As part of the development of a provincial air quality management plan, the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development (DACERD) in consultation with a firm of independent consultants, EScience Associates (Pty) Ltd, will embark on a series of public participation meetings, during which sources of air pollution in the province will be identified and confirmed.
Subsequent to this process, a provincial air emission inventory (AEI) will be established (the inventory of emissions being an important component of the provincial air quality management plan).
The AEI forms part of the implementation of the provincial air quality management plan which was developed in 2009 by the department, and will inform the development of a mitigation strategy and future projects for ambient air management.
MEC Boitumelo Tshwene says the aim of the public participation process is to afford the public an opportunity to provide their comments with respect to the methodology employed and the consequent results of the AEI.
"This public participation process is also in observance of the environmental legislation on air quality management," confirmed MEC Tshwene.
The provincial air emission inventory will document air emission of criteria pollutants throughout the province, in terms of the National Environmental Management Act 1998 (Act No 107 of 1998).
The AEI will broadly encompass defined sectors like cement quarries and production plants, mining activities (most notably platinum, chrome and gold mines), brick manufacture, vehicular emissions, veldt fire emissions, as well as emissions arising from household fuel burning and the burning of waste at disposal sites and where waste collection services are not provided.
For communities to contribute in the public participation process, it is required by legislation that they be first identified as interested and affected parties, and be included in the database for this AEI development process for further communication and related notifications.
Interested parties are urged to submit their names, contact information and express their interest in the project to the contact person given below on or before Monday, 25 October 2010.
For registration purposes and further information in respect of this project, communities can contact the persons below:
Bonolo Mohlakoana
Tel: 018 389 5719
Cell: 082 901 2435
MEC Tshwene calls on communities to participate in the process of identifying air pollutants in the province
Province
