DEAT to be assisted by US Environmental Protection Agency in building
air quality management capacity

9 February 2006

With the promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality
Act (Act No. 39 of 2004) (“the AQA”) in 2005, air quality governance is now
carried out by the national, provincial and local spheres of government. In
order to efficiently and effectively implement the AQA, the national Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, provincial environmental departments and
municipalities will be gearing themselves for this task.

In this regard, although the national Department has already provided
initial air quality management training in all provinces, much work is still
required to ensure that all spheres of Government are able to protect and
defend the right of all to air that is not harmful to health and
well-being.

To this end and as part of the required capacity building initiatives,
officials from the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) are
currently in South Africa conducting a number of training courses in the area
of air quality management. This is part of a long-term engagement between the
Department and the USEPA that allows South Africans to draw on the experience
and expertise of their US counterparts.

According to Chief Director for Air Quality Management and Climate Change,
Peter Lukey, “as with the excellent collaboration that we have with the USEPA
in the area of environmental enforcement, USEPA support in respect of the,
previously neglected, area of air quality management is invaluable as it
ensures that South Africans can fast-track capacity development without having
to reinvent the wheel.”

Over the next two months, USEPA will be presenting courses on air quality
management and atmospheric emission registers to air quality managers around
the country.

For more information contact:
Mava Scott
Director: External Communication
Tel: (012) 310 3862
Cell: 082-411 9821

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
9 February 2006
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (http://www.deat.gov.za)