Stringent rules will
protect the environment
Anna Cox
THE APPROVAL of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study by Government, giving the go-ahead for the construction of the Coega Industrial Development Zone and the Port of Ngqura Project, was taken in the interests of the country, the economy and the the province, said Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Valli Moosa.
Explaining in more detail the decision to approve the project, director general of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Dr Crispian Olver, said the most persuasive argument came, not from Coega itself, but from the South African Port Authority which had done extensive background research into international trends and containerisation and found that there was a marked shift towards larger container ships which needed more than 36 metres in port depth.
Currently there is no such port in South Africa, nor was it viable to attempt to deepen any of the existing ports.
The geology of the East Coast was perfect for a deep water port because the river, over the years, had carved out a deep water basin which, although currently filled with soil, would be easy to dredge.
"The crucial question is whether we seize the opportunity and move towards the new breed of containers or lose out," he said.
The new deep water port will serve the entire East African coast as well as portions of the West Coast. It will also be used as an on- and off-loading area for smaller container ships.
Olver said stringent measures had been put in place in approving the EIA.
"There will be a negative impact on the environment but we will attempt to limit it as far as possible. Coega will have to have oil spill contingency plans and there will be a dedicated spill response unit," he said.
Another danger was that ships would bring in contaminated water which would result in alien invasions, so one of the rules will be that they will not be allowed to expel water.
