Heritage Cases

Henlie Boerdery (the Applicant) intends to develop a poultry broiler facility that will consist of 12 (twelve) poultry broiler houses with associated infrastructure (8ha) on the remaining extent of portion 1 of the farm Dwarsfontein 1 IQ situated near Derby on Registration Division IQ, North West Province. Each broiler house will be approximately 17.5m X 138m = 2415 m2. The holding capacity will be approximately 21 chickens per m2. Thus, the total chickens will be 608 000. Each house will have a Heatco oven controlling the temperature inside the broiler house. This system uses coal as an heat source. The amount of coal to be stored will be 40 tons at any given time in a newly constructed shed. A water tank and a silo for food will be constructed next to each broiler house with underground pipelines connecting the water tanks with the new boreholes. A 2.4m electric fence with an entry gate (with biosecurity control measures) will be constructed around the site. A biosecurity house will be erected containing an office as well as a bathroom and showers. Electricity lines will be connected to the water tanks and all the proposed broiler poultry houses. Please refer to a locality map attached in Appendix C. Water uses: 0.061m3 of water per chicken per year, which equals to 37 088m3 per year. Additional to this will be the water used for domestic purposes. Therefore, the amount can be calculated to approximately 40 000 m3 per year. This will be sourced from groundwater through a new borehole and will be stored in small reservoirs. A water use license will be applied for Section 21 a, b, g and e. A Geohydrological Assessment will be conducted during this water use license application. Also, matters regarding water matters are the mandate of the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation and will be addressed by that Department as part of the Water Use License application. Ablution • French drains shall not be permitted. Therefore, chemical toilets are advised. • Employees will be provided with showers and change rooms. It shall be the only permitted areas to clean and change. Power supply The applicant will use Eskom electricity as the main power supplier. Broiler house waste management It is estimated that approximately 10m3 per month of solid waste will be produced during the Construction Phase. The following waste types are expected during the Construction Phase: - packaging materials (shrink wrap, cardboard), - general waste generated by the construction staff, and - building material waste (cement or concrete, and PVC panelling). The ECO shall ensure that all the leftover building materials will be removed by the relevant building contractor. All solid waste shall be disposed of at the nearest registered waste disposal site. Any solid waste considered unsuitable for the municipal waste disposal site will be collected and disposed of by a suitably licensed hazardous waste disposal company (e.g. EnviroServ). The carcasses will be removed on a daily basis and collected by either Bencoe lions (See Appendix J) or by Derby Rendering Plant, which produces bone meal. Procedures are in place regarding the outbreak of a communicable disease where mortality is thrown into ditches on the property, limed and closed. Broiler house heating Each house will have a Heatco oven controlling the temperature inside the broiler house. This system uses coal as a heat source. The amount of coal to be stored will be 40 tons at any given time. Coal is known to have numerous environmental impacts when used as an energy / heating source. These include particulate emission, ground level ozone, smog and acid rain. Upon burning, coal produces fly ash and a number of gaseous byproducts, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and methane gas, all of which contribute to global climate change. Anthracite coal contains an average of about 90% carbon. Since 90% of 1 kg anthracite coal is 900 g, there are about 900 g of carbon atoms per kg. Each of these carbon atom joins with two oxygen atoms in order to form CO₂ (C + O₂ → CO₂). Thus, making CO₂ 3.67 times heavier than that of a carbon atom alone. So, if 900 is multiplied by 3.67 = 3300 g of carbon dioxide is formed. This means that when burning 1 kg of anthracite about 3.3 kg of CO2 will be produced. The same calculation can be used for Bituminous coal: Average carbon content of approximately is 66% = 660g x 3.67 = 2.42 kg of CO2. Source: https://360energy.net/how-does-using-energy-create-carbon-emissions/ Although a license under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 is not needed for this amount of storage of coal, it is still advised that the following mitigation measures are adhered to: • Line all potential contamination sources with an impermeable liner, including coal storage areas. Where coal and ash are stored, a bunded wall should be constructed. • The shed shall be properly maintained. • Procedures and measures for coal handling should be in place. • Measures for the storage and handling of ash, coal due to the operations of the coal fired generator, should be in place. • A licensed company can be employed for the collection and safe disposal of the ash however, records of such disposal should be kept. • Clean up coal spillages immediately. • Train staff to report and clean up coal spillages immediately. Boiler house cleaning A big concern regarding poultry manure in broiler houses is that of ammonia. Ammonia exists when bacteria brakes down the nitrogen in poultry manure. The concentration of ammonia is intensified by various environmental conditions and other factors, such as high temperatures, moisture, ventilation and stocking density. Humans are able to smell ammonia at 20 ppm, but ammonia is able to cause the respiratory damage at 5 ppm. If the concentrations reach 20 - 25 ppm in a poultry house, the poultry will be more prone to respiratory diseases like airsacculitis and infectious bronchitis. Additional to these diseases, birds may also develop compromised immune systems from the additional environmental stress. Meat quality will also be impacted negatively when the poultry is in long exposure to ammonia. If the levels of ammonia increases to 50 ppm (the level where human eyes start to tear up), the poultry will develop corneal ulcers and other vision problems. Poultry are also known to get contact burns and footpad issues. As mentioned, ammonia is a big concern to any poultry farmer when it gets to poultry manure and therefore the poultry facilities are strictly managed to prevent high levels of ammonia. Source:thepoultrysite.com/articles/the-chicken-whisperer-tackling-ammonia-levels-in-backyard-flocks#:~:text=Ammonia%20is%20created%20when%20the,as%20high%20temperatures%20and%20moisture. The following will be done to minimize the occurrence of high levels of ammonia: • Poultry houses will be properly ventilated by using the Skov system. • Poultry houses will be maintained. • Temperatures will be regulated by using the Skov system. • Ammonia levels will be constantly monitored and managed. • Audits from the Department and KFC. • After the completion of each cycle (40 days), the broiler chickens and all the accumulated manure will be removed. Manure will never leave the broiler house, unless it is removed from the inside on a loading belt directly onto trucks that will be closed with tarpaulins. After removal, all surfaces are sprayed with foam based detergent that is left to evaporate. Upon completion of this process, the floors of the houses are washed with water only that will be allowed to be diverted by storm water like structures to an accumulation pond. This water will then be discharged be sprinklers. • Nipple water drinkers with buckets. No liquid effluent will be produced.