I, Bomo Edith Edna Molewa, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, hereby give notice under section 19(4}(a) read with section 57(1. }(a) of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004), of my intention to consider for approval the draft Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan..
Any inquiries in connection with the draft Air Quality Management Plan can be directed to Dr. T Mdluli at (012) 310-3436 or Ms MPhoshoko at (012) 310-3365.
The Highveld area in South Africa is associated with poor air quality and elevated concentrations of criteria pollutants occur due to the concentration of industrial and nonindustrial sources (Held et al, 1996; DEAT, 2006). The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Martinus van Schalkwyk therefore declared the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) on 23 November 2007. The priority area covers 31 106 km2, including parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces, with a single metropolitan municipality, three district municipalities, and nine local municipalities (Figure E1): As the area overlaps provincial boundaries, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) functions as the lead agent in the management of the priority area and is required in terms of Section 19(1) of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act 39 of 2004) (AQA) to develop an Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) for the priority area.
The baseline assessment for the HPA provides a succinct presentation of the major issues to be addressed, specifically highlighting the geographical areas of concern within the HPA where dedicated Air Quality Management (AQM) interventions are to be focused. The constraints and developments in the abatement technology used and available, as well as the capacity of officials who will carry the majority of the responsibility for implementation of the AQMP have also been noted as part of the baseline assessment. These issues were carried forward as gaps and priorities into the AQMP development, of which the most significant aspect was the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) workshop. The LFA workshop scrutinised the air quality problems identified in the baseline assessment and developed problem and objective trees, and specific interventions. The workshop outcomes were taken into detailed strategy analysis and intervention development, and formed the initial draft of the AQMP.
The primary motivation of the priority area AQMP is to achieve and maintain compliance with the ambient air quality standards across the HPA, using the Constitutional principle of progressive realisation of air quality improvements. The AQMP for the HPA provides the framework for implementing departments and industry to include AQM in business planning to ensure effective implementation and monitoring.
The plan has been designed at a strategic level, indicating high-level tasks for respon~ible parties. The specific planning at an operational level, such as budgeting, human resource allocation, and detailed activity planning, has been excluded from the plan. This is to allow parties to tailor their implementation activities to their specific context, particularly organisational constraints, while still achieving the overall objective of the AQMP. The activities listed in the plan must be unpacked further by responsible parties into organisationspecific activity and intervention plans, and captured in the policy and strategic documents, such as business and investment plans, Integrated Development Plans (lOPs), and Environmental Implementation Plans (EIPs).
Summary of immediate objectives, outputs, verifiable indicators and means of verification.
Output B is to be generated.
Objective desired outcome.
C. The Capacity Development Objective C.1. National Priority Area Management Capacity C.2.
The causes of current and, potential, future poor air quality in the area are clearly defined and described.
All possible pollution mitigation strategies are described and reviewed.
Interventions are clearly described that, once implemented, will have a measurable positive impact on ambient air quality in the area.
A draft plan based on current. accurate and relevant information, informed by best practice in the field of air quality management and that provides a clear and practical plan to efficiently and effectiveiy bring air quaiity in the area into sustainable compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards within agreed timeframes.
A plan based on current, accurate and relevant information, informed by best practice in the field of air quality management and that provides a clear and practical plan to efficiently and effectively bring air quality in the area into sustainable compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards within agreed timeframes.
Active involvement of depar.tmental staff in the implementation of the project.
Assistance provided in the initial plan implementation phase.
The efficiency of the plan is ensured through interventions that deal with the real causes of poor air quality in the area.
The plan is directed by practical strategies that ensure a high probability for success.
The plan describes interventions that ensure a high probability for success.
Staff able to efficiently and effectively manage future priority areas implementation successfully launched.
The total estimated annual emissions of fine particulate matter (PM10) on the HPA is 279 630 tons, of which approximately half is attributed to dust entrainment on opencast mine haul roads (Table E1). The emission of PM10 from the primary metallurgical industry accounts for 17% of the total emission, with 12% of the total from power generation. By contrast. power generation contributes 73% of the total estimated oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission of 978 781 tons per annum and 82% of the total estimated sulphur dioxide (802) emission of 1 622 233 tons per annum.
The emission inventory for industrial sources was relatively complete, as well as specific methodologies used for determining residential fuel burning, coal mining, transport, biomass burning and burning coalmines and smouldering coal dump emissions. Source categories where emissions could not determined were landfills, incinerators, wastewater treatment works, tyre burning, biogenic sources, odour and agricultural dust. These gaps were taken forward into the development of the AQMP, to be addressed at a later stage through the implementation.
Industrial sources in total are by far the largest contributor of emrssrons in the HPA, accounting for 89% of PM10, 90% of NOx and 99% of S02.
