29 May 2007
On Tuesday, 29 May 2007, Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) from the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Gauteng Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Environment start a comprehensive environmental
compliance inspection at Mittal Steel's Vereeniging plant. The EMIs (popularly
referred to as the Green Scorpions) will be joined by officials from the
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Sedibeng Municipality.
Mittal Steel's Vereeniging plant falls within the Vaal Triangle priority air
pollution area declared by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in
terms of the new Air Quality Act. The purpose of the compliance inspection is
to determine the Mittal plant's compliance with environmental legislation and
all permits issued to the plant in respect of air, waste and water. The
inspection is expected to take several days to complete and results of the
inspection will only be available a few weeks after the inspection.
The inspection at Mittal constitutes the launch of a national environmental
compliance campaign in the iron and steel and ferroalloy industry, known as
Operation Ferro. Approximately 40 sites in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West,
KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape will be inspected during the course of this
multi-year project. The iron and steel and ferroalloy industries have been
prioritised in this environmental compliance campaign as their industrial
processes may contribute significantly to pollution if not mitigated and
managed properly. The same industries are also currently undergoing a review of
all their air pollution permits by the Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism.
To schedule media interviews contact:
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
For more information, contact:
Melissa Fourie
Cell: 072 306 8888
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
29 May 2007
