ETLAC letter to Eskom 23 Dec 08

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=30 BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" style=" border-left: 1px solid #3366CC;" BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Tulbagh Info Information</B></div> <div> ETLAC letter to Eskom 23 Dec 08</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="120" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#0099CC HEIGHT= 15 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="local_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tulbagh News Page 2"><U>Back to Local News</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> 23 Dec 2008</div> <bR> <div> ESKOM – REPLY FROM JOHN</div> <div> Dear Kentridge,</div> <bR> <div> I thank you for your conciliatory response in granting an extension of time.</div> <bR> <div> However, further events and enlightenments have caused me to request that </div> <div> the period be extended to 30 January, 2008.</div> <bR> <div> Kindly note the unanswered mail below to your consultant, as being one on my </div> <div> reasons. In this respect, we are having to attempt to do a proper computer </div> <div> model of the visual impact aspect, since Eskom or its consultants (both EIA </div> <div> and HIA) have failed to do this despite requests made by me and assurances </div> <div> that it would be done - or to provide sufficient information for it to be </div> <div> done by ourselves - which we shouldn't be having to do in the first place.</div> <bR> <div> I have also become aware that Public meetings have not been held in all the </div> <div> towns or areas where the Heritage Impact of this power line could have a </div> <div> serious negative effect on the communities there. Four cases in point are </div> <div> Gouda, Wolseley, Ceres and Prince Alfred's Hamlet. I believe in all those </div> <div> areas, community organisations and individuals have appealed against the </div> <div> Record of Decision of the EIA let alone the fact that there are other </div> <div> members of the public who were not properly informed of the EIA process in </div> <div> the first instance. The HIA is a completely new application and as such I </div> <div> believe that the public along the entire route should have been thoroughly </div> <div> and properly informed but last and not least, the communities in the four </div> <div> towns listed below.</div> <bR> <div> A further consideration is that this is not an appropriate time of the year </div> <div> to 'inform' the public?</div> <bR> <div> For now, I will accept that the period has been extended to 12 January, 2008 </div> <div> and I await the response to my comments above in the hope that Eskom will be </div> <div> reasonable and transparent and by doing so, cause the 'broader' public to be </div> <div> justly informed in a manner that I believed the Honourable Minister expected </div> <div> when he requested that an HIA be done.</div> <bR> <div> I am happy to note that you are at your desk and not on holiday - as </div> <div> apparently your Consultant is?</div> <bR> <div> I have read your disclaimer (Eskom Holdings Limited EMAIL LEGAL NOTICE) </div> <div> below but under the circumstances, I believe that this is all part of a </div> <div> public participation process and as such, all correspondence is vital to </div> <div> that process and should be read by all concerned.</div> <bR> <div> Kind regards,</div> <bR> <div> John Veschini</div> <div> ETLAC</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=28 style=" border-top: 1px solid #0066CC; border-left: 1px solid #0066CC;border-right: 1px solid #0066CC; border-bottom: 1px solid #0066CC;" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>