ENVIRONMENTAL organisation, the South Durban Environmental Community Alliance (Sdcea) says KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sihle Zikalala’ state of the environment report which is due to be presented at the next Executive Committee Meeting, is too little too late.
The report came under discussion at the Community Services Committee monthly meeting, where the AirQuality Management Plan (AQMP) was approved and where it was agreed that a sum of R3.5 million will be put aside by the Municipality for the implementation of interventions to improve air quality in eThekwini.
The AQMP is a strategic document that is linked to the Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan.
Legislation requires the plan to come under review at five-year intervals. Interventions implemented under the plan seek to achieve compliance with air quality objectives and to ensure that ambient air is not harmful to the health and well-being of the people of eThekwini.
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Acting Head of Communications, Mandla Nsele, said the interventions to be implemented included the refurbishment and replacement of aging air quality monitors.
“This will greatly contribute to the improvement of the quality of life for the people of eThekwini,” he said
Sdcea’s Desmond D’Sa said the organisation had observed the systematic neglect and dismantling of the air quality monitoring and enforcement infrastructure over the last 10 years.
“The Provincial government has been fully aware since 2009 that most of the air quality monitoring stations in KZN are not operating up to standard. One of the reasons we say this is that, under the Air Quality Act, all monitoring stations’ data are required to be provided to South African Air Quality Information System (SAAQIS) in a timely manner that allows the regulators and the public to understand the quality of ambient air so that human and environmental health risks are mitigated,” he said.
“In the early 2000’s, the eThekwini Multi Point Plan was the gold standard in air pollution monitoring and reporting. However, it seems that, because this Plan was in a position to hold government and industry accountable for air quality management, it was deliberately undermined, under-resourced, and ultimately neglected to a point of disrepair. The report does not meaningfully assess the capacity of regulators to safely manage air pollution in a manner that does not negatively impact health,” added D’Sa.
According to the Municipality, it commissioned the installation of an Ambient Monitoring Station at the Settlers Primary School in 2004 which is situated between Engen and Sapref Refineries. The ambient air quality data collected by the station is critical in determining impacts on human health as well as monitor compliance to air quality legislation by the refineries.
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