Drilling open day a total no-show
The application by Total-Energies to drill five or six abstraction and appraisal wells, install sub-sea infrastructure to a pipeline to carry the gas to the existing platform in Mossel Bay, and to conduct seismic testing to determine whether other sites may be available, has raised huge concerns. The project timeline is anticipated to be 25 years.
Open day venues questioned
"This is serious," says Julie Carlisle of the Plettenberg Bay Community Environment Forum (Plett Enviro Forum).
Carlisle, along with local Wessa chairperson Dr Ted Botha, questioned the fact that the latest open day for the public to register and participate in the environmental and social impact assessment on 5 October was held in Kwanokuthula and at Formosa Primary School. Both presentations were poorly attended.
"The presentations took the form of an open day which did not allow for much transparent or open communication among those attending," said Carlisle.
She said she had to stop people from leaving who were under the impression that they were there to sign a petition. "They were not informed by those in attendance of what the open day was in fact about. There was very little offered in terms of project descriptions and presentations."
Comment time too short
The size and scope of the document on which to comment is 583 pages of scientific and technical information.
"It is short-sighted and, frankly, an imposition to assume that people will find sufficient time, after hours, to read through these documents, absorb the information, prepare questions for the open day and attempt to understand what the potential impacts may be. It is an impudent assumption that stakeholders and communities will be able to apply their minds adequately within eight days," said Carlisle, adding that the commenting period was "hopelessly" inadequate.
"The Green Connection has picked up on this and will be working with communities on addressing concerns and responding." The fisher communities, including the Tsitsikamma Fishers Forum and The Green Trust, are unhappy with the engagement process. They believe that there should have been more focused invitations and explanations via local municipalities and ward councillors.
A local experienced sustainability practitioner and volunteer highlighted the impact on fish resources and the whale migration routes, saying that the impact on fish resources (hake, squid, sardines) is an important aspect as the drilling/ construction phase will impact spawning areas for these species.
It was also pointed out that the southern right whale migration routes go directly through Block 11B/12B and this will be a major issue, as the drilling noise during the construction phase will cause acoustic harm.
Department cautions
Dr Ted Botha, local Wessa branch chairperson, said the significant number of critical objections (there are very few that openly support this venture) was highlighted in the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning's response. They supported the case for not proceeding without "very critical and clear scientific assessment". The proposed pipeline routing passes through a critical biodiversity area (CBA), which is considered non-compatible within a CBA natural area.
"It appears from the comment that the Department of Environmental Affairs is hardly supportive of this operation, and that the department reserves the right to revise initial comments and request further information based on any or new information received," Botha said.
He highlighted two points of particular concern raised in the document that also appear in other individual responses.
These are:
The Agulhas current is the strongest surface current in the world. As such, what are the risks to equipment and marine life should equipment get damaged?
The table of the hearing ranges of cetaceans in the report does not link the supplied information to the actual exploratory activities that are proposed.
Questions remain on what the impact will be on cetaceans and other sea life, and whether research will be conducted to establish the number of cetaceans and sea life that may/ will/could be impacted.
Botha said the rest of the written submissions (in excess of 150) are critical of this development and only a few are supportive. Those supporting the project "seem to be linked to the creation of employment and uplifting/ upskilling indigenous groups".
"Our coastal environment is unique and fragile. There can be no denying that there is every chance that some 'mishap' could occur and this ecosystem will in effect be deleteriously affected," he said. "Think no further than the ongoing effect of an oil spill resulting from the explosion at the BP Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico."