PRINTING INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES TO BE DECLARED AS CONTROLLED EMITTERS
Title: Declaration of certain printing industry activities as controlled emitters and establishment of emission standards
Government Gazette number: GN 1373 in GG 40402 of 4 November 2016
Commencing date: Not yet specified
In terms of section 23 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 (NEMAQA), the Minister of Environmental Affairs may declare certain activities falling within a specified category as controlled emitters if such activities result in atmospheric emissions which through ambient concentrations, bioaccumulation, deposition or in any other way, present a threat to health or the environment or which the Minister reasonably believes presents such a threat. In this notice, the Minister confirms that she intends to declare all printing industry activities as controlled emitters. In this regard printing industry activities include the following: Printing, coating and lamination processes using gravure, flexography, rotary screen printing, heat set lithography, varnishing and printing systems that incorporate elements of these technologies. The application is limited to installations with organic solvent consumption threshold equal to or more than 25 tonnes per year.
As part of this notice emission standards for existing printing industry activities, as well as for new printing industry activities are proposed. New printing industry activity will have to comply with the emission standards for new printing industry activity as contained in Part 3 of the notice on the date of publication of this notice as final. Existing printing industry activity must comply with emission standards for existing printing industry activity as contained in Part 3 of the notice within 5 years from the date of publication of this notice as final.
Specific emission reporting requirements will also be imposed on each operator or owner of a printing industry activity. The operator or owner of a printing industry will also be required to prepare and submit a solvent consumption plan to accurately record total solvent consumption on an annual basis.
Comments on this notice must be submitted within 30 days from publication of the notice to the addresses specified in the notice.
So what for my operation?
If your organisation conducts activities that fall within the printing industry as defined above, the contents of this notice will be applicable to you, once finalised. This means that you must ensure that the atmospheric emissions resulting from these activities adheres to the emission standards in this notice. You will also have specific reporting requirements pertaining to the atmospheric emissions resulting from these activities.
What is Shangoni’s approach?
Shangoni can assist you in determining whether you fall within the ambit of the scope of this notice – in other words, in determining whether you have any duties as defined in this notice. We can, furthermore, assist you in measuring atmospheric emissions resulting from your activities, as well as in submitting the required reports to government authorities.
