Case Decision - 191793

Interim comment
In order to make an informed decision the SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology ad Meteorites (APM) Unit requires the Environmental reports including all appendices to be submitted.
As the proposed mining area itself was not surveyed and previous surveys were done at least 20km away from the proposed area, and because of the close vicinity of the mining area to an Iron Age settlement, the SAHRA APM Unit requests a phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment to be conducted for the proposed area by a suitably qualified specialist. This must include a desktop Palaeontological Impact Assessment to be conducted by a qualified specialist as the area, even though underlying unfossiliferous dolerites will be mined, may locally be covered by potentially fossiliferous Quaternary deposits.