- The Herd Reserve, Living Limpopo, and CALS, represented by All Rise Attorneys, have slammed the environmental impact assessment report for a proposed ferrochrome smelter in the controversial Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone in Limpopo, calling it fundamentally flawed and demanding it be redone.
On 14 August, All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice submitted a 33-page response to the environmental consultant, highlighting serious issues that render the project impossible to recommend for approval. The biggest red flag for stakeholders and authorities is the feasibility study, conducted by a Chinese engineering firm, which openly admits that the project is designed to transfer China’s excess steel capacity and reduce China’s high energy-consuming pollution to South Africa. In other words, China wants to dump its dirty industry on South Africa.
However, this concern is only one of many if the project were to proceed. The adverse impacts on biodiversity will be substantial. This industrial project, located in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, will eliminate 893 hectares of pristine natural bushveld within the 8,000 hectare MMSEZ, and will require the destruction of centuries old baobab trees and habitat for numerous threatened bird and animal species, creating a noxious industrial zone where a functioning ecosystem currently exists.
The climate change impact assessment is particularly concerning. It fails to account for the planned production ramp-up from 125,000 tons of ferrochrome per year to 1 million tons per year and calculates emissions based on the assumption that the plant will maintain its initial, smaller scale indefinitely. This approach understates the actual climate impact of the industrial project by a factor of eight, rendering the assessment totally inadequate for decision-making purposes.
The water resource implications are equally problematic. The region is semi-arid, water-scarce and prone to severe drought conditions, with rainfall having declined by 42% over the past 45 years. Despite these constraints, the project proposes to extract 12.7 million cubic metres of water annually from what is classified as the area’s only aquifer requiring the highest level of protection. This raises serious questions about water security in an already water-stressed region.
The air quality assessment exposes a significant omission. The EIA fails to address hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogenic compound and a toxic pollutant emitted by ferrochrome smelters. It also fails to consider the human health impacts of the smelter on the high-density residential development planned for the MMSEZ Township.
The power supply provisions are similarly inadequate. And confusing. Seemingly, the smelter requires 80 MW of electricity to operate, while Eskom can provide only 5 MW – a 94% shortfall. Operating an industrial smelter with only 6% of its required power supply is not technically feasible and thus raises the question as to how the deficit will be met, and what additional environmental impacts will arise.
Local communities face disproportionate impacts. The vulnerable Mulambwane Community and Mopane villagers would lose access to their water supply while receiving minimal employment benefits – the company plans to employ only 235 people at the ferrochrome plant. Additionally, 40% of executive positions would be filled by Chinese workers.
There are also flaws in the EIA process itself as a result of the gross deficiency in the public consultation process. At least 250 registered interested and affected parties did not receive notification when the environmental report was released for public comment. When All Rise raised concerns about this oversight, the environmental consultant, Gudani Consulting, declined responsibility for the notification failures.
Kinetic Resources’ proposed ferrochrome smelter reflects broader concerns regarding the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone and its industrial projects that promise development and high-paid manufacturing sector employment opportunities, but instead deliver environmental degradation, resource extraction and exacerbated poverty and inequality.
Source: All Rise Attorneys
6 Comments
I don’t buy this so called conservation n bio diversity argument. The province is in Dyer need of FDI to boots economic development n growth. What is rise n them doing to create investments. Those birds will find new homes elsewhere. Birds n other animals species should not be weaponised as stumbling block for prosperity. Black children can’t eat birds n other animals species.
The biggest challenge with these projects, is the failure by government to mobilise and educate communities about the benefits of the developments. They always want to cut corners, failing to do proper consultation and awareness campaigns – something the NGOs does succesfully so that by the time government comes with its plans, the communities are already mobilised against the project
These are the characteristics of a Government that speaks left and walk right. EAI shouldn’t be an issue, the world over advances and looks after environment on the same breath. The most government could have done was to stick to responsible economics, that of minimizing environment destruction and advancing infrastructure development which is possible. Musina SEZ and other special economic zones have potential to address our delayed industrialisation post 1970 era, especially since the new democratic government took over.
“local communities”eams white people and their white NGO’s who are against progress because people are investing in this project are not from western countries.
Anc is weak!
The WitBank smelter is not in use why it buy and refabrish the old High Veld Smelter and leave those hectas of land to us. Also why would china build a smelter in a Country where many smelters are not operating on full capacity at this stage, with most old ones having been closed. What is the reason to build more of those plants if we’re not managing the current ones. Right now Glencore is struggling with 4 smelters non operational, Accelomital has closed many operations in the last ten years, Samncor is also selling some of their smelters. Let’s not talk about Asa Metal.
100 % let them go fix the close ones nd let them run leave the environment to the farmers.old smelters in all provinces if they can open the they will balance labour in all provinces