The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) will embark on a six month long campaign to inspect compliance to environmental legislation.
The Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), commonly known as the Green Scorpions will carry out the compliance assessments throughout the country. During the campaign a total of 40 environmental authorisations and 20 waste licenses will be inspected.
The main objectives of the campaign are to monitor adherence to conditions stipulated in environmental management plans, waste licenses and to improve the general status of compliance within the regulated community through taking proper enforcement actions in the events of non compliance.
The Green Scorpions (EMI) has prioritised and clustered specific environmental assessments per province and will dedicate a week for inspections in each province.
The first will take place in the Western Cape from the 27 September to 1 October 2010.
Based on the risk prioritisation process, the Green Scorpions will be inspecting the following facilities in the province:
- The Eskom Safari Substation in Paarl for construction of 132/66 kv substation
- The upgrade of East Fort Water Scheme by Knysna municipality
- The development of a Reverse Osmosis project in Port of Saldanha by Transnet
- The construction of a substation and relocation of Power Lines in Kwa-Nokuthula (Plettenberg Bay) by Bitou municipality and
- The section 31L compliance notice issued by the department to the Public Works for illegal construction of facilities for storage of materials and maintenance of vessels in the sea or within 100 meters inland of the high water mark of sea as well as the illegal construction of facilities for the aboveground storage of dangerous goods.
The Department of Environmental Affairs acknowledges the important role played by the members of the public in reporting some of environmental transgressions and would like to encourage them to continue reporting environmental crimes and incidents to 0800 205 005.
In the upcoming weeks provincial inspections will take place in KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and the Eastern Cape. Further inspections are envisaged in December 2010, January 2011 and March 2011.
For media queries contact:
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs
