![\"EIA](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-015.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHard to read notices situated on quiet rural roads may have alerted some residents about the Applications to explore for oil and gas in KZN and the Free State, but certainly most people in the area had no idea.<\/p>\n
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As is required by the EIA process, \u00a0EIMS, who are the consultants for the Sungu Sungu and Motouane Energy arranged a series of Open Days in late July to inform residents about the applications and what exploration will entail. \u00a0Niven Reddy of groundWork attended the meeting on \u00a026 July in Ladysmith Town Hall\u00a0(Motuoane Energy Exploration). \u201cWhen I got to the venue it was almost empty.\u00a0The concept of an open day does not work for people who want emphasis placed on the objection.\u201d Of course, the consultants know this and hope to dilute the energy generated by a crowd, by sitting around all day answering individual questions as a few people wander in. \u00a0EIMS Bongani Khule explained that there will be some emissions from the drilling site for exploration \u2013 in order to test the gas.\u00a0The vibrosis\/seismic surbveys will be done first. This will give them an idea as to where the boreholes should be constructed.\u00a0Motuoane Energy plans the construction of four boreholes \u2013 each borehole area is 30\u00d730 meters.<\/p>\n
Adele Slater, \u00a0representing the farmer\u2019s associations, had gone through the scoping report document carefully and had a thorough look into the legislation.\u00a0 She presented well backed-up objections and asked many procedural questions, which the consultants agreed to investigate, correct and report back on.<\/p>\n
![\"sungu](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-122.jpg\")
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The next day, also in the Ladysmith Town Hall, EIMS were representing\u00a0Sungu Sungu who are a South African, fully BEE company based in JHB with mining interests and have an Oil & Gas division. They have a mine in KZN.<\/p>\n
Once again, attendance was poor with only five people having signed the register during the day. \u00a0However, some tough questions were asked, particularly\u00a0regarding any possible contamination of water (because it isn\u2019t mentioned in the report) and the fact\u00a0that water would be obtained locally through land owners and local municipalities. \u00a0Department of Water Affairs would need to approve a water use license.<\/p>\n
Apparently:<\/p>\n
![\"Ladysmith](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-ladysmith-town-hall.jpg\")
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Realizing that the long Open Days were a tactic to avoid confronting angry groups, local activist, Cecile Wykes, had written to EIMS before the meetings telling them that they planned to hold a Public Meeting on their planned Open Day \u00a0on\u00a028 July at\u00a0Harrismith Town Hall.<\/p>\n
![\"frack](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-033.jpg\")
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There was a fantastic turn out as over 100 farmers, representing all the major Farmers Associations from Mont Pelaan, Verkykerskop, Van Reenen, Ladysmith and Harrismith turned up at 10am to voice their strong objection to this application. \u00a0EIMS were clearly surprised and had to quickly add more chairs to the 10 or so they had put out!<\/p>\n
![\"public](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-081-1.jpg\")
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Once again, attorney, Adele Slater went through the documents thoroughly and noted many inaccuracies. These included incorrect farm and municipality names, lack of consultation with the occupiers of state land and questions about how the application had been advertised.\u00a0 By the end of the discussion it was evident that there were many flaws in that report. When EIMS asked that we shared the info with them, Judy Bell spoke from the floor “You cannot expect us volunteers to do the work on behalf of the applicant.\u00a0 You say you meet International Best Practice but either you are deliberately misleading us with false information or are incompetent. This application is fatally flawed!”<\/p>\n
![\"Adele](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-096.jpg\")
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Industrialist, Willie Esterhysen was clearly angry that he had not been notified properly. “Not only am I the biggest employer in Qwa Qwa but I also makes the biggest contribution to the economy of the local municipality with our wage bill, rates and taxes. The Phuthaditjhaba area is one of the poorest areas in South Africa.\u00a0 Here people can not afford to lose their jobs. Studies have shown that due to the unemployment rate of 83% in this area, one job feeds as many as 15\u00a0 mouths. It is clear that fracking in this area could lead to factory closures because of negative effects on the environment and water resources. This will cripple an already poverty stricken community. It will cause increases in crime, losses in local tourism and agriculture.<\/p>\n
I am at an age where I can retire any day but I am fighting this fight for this community, for people who do not have access to newspapers or television. If I have to close my factory today because of the effects of fracking not even 3% of my\u00a0 employees will find another job in the formal employment sector. It is therefore my moral duty to fight this fight on their behalf.”<\/p>\n
![\"fearless](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-029.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The report contains no information on the social impacts and the jobs that might be available. When asked directly, Nobuhle Hughes (EIMS) admitted that there would be only a handful of highly skilled jobs created.<\/p>\n
A paleontologist, who works in the region,\u00a0 pointed out that there were no seSotho or isiZulu speakers present, and the fact that no easily understandable summary of the process had been made available in Afrikaans or seSotho. He wondered if those communities had any idea of the nightmare about to descend on their lives and livelihoods. \u00a0\u201c97% of people living in this area would be unable to understand this Scoping Report and the dire consequences of the future planning with this project.You\u00a0clearly\u00a0have\u00a0little regard for the Traditional People of South Africa.\u201d \u00a0He mentioned that many springs and water sources were considered sacred and a full Paleontological Impact Assessment (PIA) would need to be conducted for the entire area of the application as part of the Heritage Impact Assessment.<\/p>\n
![\"farmers](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-117.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Nobuhle Hughes (EIMS) answered a question about when and where baseline water quality and quantity sampling will take? \u00a0\u201cWe\u00a0will consult with the geohydrologist during the EIA phase to determine where sampling will be conducted or required.\u201d Again it was pointed out that any drilling for hydrocarbons will impact water quality. Before the exploration began, they need to do a desktop PIA and if they did not, a phase 1 PIA would be required. \u00a0This is important as baseline data is needed before placing exploration boreholes.<\/p>\n
![\"Farming](\"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/r-frack-free-harrismith-036.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Clearly the farming and business community is united in their opposition to these applications. They believe the applications should be withdrawn and the correct processes must be followed.\u00a0 EIMS got more than they bargained for in the peaceful country\u00a0 towns of Ladysmith and Harrismith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hard to read notices situated on quiet rural roads may have alerted some residents about the Applications to explore for oil and gas in KZN and the Free State, but certainly most people in the area had no idea. As<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[88,80,89,82,79,90,91,57],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=820"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":846,"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions\/846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}