28 November 2007 - Media
Statement - Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism - WEDNESDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2007:
Multi-day environmental compliance inspection
at Highveld Steel. The Green Scorpions today
embarked on a comprehensive compliance inspection
at the Highveld Steel plant outside Witbank.
The inspection forms part of Operation Ferro,
a national environmental compliance campaign
in the iron, steel and ferroalloy industry.
The inspection is expected to take place
over three days and is a collaborative undertaking
between the national department of Environmental
Affairs & Tourism as well as the Mpumalanga
Department of Agriculture and Land Administration.
. Full results of the inspection will only
be available 6-8 weeks after the inspection.
The Green Scorpions (Environmental Management
Inspectors) are joined by officials from the
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry,
the Emalahleni Local Municipality and the
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.
Highveld Steel is located in the Highveld
area, which was formally declared a national
air pollution hotspot on Friday, 23 November
2007. For additional information click on
the link. http://www.deat.gov.za/NewsMedia/MedStat/2007Nov26/26112007-1.pdf)
The purpose of the compliance inspection
is to determine the Highveld Steel plant’s
compliance with environmental legislation
and all permits issued to the plant in respect
of air, waste and water.
As part of Operation Ferro, approximately
40 sites have been identified for inspection
in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Northwest, KwaZulu-Natal
and Western Cape during the course of this
multi-year project. Mittal Steel’s Vereeniging
plant was the first plant to undergo a multi-day
environmental compliance inspection from 29
to 31 May 2007. (For additional information
on Operation Ferro inspections click on the
link http://www.deat.gov.za//NewsMedia/MedStat/2007Oct4/04102007.html
).
Inspection results for Arcelor Mittal’s Newcastle
plant, BHP Billiton’s Metalloys plant in Meyerton
and Hernic Ferrochrome’s plant outside Brits
will be released in the next few weeks.
The iron and steel and ferroalloy industries
have been prioritised in this environmental
compliance campaign as their industrial processes
may contribute significantly to pollution
if not mitigated and managed properly. The
same industries are also currently undergoing
a review of all their air pollution permits
by the Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism.
Roopa Singh
+ More
Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk Formally
Declares the Highveld a National Air Pollution
Hotspot
26 November 2007 - Media Statement - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - MONDAY,
26 NOVEMBER 2007: Marthinus van Schalkwyk,
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
has formally declared the Highveld Priority
Area as a national air pollution hotspot.
The declaration is made in terms of the National
Environmental Management: Air Quality Act
2004.
The Minister’s intention to declare the eastern
part of Gauteng and western part of Mpumalanga
as an air pollution hotspot was made on 04
May 2007. His formal declaration is contained
in the Government Gazette of Friday, 23 November
2007.
The Priority Area covers a total area of
31,106 km2 and the total population resident
in the area is approximately 3.6 million people.
Governor Mbeki Local Municipality (Gert Sibande);
Local Municipality Flowers (Gert Sibande);
Lekwa Local Municipality (Gert Sibande); Msukaligwa
Local Municipality (Gert Sibande); Prixley
in Seme Local Municipality (Gert Sibande);
Delmas Local Municipality; Emalahleni Local
Municipality (Nkangala); and Steve Tshwete
Local Municipality (Nkangala). (Click on link
to access map) Prixley in Seme Local Municipality
(Gert Sibande); Delmas Local Municipality;
Emalahleni Local Municipality (Nkangala);
and Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (Nkangala).
(Click on link to access map) Prixley in Seme
Local Municipality (Gert Sibande); Delmas
Local Municipality; Emalahleni Local Municipality
(Nkangala); and Steve Tshwete Local Municipality
(Nkangala). (Click on link to access map)
The area contains several sources of air
pollution, including a range of industrial,
mining and agricultural activities including:
Power stations; Timber and related industries;
Metal smelters; Petrochemical plants; Brick
and stone works; Mines (primarily coal mines);
Fertilizer and chemical producers; Explosives
producers; Charcoal producers; and other small
additional industrial operations. Furthermore,
many households still utilise coal as an energy
carrier.
Although, in broad terms, South Africa’s
air quality is not regarded as being an overall
problem, there are many localised areas that
suffer extremely poor air quality. In these
air-pollution hotspots there is little doubt
that people living and working in these areas
do not enjoy air quality that is not harmful
to their health and well being. Given this
situation, among others, the Air Quality Act
provides for the legislative mechanism known
as the priority area approach that was specifically
devised to provide key strategic elements
for air quality management namely focusing
of limited resources, formalising intergovernmental
cooperation and air shed management. (Click
on the link for additional information on
the key strategic elements)
“The declaration of the second National Priority
Area signals a milestone in the implementation
of the Air Quality Act,” said Mr Mava Scott,
Spokesperson for the Department. The Vaal
Triangle Air – Shed Priority Area was the
first National Priority Area declared by the
Minister on 21 April 2006.
“In declaring the Highveld Priority Area,
the Minister is satisfied that a situation
exists within the area which is causing or
may cause, a significant negative impact on
air quality and that the area requires specific
air quality management action to rectify the
situation,” added Scott.
In order to address the Minister’s concerns,
the department, together with the affected
provincial and municipal departments, must
now develop an air quality management plan
for the area that must: be aimed at co-ordinating
air quality management in the area; address
issues related to air quality in the area;
and provide for the implementation of the
plan by a committee representing relevant
role-players. In this regard, the Minister
has allowed the department 2 years in which
to develop the plan to his satisfaction.
To ensure broad participation in the development
of the required plan, the department has invited
nominations for membership of a multi-stakeholder
reference group for the Highveld Priority
Area from interested and affected business
and industry associations, non-governmental
organizations, organised labour and community
groups. (For additional information click
on this link)
Roopa Singh
