Pollution and Waste

1
Pollution and Waste

• NEAF SubCommittee
• Jan 2006
• Notes

2
Key Issues Introductory Comments

• Ari Seirles
• Issues form the disability sector Pollution
  affects those that are less robust, less mobile
  and mobility has an affect. When there is a
  disaster people that are less mobile are affected
  the most.
• People who suffer from disabilities such as
  occupational emphysema due to bad pollution
  management created.

3
Key Issues Introductory Comments

• Max Sizulu
• As Sasol the major pollution to areas in
  Mpumalanga and Sasolburg.
• Waste from underground storage tanks for fuel.
• Coal burning and resultant ash waste.
• Use of water is a concern. How often can it be
  recycled?
• Chemical spillages on the roads.
• Hazardous waste transportation.
• Sasol is central in the chemical industry and has
  to deal with associated waste.

4
Key Issues Introductory Comments

• Josephine Makelefane
• Health Care Waste being dumped on landfill sites
  and people who scavenge on this.
• Poor management of landfill sites.
• Waste is part of poverty alleviation and
  community people need empowerment in waste
  management.
• Local government needs assistance in waste
  management.
• Transfer stations are needed in townships.
• Awareness campaign and education in schools.
• Waste and litter control.

5
Key Issues Introductory Comments

• Angela Andrews
• Implementation of the Air Quality Act is
  critical.
• Need for strong enforcement and monitoring within
  the next phase of the clean fuels and vehicle
  emissions.
• Tyre management and burning of these in
  townships.
• Hazardous waste management.

6
Possible process for assisting NEAF?

• Organise experts/resources people brainstorming
  session, i.e. a fast track brainstorming session.
• Critical to pick one or two key issues and drive
  create a niche.

7
Context and Description of Sector

• Pollution
• Air pollution focus.
• Implementation of Air Quality Act
• What are the plans of government in this regard,
  i.e. review of permitting, devolution of process.
  
• Conflict between communities and industry.
• Can a successful implementation lessen conflict?

8
Context and Description of Sector

• Waste
• Upcoming Waste Bill is critical.
• Industry requires formality to guide them in
  their operations.
• Communities need waste disposal services being
  extended to their neighbourhoods
• Waste disposal sites and options a key factor for
  review, and something the Bill has to address.

9
Sustainable Development

• The NEAF will use an Environmental Justice
  Paradigm in developing its advice to the
  Minister
• Empowered people in relations of solidarity and
  equity with each other and in non-degrading and
  positive relationships with their environments.

10
Millennium Development Goals as a guideline

• Ensure Environmental Sustainability
• Integrate the principles of sustainable
  development into country policies and programmes
  reverse loss of environmental resources.
• Reduce by half the proportion of people without
  sustainable access to safe drinking water.
• Achieve significant improvement in lives of at
  least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020, i.e.
  improved access to non polluting energy sources.
  

11
Development the status quo?

• The petro-chemical industry is a major economic
  driver.
• In the context of urban industrial areas, the
  present pollution load is a major threat to
  further development in these areas. Present
  polluters are holding a monopoly for they have
  saturated the air.
• Further industrial developments are being
  resisted in places such as south Durban,
  Richards Bay, Sasolburg and Secunda.

12
Development the status quo?

• SA has an apartheid industrial strategy as a
  basis for growth.
• Profit is viewed as an overriding process
  people need to be included.
• Different energy feedstock are being considered,
  i.e. gas.
• DME budget debate 2005 - SA has coals reserves
  for 100 years. SA reliant on coal. SA has the
  cheapest energy due to cheap coal.
• Negative environmental consequences of coal needs
  to be managed to reduce levels of pollution.
• Using new technology CO2 sequestration.
• How does NEAF and DEAT respond to DME setting the
  rules?
• A space to develop alternative energy sources
  that creates jobs is critical?
• A public debate must be created.
• Synergy within government is needed to push
  different energy sources.

13
Areas of legislation that is relevant

• Environmental, Health, Municipal Services.
• Energy provisions, transport of energy sources,
  i.e. gas, crude oil, fuel, Petroleum Pipelines
  Bill.
• Tyre Bill
• Hazardous substance.
• Hazardous Installation Act (Labour), safety, risk
  management and evacuation. Needs to be
  integrated with the licensing of installations in
  terms of air pollution legislation.
• Transportation of Hazardous Waste and Chemicals.
• Health Care Waste and other waste, e.g.
  electronic waste.

