The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has published, for comment, a draft amendment report on a proposed ash and gypsum co-disposal facility owned by State-owned power utility Eskom.
The Integrated Environmental Authorisation initially issued by the department in 2015 has since been amended three times.
The facility will involve co-disposal of ash, gypsum and filter press solids for the next five years from October this year, until a 60-year ash facility has been commissioned by what is planned to be the end of October 2026.
After this, only gypsum and filter press solids will be co-disposed at the existing co-disposal facility until it reaches the full disposal capacity timeframe and changes its liner from Class A to Class C for the remaining life of the facility.
A change in activities triggered a change in scope of the valid environmental authorisation and the nature of impact, and therefore necessitated amendments.
The project is proposed for location in Mpumalanga, on the Klipfontein and Hartbeesfontein farms.
Professional services firm WSP has been appointed as the independent and qualified environmental assessment practitioner to facilitate the latest amendment process.
The review period for comment started on July 13 and will end on August 12.
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