10 Apr 2018

Kwa Nokeng Oil Company has proposed to construct a fuel depot in Palapye at the Extension Four Industrial site.

 

The company managing director, Mr Unangoni Mangole said in an interview that the proposed depot was designed to accommodate a volume of 100 000m³ of fuel with two 50 000m³ tanks built on a 48 000m² plot.

 

Sangwenu Engineering and Environmental Consultants on behalf of Kwa Nokeng Oil was conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment for the project.

 

“This fuel depot of such volume is erected in Palapye because the village is a transition point of the country and there are other many developments going on in and around Palapye like the coming international airport and the growth of the mine and power stations. It is built to store and distribute fuel in and around Palapye to cut the costs of transportation from distant places such as Gaborone and Francistown,” Mangole explained.

 

To prevent accidents, Mr Mangole said there were regulations and standards of the Ministry of Minerals Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security that had to be followed when conducting the environmental impact assessment of such a project.

 

He said if the assessment of the project could be approved, he the construction and the existence of the fuel depot would have both the negative and positive impacts on the environment, people and animals living around that area.

 

“The positive benefits of the development would be job creation during construction and operation stages. 

 

The negative impacts are noise and dust pollution and general inconvenience to neighbours during construction and potential for personal injury due to occupational hazards,” he stated

 

At the end of all these assessments and consultations, Mangole explained that they would produce a report that would be submitted at Serowe Environmental Affairs office and a public report, which would be published on Botswana Gazette for a month as well as the archaeological report, which would be submitted at the museum.

 

Regarding the community’s opinion about the proposed project, he said the community gave the project a green light on condition that they put safety measures into consideration.

 

He said there were concerns about the dangers and accidents that might arise, but reiterated that the project would be designed in a way that would reduce or eliminate the risks.

 

He assured them that the design of the project was in such a way that it would protect people, pollution of the soil and even underground water, adding that there would be fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, safety signs and consultation with neighbours to handle all situations in the event of accidents

 

Furthermore, he said no licencing could be done without proper assessment, therefore the community could not be put in danger or at risk of accidents.  ENDS