14
Assessment of Current Situation

• Pollution (Air) Key issues
• Air Quality Act
• Role out of Air Quality Act National Framework
• Priority Areas vs Immediate Action
• The phasing out of Air Pollution Prevention Act,
  and the enactment of the Air Quality Act
• Standard development process, both ambient and
  emission
• Role of assisting provinces and municipalities
  that cannot deliver.

15
Assessment of Current Situation

• Waste
• There is a lack of direction from government as
  to guidance on how to deal with various waste
  streams
• The result is that numerous waste treatment
  proposals are often presented, such as cement
  kiln hazardous waste incineration, general
  hazardous waste incineration, which is being
  resisted by community people.
• Various companies sitting with stockpiles waste
  as a result of no guidance and leadership from
  government.

16
Assessment of Current Situation

• Waste
• The practice of environmental racism still exists
  in South Africa, where waste disposal sites are
  placed next to poor black communities.
• Hazardous waste is being dumped in the black
  neighbourhoods of Chatsworth and Umlazi.
• The lack of waste management services in poor
  black areas is still evident.

17
Assessment of Current Situation

• Waste (Upcoming Bill)
• Timeframes and process for public consultation
  and participation
• Investment by government with regards to waste
  hierarchy
• DEAT taking over and fulfilling the role of
  regulator on waste disposal and management
  facilities, i.e. waste landfill sites
• Guidance on waste treatment options do not exist
• Import and export of waste, including the
  international obligations such as Basel and
  Bamako Convention, the latter which is still to
  be signed.
• Mining waste is a concern - this relates to DME!

18
NEMA Principles

• Principle 2 Peoples needs at the forefront.
• Principle 3 Development must be socially,
  environmentally and economically sustainable.
• Principle 4 (c) EJ must be pursued
• Principle 4 (a) iv Waste avoidance
• Principle 4 (e) Environmental health life
  cycle
• Principle 4 (k) Transparency and information

19
Global environmental governance

• Climate Change
• Stockholm Convention
• Montreal Convention
• Basel, Bamako
• Rotterdam (PIC)
• SAICM
• EU REACH initiative
• Implementation Plan (WSSD)
• Hg Phasing out
• Management of chemicals

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Priority areas

• Energy and related pollution
• Implementation of the various pieces of
  legislation, i.e. waste and air
• Hazardous waste
• EIA development with regard to new developments
• DRAFT Information plan Declaration of these
  areas?

21
Methods of responding to Minister

• What is the effective way of guiding the
  department in what they are doing
• Research pieces.
• Brian storming sessions Experts/technical and
  resource people at brainstorming sessions.
• Information gathering A number of bodies could
  provide information on issues, e.g. SAPIA, CAIA.

22
Research Question on Pollution

• Based upon the outcomes of the workshop it was
  agreed that the research question on pollution
  will focus on the implementation of the National
  Environmental Management Air Quality Act.
• The poor status of air quality in South Africa
  poses a critical challenge at the level of
  community health, state expenditure and future
  economic development in key industrial/residential
  areas. How can the implementation of the NEMAQA
  be fulfilled to meet the principles within NEMA
  and the commitments of Section 24 of the South
  African Constitution?
• This research question attempts to investigate
  and present creative strategies for the
  implementation of the NEMAQA.

23
Research Question on Waste

• Based upon the outcomes of the workshop it was
  agreed that the research question on waste will
  focus on hazardous waste management to inform the
  proposed Waste Bill.
• South Africa has the unfortunate legacy of having
  to deal with stockpiles of mining waste and waste
  from petro-chemical industry. Both the mining
  sector and petro-chemical industry is the
  focuses of the foreseeable economic development
  model. Thus hazardous was will continue to be a
  critical issue within South Africa. However,
  there is no definitive research that could inform
  the public on the status of hazardous waste in
  South Africa. Over the last 15 years there have
  been various industrial proposals to deal with
  hazardous waste destruction. These proposals
  have being strongly rejected by civil society.
  Therefore, the research questions is What is the
  status of hazardous waste stockpiles and
  production presently, and what are the governance
  and destruction options for these waste.
• This research will seek to attain an
  understanding of the waste that is presently in
  the system, and to review and discuss from the
  knowledge of this waste, which is the best / most
  appropriate mechanism to deal with this waste,
  both in governance and with regards to future
  production and destruction of present waste. Some
  ancillary questions would be What is happening
  to the hazardous waste now? Are there waste
  registries? How do we get industry to
  internalise the cost of hazardous waste
  production?

24
Waste some thoughts!

• Management of Hazardous waste and technology
  options and the assessment of alternatives is
  critical.
• What laws and regulations presently govern waste?
• DEAT needs to present timeframes of the Waste
  Bill.
• What are companies doing about their hazardous
  waste?