during handling (from the liquid component of the waste) • Not a major issue - no clear interfaces for groundwater contamination to occur (concrete base / effluent system) • DWAF has requested a borehole hydro-census to determine baseline groundwater conditions on the site / facilitates future groundwater monitoring

39. Scoping Report • Draft Scoping Report will be prepared on completion of the scoping process • Record of issues (identified through public participation an professional evaluation) • Record of the scoping process followed • Description of the project and the receiving environment • Description of environmental issues • Evaluation of potential environmental impacts • Mitigation suggestions or recommendations for further studies • Draft Scoping Report made available in public places for comment

40. I&AP Input

41. The Way Forward • Comments from interested and affected Parties to be received by 29 June • Scoping Report to be compiled and made available in public places for review • Feedback public meeting will be convened following the release of the draft scoping report. • Three week comment period will be given after the feedback meeting • Final Scoping Report to be compiled and submitted to the DAEA