Question NW1783 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
03 September 2021 - NW1783
Boshoff, Dr WJ to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
1.Whether the existing Environmental Authorisation for the Port of Ngqura allows for the unloading and handling of manganese ore; if so, 2.whether the Transnet National Ports Authority meets all the requirements of the specified Environmental Authorisation; if not, why not; 3.whether she will make a statement on the matter; if not, why not?
Reply:
1.Yes, the Environmental Authorisation (EA), dated 27 March 2015, makes provision for the construction and operation of a bulk terminal for the handling of manganese ore. This manganese ore terminal includes a stockyard, conveyor systems that will link the stockyard to the tippler and the ship loader. The stockyard covers an area of approximately 40 ha in Zone 9 of the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) with a volume of approximately 1.8 million tons of manganese ore. The manganese ore stockyard and handling facility is located in Zones 8 and 9 of the Coega IDZ, which forms part of the Port of Ngqura. Therefore, the Port of Ngqura is authorised to upload and handle manganese ore.
In relation to the Record of Decision (ROD) that was issued in 2002, several inspections were conducted with the last inspection being conducted in 2010. No significant non-compliances were detected. The Environmental Management Committee (EMC) was established for the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), as a requirement of this ROD, to oversee the overall compliance and environmental management performance of individual tenants, including Transnet (Port of Ngqura). The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) participates in the EMC.
2.With regard to the authorisation that was issued to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in 2015, the DFFE wrote to the TNPA to enquire whether they had commenced with the project, as per the authorisation. In a letter, dated 10 April 2019, the TNPA advised the DFFE that they have not commenced with the project. To date, the TNPA has not submitted any notification of commencement to the DFFE. Therefore, with regard to the authorisation that was issued to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in 2015, the DFFE has not yet conducted an inspection.
However, the DFFE has an already scheduled site inspection in September 2021 to check compliance of the TNPA with regard to the environmental legislation and conditions of their issued authorisations.
3.The Minister will only be in a position to make a statement once the planned inspection has been conducted to verify the compliance status.
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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