‘Deputy mayor’s hearing should be open’

D-Day has arrived for those who still want to make their voices heard regarding the controversial proposed 3-D seismic oil and gas prospecting survey along the Southern Cape Coast.

Acting deputy director-general for mineral regulation Seipati Sylvia Dhlamini earlier this month granted environmental authorisation to Sungu Sungu Oil to undertake the survey, subject to compliance with several conditions, including a 20-day period for appeal.

The appeal period comes to an end on Thursday 1 February 2018.

The proposal elicited fervent opposition when it came to light that the survey would involve air guns shooting loud blasts of compressed air through the water and into the seabed.

The planned project is part of an application by Sungu Sungu Oil for an oil and gas exploration right in an area that falls within the 11 224sq km Pletmos Basin, located off the South Coast roughly between Knysna in the west and Jeffrey’s Bay in the east. The target area, about 2 500sq km of the basin, is located about 12km offshore and reaches up to 60km out to sea just east of Plettenberg Bay and west of Cape St Francis.

Despite the opposition, which in the public participation process of the EIA phase prompted about 400 stakeholder comments and a petition against the project signed by more than 1 000 people, the project was given the go-ahead.

During the appeal period, several groups and individuals once again submitted their grievances and another petition was created to oppose it. By the time of going to print, more than 150 people threw their weight behind the petition.

The petition was started by Plett locals in an attempt to repeal the permission given to Sungu Sungu for the planned survey.

According to the group, the area is not only a pristine environment with a marine reserve, but they believe the blasts would have an effect on whales, dolphins, fish and other marine life. The extraction process also stands to compromise about 50 000 tourism jobs in the area, the group says.

Among those who have submitted a second opposition was the Plett Environment Forum.

To have a final say, a written appeal must be submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and copies of the appeal documentation must also be served on the Department of Mineral Resources, the Petroleum Agency SA, the applicant and known interested and affected parties.

An appeal must be submitted in writing in the form obtainable from the DEA and must be accompanied by a statement setting out the grounds of appeal; additional supporting documentation that is referred to and which did not form part of the documentation considered when the original decision was made; and a statement that the appellant has submitted the appeal within the 20-day period.