Integrated Environmental Solutions

Specialised Auditing

“Environmental audit” is a general term that can reflect various types of evaluations intended to identify environmental compliance and management system implementation gaps, along with related corrective actions. In this way they perform a similar function to financial audits. There are generally two different types of environmental audits: compliance audits and management systems audits.

Prism EMS offers clients in-house expertise and vast experience on a range of environmental auditing requirements. These requirements range amongst some of the following compliance auditable functions:

• Environmental Authorisation (EA) compliance audits
• Environmental Management Plan (EMP) compliance audits
• Waste License compliance audits
• Water Use License compliance audits
• Environmental Management Program (EMPr) compliance audits for mines

Vast experience in the construction & operational phases for a variety of development and infrastructure
projects ensure that accurate internal and external monitoring and auditing functions are offered to clients
which entail:

• Environmental Officer (EO) roles on behalf of contractors or developers
• Environmental Monitor (EM) roles forming part of engineering or project management consortiums
• Independent Environmental Control Officer (ECO) roles for implementers and developers

Auditors at Prism EMS have experience in the implementation, maintenance, training and auditing of:

• The ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System standard

Our auditors understand audit principles, procedures and techniques, and have gained experience through
conducting a vast number of audits both for organisations internally and externally.

Applications in terms of Mining Regulation in South Africa

South Africa’s environmental management and governance effort consists of a wide array of legal and
regulatory requirements. In ensuring that a mine, prospective mine, or exploration activity complies with the
relevant environmental legislation, various legal components need to be adhered to and permits for any such
activities, are required.

The legislation to take cognisance of includes the Mineral and Petroleum Resources
Development Act, 2002 (MPRDA), the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (NEMA), National
Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (NEM:WA) and the National Environmental Management: Air
Quality Act, 2006 (NEM:AQA), to name only a few.

The MPRDA regulates the mining industry in South Africa and provides for the equitable access to, and
sustainable development of, the nation’s mineral and petroleum resources. The MPRDA recognises that
minerals and petroleum are non-renewable natural resources and therefore the management of these are
important. One of the objects of the MPRDA is to give effect to the constitutionally entrenched environmental
right as contained in Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, by ensuring that the
nation’s mineral and petroleum resources are developed in an orderly and ecologically sustainable manner,
while promoting justifiable social and economic development as these resources belong to the nation, of
which the State is the custodian.

As per the relevant legislation, prior to the authorisation of any mining or related activity, an Environmental
Authorisation Process must be undertaken. Depending on the nature of the activities a Basic Assessment or a
full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be undertaken.

Other services offered by our team include:

• Prospecting Right applications
• Environmental Management Programmes and amendments to existing plans
• Mining Right Applications
• Financial Provision assessments
• Closure Cost calculations
• Rehabilitation Fund Calculations
• Section 102 Amendment Applications

The professional team at Prism EMS is positioned to offer clients with value adding, practical, solution driven
and cost effective services. Prism EMS is qualified to provide clients with a high quality service and advise
throughout the project’s cycle (i.e. pre-feasibility to closure).

Our focus and project management skills have proven to streamline project planning with practical and
effective environmental management, ensuring a holistic approach to obtaining the required authorisations
and permits.

Specialised Environmental Control Officer Services

In terms of the Guideline for Environmental Management Programmes, 2005 released by the Department of Environmental Affairs, an Environmental Control Officer (ECO) should be employed by the Project Proponent (Developer or Applicant) for the duration of a development/construction project. The ECO provides feedback to the Project Manager regarding all environmental matters. Contractors are answerable to the ECO (or Project Manager, depending on contractual arrangements) for any non-compliance with mitigation measures as stipulated by an approved Environmental Management Plan and/or License to perform specific activities.

The ECO must be competent in the field of environmental management and hold at least one related qualification pertaining to interpretation and implementation of South African environmental laws, conservation and environmental management. The appointment of an ECO is the responsibility of the developer at the inception of the construction phase, thus the site establishment stages of a project.

