Dear Interested and Affected Party / Stakeholder

RE:  EIA PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED REMEDIATION OF ST FRANCIS BAY BEACH – NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF THE FINAL REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT TOGETHER WITH THE COMMENTS AND RESPONSES REPORT

Please be advised that both the Final Revised Environmental Impact Report and the Comments and Responses Report have been submitted to the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism for a decision regarding authorisation of the proposed project.   The Comments and Responses Report incorporates all comments submitted to SRK by Interested and Affected Parties during the comment period from 5 December 2006 to 5 January 2007 and at the Public Meeting held on 19 December 2006.  Both reports can be accessed in electronic format on SRK’s website http://www.srk.co.za (via the “public documents” link) and a hard copy of each is available at the St Francis Bay Municipal Offices (1 Assissi Drive). 

The reports have been placed in this venue as a public record of the documents (to be) used by DEAET in their decision making, and is not intended to solicit further comment for the EIA process.  However, if members of the public do have further comments or suggestions, these should be sent to Mr Alan Tonkin of the St Francis Bay Beach Trust:

Mr A Tonkin: St Francis Bay Beach Trust, PO Box 557, St Francis Bay, 6312
Tel: 042 294 1092
Mobile: 082 777 1519

Once DEAET have taken their decision, they will issue a Record of decision (RoD) to the applicant (St Francis Bay Beach Trust on behalf of Kouga Municipality).  IAPs will be advised of this RoD.  IAPs may request copies of the RoD from the applicant.  If IAPs are not satisfied with DEAET's decision, they have 30 days from the date of the decision in which to lodge a written appeal with the relevant Member of the Executive Council (MEC).

Yours faithfully,

Robyn Hartley

Environmental Scientist

SRK Consulting

P.O. Box 21842

Port Elizabeth, 6000

Tel:  +27 (41) 581 1911

Fax: +27 (41) 581 1964

Cell: +27 (0) 83 273 4874

 

Dear Interested and Affected Party / Stakeholder

 

RE:  EIA PROCESS FOR THE PROPOSED REMEDIATION OF ST FRANCIS BAY BEACH – NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING AND AVAILABILITY OF DRAFT REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

 

As someone who registered for the original EIA process, please be advised that the EIA process for the proposed remediation of the St Francis Bay beach has been re-initiated.  The original EIA process concluded with the submission of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment, and Tourism (DEAET) in May 2003.  Since then a number of alternatives to the rock groyne option, which was assessed as the preferred technical option in the original EIR, have been pursued by the Kouga Municipality and the residents of St Francis Bay. 

 

The alternative of off-shore reefs, which was identified during the original EIA process, but was not investigated in detail due to cost considerations at the time, has been put forward as the new preferred technical alternative.  The St Francis Bay Beach Trust has commissioned SRK Consulting to revise the original EIR to reflect the off-shore reef as the preferred alternative, and consequently, to provide a detailed assessment of the potential environmental impacts associated with this option.  To this end a Draft Revised EIR has been prepared and is available for viewing at the following public venues:

• St Francis Bay municipal offices;

• Jeffreys Bay public library; and

• Humansdorp public library.

The report can also be accessed as an electronic copy on SRK’s website http://www.srk.co.za (via the “public documents” link).  You are invited to raise comments and/or further issues regarding the Draft Revised EIR and to submit these to the undersigned before 12h00 on 5 January 2007.

 

Interested and Affected Parties are encouraged to review the Draft Revised EIR and to take note of the details regarding the proposed off-shore reef alternative (including a more detailed description of the sand transport pipeline and the dredging operation).  The public is also invited to attend a public meeting where the findings of the Draft Revised EIR will be presented and additional concerns and issues can be raised.  The details of the public meeting are as follows:

• St Francis Links Clubhouse, 19 December 2006, 17h30-20h00

Yours faithfully,

Robyn Hartley

Environmental Scientist

SRK Consulting (SA) (PTY) Ltd

Tel : 041 581 1911

Fax : 041 581 1964

rhartley@srk.co.za