EIA HISTORY

In order to determine a feasible route alignment for the Gautrain and to assess the project’s potential impacts on the broad environment, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted. After consultations with GDACE in late 2001, a Plan of Study (PoS) for the EIA was approved by GDACE in which it was agreed to subject a Reference Route alignment for the proposed Gautrain to public scrutiny through the EIA process. The process was outlined in the approved PoS and determined in terms of the requirements of the Environment Conservation Act, the National Environmental Management Act and other relevant legislation.

The EIA process was launched in January 2002 and was the subject of widespread media coverage. Advertisements regarding milestones in the EIA process and notifications of numerous public meetings were placed in public places and in the national and regional press.  A website (www.gautraineia.co.za) for the Gautrain EIA was developed to provide and receive information on the EIA process. The Gautrain EIA website thus allowed I&APs to register their interest in the project and the EIA. The Gautrain EIA website was in turn linked to the Gautrain project’s own website (www.gautrain.co.za), which provided further background and technical information on the Gautrain.

Interaction with the general public and I&APs, as part of the public participation process of the EIA, continued through a series of Open Days, focus group and public meetings after the Reference Route was published in January 2002.  The purpose of the Open Days was to provide I&APs, particularly those living in close proximity to the Reference Route, with information regarding the project, to display aerial photographs of the Reference Route and to identify issues and concerns raised by I&APs. A background Information Document (BID), or briefing document, was compiled and issued to I&APs. Focus group meetings about the project were then held with specific groups of key stakeholders who held similar interests or who were located in the same geographical area. Such meetings continued with these groups throughout the EIA process.

Public meetings were held as part of the EIA in April 2002, after which a number of feasible route alternatives to the Reference Route alignment emerged from the information exchange that occurred as a result of the public participation process. A second series of public meetings was then initiated in June 2002 to inform I&APs, particularly those newly affected, of the route alignment alternatives. An Issues Report documenting all the issues and concerns raised by I&APs through the public participation process was then finalised after input from those involved. The PoS for the EIA was also amended to take account of the route alternatives and was approved by GDACE.

Thereafter, a team of relevant environmental specialists investigated  the identified potential environmental impacts of the Gautrain project and assessed and evaluated these for the alternative route alignments. These investigations included 20 different specialist social, economic, heritage, noise and vibration, legal and biophysical environmental studies. Feedback public meetings were held in September 2002 on the findings of the draft EIA before the release of the draft EIA report for public comment in October 2002. The draft EIA report was made available to I&APs at public places and was posted on the Gautrain EIA website.

The draft EIA report recommended a feasible and affordable route alignment with the least overall environmental impact.  The recommended route alignment was changed and refined from the original Reference Route as a direct result of suggestions made during the public participation process, and to the benefit of most concerned. The draft EIA report concluded that the Gautrain project is acceptable from an environmental perspective provided the mitigating measures recommended are implemented and enhanced as suggested in the EIA report and as provided for in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), a first draft of which was included in the draft EIA report.

Following the release of the draft EIA report, I&APs were initially afforded a 30 day comment period on the report, but this was subsequently extended by a further 30 days until 21 December 2002.

As a result of input and comment from I&APs, as well as new information which became available during the review period, an Addendum to the draft EIA report was submitted to GDACE in April 2003. It was also posted on the Gautrain EIA website.

The Addendum to the draft EIA report contained a further Environmental Resource Economics (ERE) study on the recommended route alignment between Salvokop and Hatfield in Pretoria. The purpose of this investigation was to provide additional information and to assist decision making on the external welfare impacts and mitigation costs of the recommended route alignment via Muckleneuck, in comparison with a tunneled route via Park Street, in Pretoria.

A Phase 2 Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) report was also included in the Addendum together with the full results of the localised traffic impact studies undertaken by Gautrans for the proposed Gautrain stations.

A summary of the comments received, and responses provided, on the draft EIA report, as well as on the draft ERE and HIA reports, were included in the Addendum.

Lastly, the summary of environmental impacts and the draft EMP contained in the draft EIA report was revisited in the Addendum, in the light of the new information acquired during the review period and the comments received from I&APs on the draft EIA, ERE and HIA reports.

Prior to the issuing of the RoD, GDACE requested the EIA team to supply additional information (PDF – 2,565KB) on a few specific aspects of the project.