Case Decision - 195237

Interim CommentThe South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites (APM) Unit cannot provide comments on this heritage report as it is not complete. The report only identified heritage resources within the proposed mine right area but did not undertake an impact assessment on the identified heritage resources.

It is noted that the HIA report mentions that the proposed mine plans were not provided to the specialists.
The above mentioned plans must be included in an amended HIA that must include a significance assessment and impact assessment of the identified heritage resources as required by section 38(3)b and 38(3)c of the NHRA. 
Furthermore, the coal mine will impact palaeontologically very highly sensitive rock strata between the coal seams and as such impacts on palaeontological heritage resources in the proposed area must be assessed in a field-based Palaeontological Impact Assessment (PIA) by a suitably qualified palaeontologist.
A .kml file of the proposed mine right location must be uploaded to the cases palaeo-sensitivity map on SAHRIS.

SAHRA will comment further once a PIA report and an amended HIA report is submitted to the case in the EIA phase of the EA application.