NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT 39 OF 2004: CONSULTATION ON THE DRAFT SECOND-GENERATION HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN
Notice Title: National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 (“NEMAQA”): Consultation on the Draft Second-Generation Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan
Government Notice: GN 5067 in GG 50985 on 26 July 2024
Commencing date: Comments to be submitted by 26 August 2024
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in terms of section 19(4), read with sections 56 and 57 of the NEMAQA, is inviting comments on the draft second-generation Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan.
The draft second-generation Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan builds on the progress of the first-generation plan, and incorporates targeted strategies to manage air quality more effectively and by specific stakeholders, namely:
- Any person conducting a listed activity.
- Any person operating a controlled emitter.
- Any holder of a right or permit related to a prospecting operation, exploration operation, mining operation, or production operation as defined in section 1 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002.
- Any person conducting reclamation, and
- Any department of state or administration in the national, provincial, or local sphere of government.
The plan provides interventions and measures aimed at improving air quality through implementation of emission reduction targets by identified stakeholders to attain and sustain compliance with national ambient air quality standards.
The draft second-generation Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan incorporates improved monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for tracking the progress made by identified stakeholders in achieving the goals set out in the plan. These mechanisms are supported by improved coordination, compliance monitoring and enforcement through the proposed priority area enforcement regulations.
In addition to the draft second-generation Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan, the Highveld Priority Baseline Assessment Report has also been developed as an annexure to the plan. The baseline assessment report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of air quality in the Highveld Priority Area based on historical air pollution trends from 2007 to 2020, information on atmospheric emissions sources as of 2019 as well as air dispersion modelling outcomes that informed the development of emission reduction targets stipulated in the draft plan.
Members of the public are invited to submit written comments and inputs on or before 26 August 2024. For a copy of the Government Gazette Notice click here.
For more information or assistance please contact Jan Nel at jan@shangoni.co.za.