Starting Tuesday 21st of September 2010
Start Time 14h00 – 16h00
Venue Name Wesgro, Doega
Location 12th Floor, Waldorf Arcade, 80 St Georges Mall
Contact Person Renee Arendse
Contact Number 0214878600
Email renee@wesgro.co.za
Presented by Mr. Paul Hardcastle who is the responsible Directorate: Intergrated Environmental Management Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP).The EIA Regulations 2010; The National Environmental Management Act: The Air Quality and Waste Management Acts
With the new environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations coming into effect, the revised regulations were said to be the result of a consultation process and were published by Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Buyelwa Sonjica in Government Gazette 33306 of June 18 2010.
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) said that the new regulations introduced an approach where impacts associated with the sensitivity of the receiving environment are treated with more care – this was achieved through the introduction of a listing notice dedicated to activities planned for the predefined sensitive areas.
1st April 2010 heralds a significant milestone for air quality management in South Africa, with the old Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (APPA) of 1965 being repealed and the new National Air Quality Act coming into full effect. What this means for South Africa is that we now have a piece of air quality management legislation fully in place that is comparable to international best practice and that is specifically outcomes “driven”.
With the Waste Management Act finally gazetted on the 10 March 2009, its aim is to give effect to the White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management and the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS).
Wesgro CEO (Acting), Nils Flaatten, said ‘that these new regulations are critical for investors in the renewable energy space. We have over 20 investors that are interested in developing wind and solar farms and up until now it has been difficult to give them clear directions on the regulations especially with regards to the Environmental Impact Assessments. We want our investors to be fully briefed and up to speed on new the regulations as clarity on these matters will cut down the lead time to making positive investment decisions.’
Flaatten went onto say that waste management often fell outside of the realm of renewable energy and that new solutions were required for the land fill problems faced by many municipalities. ‘New waste management solutions that reduce CO2 emissions and prevent the pollution of below the surface water tables makes not only economic sense but will result in long term financial saving for the taxpayers’.
Paul Hardcastle has obtained his BSc in Forestry and Conservation (University of Stellenbosch), a MSc in Conservation Biology (University of Cape Town) and is currently busy with a MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning (University of Stellenbosch).
With the vast knowledge and experience Mr. Paul Hardcastle has accumulated over the years, his presentation will include discussions on the implication of the recent law reform processes and the way in which sustainable development is implemented.
The presentation will consider the following statutes:
– The National Environmental Management Act, 1998,
– The various specific Environmental Management Acts (e.g. the Air Quality Act, 2004 and the Waste Act, 2008), and
– The EIA regulations, 2010
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