BLSA/EWT Best practice guidelines for avian monitoring and impact mitigation at proposed wind energy development sites

These Guidelines were updated in July 2012, and significantly have now been endorsed by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and Eskom. BLSA/EWT Avian Guidelines

OUTCOME OF THE APPEAL BY BIRDLIFE OVERBERG AGAINST THE AUTHORISATION OF THE KLIPHEUWEL/DASSIESFONTEIN WIND ENERGY FACILITY

Amendment of the Environmental Authorisation for the proposed establishment of the Klipheuwel/Dassiesfontein  Wind Energy Facility (WEF) and associated infrastructure within the jurisdiction of Theewaterskloof Local Municipality, Western Cape Province.

As a result of the Appeal by BirdLife Overberg, the DEA decision of 27 June 2011 to authorize this development was varied so as to strengthen the requirements for bird and bat monitoring, to specify that the guidelines published by BLSA and EWT should be used, and to instruct the applicant to provide monitoring data on a quarterly basis to all stakeholders, including the Appellants. Here follows a summary of the salient sections:

  

• The bird monitoring programme to be undertaken by an independent bird monitoring specialist

• A batmonitoring programme must be implemented to document the effect of the operation of the WEF on bats. This must commence prior to construction and continue during operation of the WEF

• The bat monitoring programme to be undertaken by an independent bat monitoring specialist

• The reports from the bat monitoring programme will be submitted to affected stakeholders, including the appellants and DEA, on a quarterly basis

• The birds and bat monitoring programmes must cover all listed and threatened species (TOPS), as well as other significant species identified by the respective specialists, and must include collision and mortality date during operation

• Baseline bird and monitoring must continue at least every 2^nd month for as long as possible before, and during the construction phase of the WEF

• Bird impact monitoring must produce data in the format required by the “Best practice Guidelines for Avian Monitoring and Impact Mitigationat proposed Wind Energy Development Sites in Southern Africa”, published by BLSA and EWT

• Bat impact monitoring must produce data in the format required by the “SA Guidelines for Surveying Bats in Wind Farm Developments” published by EWT

• Post constructiom monitoring must start as soon as possible, within the first few weeks of operation, and should last for at least 2 years – as opposed to the original EIA recommendation that monitoring starts 6 months after commissioning and is reviewed after 1 year of operation

• If problems are identified in the first 2 years, mitigation measures should be included in the EMP and monoitoring to continue to determeine the effectiveness of those measures

• The bat monitoring reports must be submitted quarterly to EWT, BLSA, CapeNature and DEA. The reports will assist all stakeholders in identifying potential and additional mitigation meassures and to establish protocols for bat monitoring programmes of EF development in SA

• Should monitoring results reveal serious impact on Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS), including among others, local extinction, all work must cease immediately in that area whilst all relevant authorities are notified

It was admitted by the DEA that a bat report was not considered by them as it had not been provided by the Applicant until long after the final EIA submission. After a retrospecive review the DEA states that it would nevertheless not have come to a different conclusion…

The applicant provided a copy of the Bat and Bird Reports to the Appellants only following the Appeal result. It would not appear that other registered I&APs were afforded this opportunity.