Environmental Impact Assessment  
	Elizabeth Bay Mine extension	October 2002	

Why this information document? 

Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Limited plans to extend mining operations at the existing Elizabeth Bay Mine and develop new infrastructure. An Environmental Impact Assessment is required according to Namibia’s Environmental Assessment policy and Namdeb’s internal company policy. This document informs Interested and Affected Parties of the developments at Elizabeth Bay and herewith invites people to comment. Namdeb has commissioned EnviroScience to undertake this Environmental Assessment study. This information document summarises the most important technical aspects.

The project components 

This study is composed of three main components:

•	completion of environmental baselines
•	impact assessment for Elizabeth Bay mine resource extension
•	impact assessment for new infrastructure

GENERAL	
Project Proponent	•	Namdeb (PTY) LTD	
Environmental Consultant	•	EnviroScience	
Locality	•	Elizabeth Bay, some 25 km S of Lüderitz in southern Namibia (Figure 1)	
Process of environmental assessment	•	Baseline surveys by specialists (archaeology, flora, birds, Brown hyena)
•	Sediment modelling and marine impact assessment 
•	Compilation of information document
•	Consultation with key stakeholders through this information document and Namdeb’s Environmental Steering Committee
•	Environmental Assessment and Management Programme report
•	Submission of Environmental Assessment report to authorities 	

The Elizabeth Bay environment

The mining area is in the north-west corner of the southern Namib Desert within Diamond Area 1 (Sperrgebiet). The present mining area is positioned in a wind-swept valley and comprises largely dunes and sand plain habitats. Few rocky outcrops and ridges are present and large Salsola nollothensis hummocks frame the beach. To the north and west of the mining area the rocky habitat of the Lüderitz peninsula prevails, an area identified as one important centre of plant (and likely insect) endemism and diversity in Namibia.     

Elizabeth Bay mine resource extension 

Elizabeth Bay Mine is positioned in Namdeb’s Elizabeth Bay mining licence area, just south of Lüderitz (Figure 1). Raised beach diamond deposits were mined here during German colonial times until 1920, and then by CDM (Consolidated Diamond Mines) between 1926-1931 and 1945-1948. In 1991 Namdeb (previously CDM) started the current mine. With the proposed mine extensions the expected life of mine is another 18 years, until 2020. 

EXISTING MINING SITES AND INFRASTRUCTURE	
Current mining area	•	North-south trending valley north of Elizabeth Bay 	
Project time frame	•	Until 2020 	
Mining method 	•	Conventional dry mining with excavators and bar-loaders, transport with haul trucks and back-filling of some mined out areas with overburden. 
•	Wet-screening and processing at one treatment plant positioned at the south-west corner of deposit (Figure 2).	
Processing	•	Diamond bearing gravel is screened and further concentrated through a Dense Medium Separation plant and X-ray plant. 
•	The concentrate is transported to the Oranjemund Sorthouse for final sorting. 
•	The oversize fraction is deposited in waste dumps to the west and north of the plant, the undersize (i.e. slimes) is pumped via a pipeline onto the beach.
•	To spread out beach accretion over a larger area, slimes disposal points are moved when required.	
On site facilities	•	Offices and workshops are positioned near the main plant.
•	This includes French drains for sewage disposal, wash-bay, and a fuelling facility with appropriate bunding and disposal points.  
•	Soft refuse disposal in old quarry site approximately 3 km north-west of office/plant complex.	
Accommodation	•	No accommodation is provided on site as all staff commutes daily from Lüderitz.	
Operation	•	At present the mine operates on a two 8.5 hr shift system from 6h30 – 23h30 during weekdays. 	
Roads	•	Namdeb private road from Kolmanskop to Elizabeth Bay. 
•	The main haul road (approximately 19 m width) traverses the centre of the valley and smaller, largely temporary roads provide access to current mining sites. 	
Power supply and telecommunications	•	Power supply and telecommunications from Lüderitz along main access road via Kolmanskop to Elizabeth Bay plant and office complex.  	
Water intake	•	Seawater for processing at the main the plant is provided from an existing pump station slightly north of Elizabeth Point (Figure 2).
•	Potable water to supply the office block is obtained through a pipeline from the main water supply pipeline from Koichab pan to Lüderitz. The pipeline route follows the main access road. 
•	With the new extensions about 7000 m3/hr of seawater will be  required at the processing plant, 2.5 m3/hr of freshwater for domestic use.   	

THE PLANNED MINING EXTENSIONS	
Location	•	Nine mine extensions are considered over the next 18 years.
•	Seven of these directly adjoin the current active mining areas, while 2 (extension 5 and 8) are isolated deposits at some kilometres distance from the current ore reserves. 
•	Most of these sites had already been worked previously and extensively sampled during the past few years. 	
Mining method	•	With the exception of two deposits (extension 1 and 9) in direct vicinity of the shore, conventional dry mining methods are planned.
•	For extension 1 and 9 dredge or wet mining is planned which will require the construction of a seawall, dewatering facilities. 
•	At site 5, 6, 7 and 8 an Infield Screening plant might be used, depending no the financial viability. 	
Power supply new mining sites 	•	Generator sets or a high tension line are considered to supply power to the infield screening plant and dredge.	
Volume of discharge	•	Increased mining volume through the planned extensions will also increase the amount of sediment to be disposed onto the beach. 
•	A 20-fold increase in the fine fraction is envisaged, while the coarse fraction will remain the same, or could be reduced if the introduction of a degritting and thickening process is successful.	

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED	
Sediment disposal	•	The only alternative for fines disposal would be the construction of a slimes dam on land.	

Elizabeth Bay new infrastructure

Initially a new road was considered via the Lüderitz peninsula, but recent changes have made this new road option unattractive and the plans have been shelved. 

The planned multi-media communications infrastructure will enable broad-band media transmission required for security surveillance and will so upgrade the current communications infrastructure between Lüderitz and Elizabeth Bay Mine. It will follow the existing road between Kolmanskop and Elizabeth Bay Mine.

MULTI-MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS BACKBONE	
Route	•	Following alignment of existing road via Kolmanskop.	
Specifications	•	Above ground, fibre optic line on wooden, 6 m high poles.
•	Old, existing poles will be used, where feasible.	
Access and construction	•	No additional roads or tracks are required as the alignment will follow an existing road and service corridor. 	

PROJECT ALTERNATIVES AND MITIGATION POTENTIAL 	
	•	Should visual impacts in this future tourism area be rated as highly significant, consideration could be given to route the line below-ground at critical sections. 	

Environmental matters…

The main aspects associated with the mining resource extension project, are the projected overall increase in fines disposal, the creation of dredge pond and associated seawall at site 1 and 9, and the potential impact on a freshwater well at site 3.

The communications infrastructure presents a one-off, short-term construction impact, and a medium-term visual impact, although in an already existing service corridor. 

The next steps…

Would you like to comment on the posed developments at Elizabeth Bay? Your comments will be incorporated in the environmental assessment. If you indicate an interest in the project, a summary of the EIA will be distributed upon finalisation of the EIA report (December 2002).

In order to proceed with the impact assessment, please submit your comments by  8 November 2002.

Thank you for your contribution!

This document has been compiled with input by the Elizabeth Bay project team.

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Figure 1.  Position of study area  (adapted from: CSIR 2002)

Figure 2. Main project components.