1. Nuclear 1 Environmental Impact Assessment
Deidre Herbst
Eskom Environmental Manager
Doc ID

2. Background
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA’s) became a legal requirement in South Africa in 1997.
It was at this time that Eskom was progressing with plans for additional capacity. The first two EIA’s carried out were for the Ingula pumped storage scheme and the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor.
These were followed by EIA’s for coal fired power stations: Medupi, Kusile, a site in the Vaal region, Steelpoort pumped storage scheme, Ankerlig and Gourikwa open cycle gas turbines.
The Nuclear 1 EIA was initiated in The first public meetings and the draft scoping report were published in 2007.
Environmental Authorisations were obtained for Medupi, Kusile, Ankerlig, Gourikwa within 1 – 2 years from appointing consultants.

3. Challenges in obtaining an Environmental Authorisation
Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme is situated on the escarpment. The upper dam is situated in sensitive high altitude grasslands and impacted on an extensive wetland.
The Environmental authorisation was appealed and the appeal upheld by the Minister of Environmental Affairs
An application was made to the Court, the Minister reviewed his decision based on the strategic importance of new generating capacity.
EA was granted in 2004 (EIA process of 6 years)

4. Challenges Continued
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor there were two EIA processes
First EIA, Environmental Authorisation received within 3 years ( ) but taken on court review. Court decision determined additional stakeholder engagement was required.
Design changes – new EIA required.
Second EIA was never completed due to discontinuation of the project.
The preferred site for PMBR was the Koeberg site.

5. Nuclear 1: EIA Process
Eskom appointed an independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner, Arcus Gibb, to carry out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
The EIA process, which commenced in 2007, has been extensive with more than 60 public interventions (public meetings, key stakeholder workshops, focus group meetings, open days) in 4 separate public comment periods.
The duration of the public comment periods was more than 60 days, with 106 days for the draft impact report. (the norm is 45 days for complex EIA’s)
The application is for one power station of up to 4000MW installed capacity, on one site
Five sites were selected and evaluated during the scoping phase
Three sites were taken forward into the Environmental Impact Assessment phase (subsequent to DEA approval to remove the Northern Cape Sites):
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6. Identified Sites

7. Transmission Lines associated with alternative sites
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8. Thyspunt has been proposed as the preferred site.

9. Nuclear 1 history and potential challenges
The scoping phase: 2006 to 2008 approval of final scoping report.
The DEA approved the Plan of Study for EIA in January 2010
The Draft EIR was prepared and provided for public comment from 6 March The period for comment on the Draft EIR was lengthened twice, and the end of the lengthened comment period was 30 June 2010
Due to comments received during this period, the EIA team decided to revise selected specialist reports and provided a Revised Draft EIR (Version 1) for public review from 6 March to 07 August 2011

10. Project Challenges - New Issues from the DEA
The DEA after a lengthy review process requested additional studies hence the Revised Draft EIR Version 2 was prepared
Site selection methodology
Biodiversity offsets
Duynefontein regarded as a greenfield site
Independent review of all specialist studies required
Cumulative assessment considering Transmission EIA for each site
Infrastructure assessment relating to each site
Radiological safety assessment
Design basis accidents assessment with specific reference to Fukushima
The Revised Draft EIR version 2 will be made available for public comment in

11. Specialist Studies 1). Geology and geological risk
2). Seismological risk
3). Geotechnical suitability
4). Hydrological
5). Geo-hydrological
6). Freshwater supply
7). Air quality and climate
8). Dune geomorphology
9). Botanical
10). Freshwater ecology (wetland)
11). Terrestrial vertebrate fauna
12). Terrestrial invertebrate fauna
13). Marine biology (Revised)
14). Economic impact
15). Social impact
16). Visual impact
17). Heritage impact (Revised)
18). Agricultural impact
19). Tourism impact
20). Noise impact
21). Human health risk
22). Transportation (Revised)
23). Emergency response
24). Site control and access
25). Nuclear waste disposal
26). Integration with the transmission network
27). Estimating the 1:100 year flood line from the sea
28). Oceanographic impact assessment
29) Town planning
30) Radiological
31)Biodiversity (considering offsets)

12. Main Issues of Concern for the Public
Technology – Gen III,
Perception around safety,
Radioactive waste management,
Emergency planning,
Roads Infrastructure,
Impact on squid industry,
Construction camps/ villages,
Impact on Spatial Planning,
Conservation Value,
Agricultural impacts from radiation,
Seismic design, etc
Heritage Resources
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13. Concluding remarks
Since Fukishima there has been an increase in the anti nuclear lobby and this is visible given the increased participation of organisations such as Greenpeace in the last rounds of public participation.
While the content of the EIA is comprehensive and complete, legal challenges are often made in terms of process and not in terms of environmental impacts.
Any changes in the technology envelope may result in the authorities requiring a new EIA to be initiated.
Reliance is placed on the DEA to review the Final Environmental Impact Report within legislated timeframes.
New appeal regulations provide legislated timelines of between 3 – 4 months.
The decision can be challenged in a Court of law, this process could result in lengthy delays.

14. Timelines and Way Forward
The following timelines are anticipated:
April 2015 – avail the Draft EIR version 2 for public review
May June 2015 – conduct public meetings
September 2015 – submit final report to the DEA
These timelines are depended on the methodology workshop to be held with the DEA in March 2015.

15. Thank You
Thyspunt Dunes after summer rainfall 2011