Various options for auditing periods exists, depending on the nature of the activities and stipulations of the EMPr and/or licenses applicable to a specific site. These are:

• Weekly or fortnightly site assessments (for larger, more active developments)
• Monthly site assessments (for slower moving developments)
• Audits once every three months (auditing during the operational phase of a project)
• At the start and end of, and one assessment mid-way through a project (as an external auditor)

Inter alia, the ECO’s responsibilities will include:

• Be conversant with the requirements, mitigating measures and stipulations as per the relevant compliance documents, in particular the EMPr.
• Implementation and, through the project manager, enforcement of the conditions of the EMPr and the Environmental Specifications included herein, throughout the site establishment-, construction- and rehabilitation phases of a project.
• Ensure that all contractors, subcontractors and employees are fully aware of their environmental responsibilities. This to take the form of an initial environmental awareness-training program in which requirements dictated by the EMPr and other licenses are explained.
• Monitor site activities on a regular basis to ensure that there is minimal environmental impact as a result of activities on-site.
• Following each site visit, an audit report is compiled to highlight any non-compliance issues that need to be addressed, as well as relay compliance matters.
• Regular communication between the Project Manager and the Construction Manager on site is maintained.
• Determination and enforcement of environmental “no-go” areas in consultation with site management staff and related to haul and access roads on and off-site, site storage and accommodation areas forms a critical part of the ECO duties.
• The ECO will ensure that a ‘hotline’ exists for reporting incidents and resolving any problems speedily.

Auditing of activities on-site and reporting thereof to the Project Management team and the regulating
Authority forms the key purpose of the Environmental Control Officer. From residential developments to
mines, the construction of bridges to the installation of civil services, one of the largest mixed-use
developments in modern years in South Africa and most recently, a wind farm in the Western Cape, Prism
EMS is guaranteed to have the experience necessary to provide the ECO service any client could require.

Aquatic and Wetland Specialists
“Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.

Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture consumes more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.

At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.” WWF, 2015

Prism EMS offers assessments of the ecosystem health in aquatic environments which include rivers, streams, pans and dams. These assessments focus on biological responses to determine the ecological integrity of the aquatic system. Assessments include:

• Aquatic Bio-monitoring
• Aquatic Studies
• Habitat delineation
• Water Quality Monitoring and Analysis
• SASS 5 Accredited Macro-invertebrate Assessments
• River Health (Integrity) Assessments
• Fish Health and Population Dynamics Assessments
• Aquatic Species Inventories and Monitoring
• Toxicity Testing
• Impact Assessments
• Management plans

We make use of industry best practices and geographic information systems (GIS) to collect and analyze data
for report writing and interpretation.

Wetland assessment and delineation is done, by means of:

• Wetland classification
• Present Ecological Status Assessment
• Wetland Ecological Importance and Sensitivity Assessment
• Recommended Ecological Category is determined
• Wetland delineation is done by means of soil augering and classification
• Mapping is done utilising GPS tools and Geographic Information System (GIS) Modelling

Our aquatic and wetland specialists have expensive experience in their specialised fields and the skilled, quality
service offered by Prism EMS is well known and often suggested.

Biodiversity Services

Specialist Ecologists form part of our team. As part of the ecological and biodiversity services offered by Prism EMS, the following studies can be completed: Flora and Fauna habitat surveys, particularly focusing on the possible presence of threatened species,Avi-Faunal surveys, Riparian vegetation index surveys, Ecological condition surveys, compilation of Ecological Management Plans, Biodiversity Action Plans and contributions to Environmental Management Frameworks, Wetland Assessments, Management of Rare Wetland Species etc.

A typical Ecological Assessment will consist of:

• A survey consisting of site visits to investigate key elements of habitats on the site, relevant to the conservation of fauna and flora.
• Recording of any sightings and/or evidence of existing fauna and flora.
• The selective and careful collecting of voucher specimens of invertebrates will be taken where deemed necessary.
• An evaluation of the conservation importance and significance of the site with special emphasis on the current status of threatened species.
• Recording of possible host plants or food-plants of fauna, such as butterflies.
• Literature investigation of possible species that might occur on site.
• Integration of the literature investigation and field observations to identify potential ecological impacts that could occur as a result of the proposed activities.
• Integration of literature investigation and field observations to make recommendations to reduce or minimise impacts. A composite sensitivity map, compiled within a Geographic Information System will be included.
• An ecological management plan for any open space system designed to incorporate all areas designated as sensitive in the sensitivity mapping exercise (in accordance with the Sensitivity Mapping Rules for Biodiversity Assessments) will be included where relevant.
• Rehabilitation measures will be included.
• A recommended list of conditions in the event that the activity is authorized will be presented.