CONSULTATION ON INTENTION TO AMEND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS, 2014
Title: Consultation on Intention to amend the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 as amended
Government Gazette Notice: GN 1496 in GG 42849 of 22 November 2019
Commencing date: Not yet effective
Regulation 54A was inserted into the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 (as amended) (“the EIA Regulations”) on 7 April 2017. In terms of Regulation 54A Subsection (2) and (3), the auditing requirements of regulation 34 of the EIA Regulations are applicable to Environmental Management Programmes approved in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 2002 and environmental authorisations issued in terms of the Environmental Conservation Act 1989 and the previous NEMA regulations. The deadline for submission of first audit report is 7 December 2019.
The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries published a notice of her intention, in terms of section 44 of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 to amend Regulation 54A of the EIA Regulations by the substitution, in subregulations (2) and (3), of the words “no later than 7 December 2019 and at least every 5 years thereafter for the period during which such environmental authorisation is still in effect” of the words “by a date to be published by Notice in the Government Gazette.”
Members of the public are invited to submit written comments or inputs to the Minister, within 30 days from the date of publication of the notice. For a copy of the Notice click here.
How to ensure compliance at my operation:
The proposed amendment has not been approved and is still out for public comment. Companies should continue with the process to conduct and complete the required regulation 34 environmental authorisation audits for submission to the competent authority and should not stop the process.
For more information please contact Ashley Miller at ashley@shangoni.co.za
