Exclusive article by Bev Mortimer: (From the April 2012 print edition)
The go ahead or not for the development of a nuclear power station at Thyspunt is only likely to be announced early next year.
And the Revised Draft EIA Report on Thyspunt, only 10 kms from St Francis Bay, as a possible nuclear site will be released by Eskom and its consultants in May or June this year.
Revealing this news to St Francis Chronicle, Eskom’s senior environmental manager, Deidre Herbst, also says the forthcoming Report will hopefully address all the public’s concerns.
While many anticipated the South African government would make a decision later this year on whether Thyspunt or one of the other two sites (Duynefontein or Bantamsklip) will be the chosen site for the country’s second nuclear power plant, Herbst says February or March next year is a more likely time frame for the government’s announcement in this regard.
She says that after the release of the Revised Draft Report, the public is given sufficient time (45 days) to comment. Then the public’s comments are consolidated into a Final EIA Report that will be handed to national government, probably in the last quarter of this year, for its consideration.
This final EIA report will be submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs. Before the Record of Decision (ROD) is published, there is a period open for comment. Once the ROD is published, there is an appeal period.
Only after all of the above, will finality be reached. Even then the process may be open to an appeal in court.
“The government will consider all the facts and may even call for more details or clarification. The government has 105 days to make a decision,” she says
But allowing for the festive season recess and the close of Parliament, the government’s final decision is only likely to be announced at the beginning of next year – “Probably in February or March 2013,” says Herbst.
According to an article by Helmie Tilders on the Friends of St Francis nature Reserves (Foster) website, the final EIA is submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). “Before the Record of Decision (ROD) is published, there is a period open for comment. Once the ROD is published, there is an appeal period.
“Only after all of the above, will finality be reached. Even then the process may be open to an appeal in court,” Tilders says.
On the Revised Report due out in the next few months, Herbst says Eskom has addressed the major concerns, without revealing details. But when pressed, specifically on locals’ fears of heavy and “dreaded” traffic congestion that will occur during the construction phase of 7-9 years when Eskom’s trucks transport heavy and gigantic pieces of equipment at a slow pace on the access roads to St Francis, Herbst said: “There are significant changes here,” she says. “These changes will drastically reduce traffic.” She did not elaborate further.
Asked about the delay in the government’s announcement, Herbst said that Eskom had to follow due process. “We are doing everything to abide by the process. The process will take us to early next year.”
Asked about the belief among many residents that Thyspunt turning into a nuclear site “is a fait accompli”, she said this was not so as the process was not yet complete. “The EIA found no fatal flaws. Because of this many may think Thyspunt will be the chosen site.”
When it was mentioned that this perception was gained from Eskom’s actions in going full steam ahead, such as buying up farms around Thyspunt and along the proposed routes to it, she revealed that Eskom had not received an approval to upgrade roads yet. “We would have to have an EIA for this.”
According to a recent Reuters report, South African officials are likely to take bids for 9,600 megawatts of nuclear power from the likes of Areva, EDF, Toshibas Westinghouse Electric Corp, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, South Koreas Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) andRussia’s Rosatom in the near future. The Reuters report referred to the budget proposal released earlier this year whenSouth Africapencilled in R300-billion for the nuclear build. The report said that according to energy minister Dipuo Peters, this was jus the beginning.”
And meanwhile on theAlliancesays: “We await Eskom’s new (well overdue) Draft Environmental Impact Report with bated breath…”
TheAllianceis expected to object to an EIA presented to the DEA for approval and to challenge a Record of Decision, according to Tilders. If necessary it will apply for a court injunction, should other avenues fail. It has appealed to the community for donations for a probable court case.
“We believe that we have every chance of stopping the Eskom steamroller. It will take determination from the whole community. It will also take money,” Tilders added.
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