Ekurhuleni MM Kelvin 8909 3 15 636 2 25 772 2 Mpumalanga Industrial 684 0 590. 0 5 941 0 Clay Brick Manufacturing 9 708 3 9 963 Power Generation 34 373 12 716 719 .. 73 1337521 82 Primary Metallurgical 46 805 17 4 416 0 39 582 2 Secondary Metallurgical 3 060 229 0 3 223 0 Petrochemical 8 246 3 148 434 15 190 172 12 Mine Haul Roads 135 766 49 Motor vehicles 5 402 2 83 607 9 10 059 Household Fuel Burning 17 239 6 5600 1 12 No.
Most of the HPA experiences relatively good air quality, but ambient air quality standards for S02, PM10 and ozone (03) concentrations are exceeded in nine extensive areas. These "hot spots" are illustrated in Figure E3 by the number of modelled exceedances of the 24-hour S02 and PM10 standards, and are confirmed by ambient monitoring data (Table E2). The air quality hot spots result mostly from a combination of emissions from the different industrial sectors and residential fuel burning, with motor vehicle emissions, mining and crossboundary transport of pollutants into the HPA adding to the base loading.
Available monitoring confirms that the areas of concern are in the vicinity of Witbank 2, Middelburg, Secunda, Ermelo, Standerton, Balfour, and Komati where exceedances of ambient S02 and PM10 air quality standards occur (Table E2). Kendal 2 is specifically sited to research power station impacts and is not indicative of general ambient air quality.
NB. Row 1: The averaging period for the relevant pollutant's standard is represented below the pollutant and following, the allowed frequency of exceedance in brackets -Stations in grey blocks represent new monitoring data for the period 2008-2009 -Exceedances in bold are greater than the permitted frequency in the standard for the monitoring period.
The effects of poor dispersion conditions in the winter, particularly when low-level emissions are trapped near the surface, are evident throughout the monitoring record for all pollutants, resulting in greater frequency of exceedances of the standards. PM10 displays this seasonal trend most strikingly, showing a sharp contrast between wintertime peaks and summer minimum values at monitoring sites. Seasonal trends are clearly observed for 0 3 in the monitoring record, as springtime peaks are easily identified. Monitoring data show carbon monoxide (CO) and benzene to be within acceptable limits at the new sites. Trends in pollutant concentrations, based on current data, cannot be conclusively identified, marred in particular by poor data collection.
Exceedances of ambient air quality standards present situations where potential impacts on human health can occur. Ambient monitoring and dispersion modelling have identified nine areas on the HPA where ambient concentrations of PM10, S02 or nitrogen dioxide (N02) exceed, or predicted to exceed, the ambient standards. Exposure may be high where these exceedances coincide with populated areas and the risks to human health may be significant.
The air quality hot spots on the HPA are summarised in Table E3 with an indication of the pollutants of concern.
It is important to note that all residential areas where wood and coal are combusted experience high concentrations of particulates and CO, particularly those that are densely populated. Here, exposure can be particularly high. Due to the relatively local scale of their air pollution problem, they may not fall directly into one of the identified hot spot areas in Table E3. They are equally as important in terms of AQM.
High ambient ozone concentrations are a regional~scale problem with the 8-hour ambient standard frequently exceeded over much of the HPA.
. compounds (VOC), together with incident ultra-violet radiation from the sun.
VOC are emitted by different sources on the HPA.
Mortality outcomes have been calculated for South African urban areas (Norman et at, 2007a). This study estimates that outdoor air pollution caused 3. 7% of total mortality from cardiopulmonary disease in adults aged 30 years and older, 5.1% ofmortality attributable to cancers of the trachea, bronchus, and lung in adults, and 1.1% of mortality from acute respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age.
Exposure to indoor air pollution was associated with a number of health outcomes, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, tuberculosis, cataracts, asthma, birth defects, and acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) among children younger than 5 years (Norman et at, 2007b). ALRis were the leading cause of death of children under 5 years worldwide, and similarly, fourth highest in South African children.
The total ALRI burden on children under 5 years was 24% in 2000, attributable to indoor air pollution from household fuel use. (Norman et at, 2007b). Similarly for COPD, the female population experienced more than double the male attributable burden. Lung cancer burden was relatively minor from indoor air pollution as a result of household fuel use. Indoor air pollution from household fuel use was responsible for 2 489 deaths, or 0.5% of the total health burden on the individual, and resulted in the loss of 60 934 disability adjusted life years, or 0.4% of the total burden (Norman et at, 2007b).
The overall objective for the HPA AQMP has been developed through multi-stakeholder interactions and is informed by policy and developments in AQM in South Africa.
To achieve the goal, it is necessary to focus on institutional arrangements, resource availability, cooperation and collaboration, and maximisation of regulatory and management tools. The goal addresses capacity development in the AQMP, looking at the necessary structures, systems, skills, incentives, interrelationships and strategy.
The goal will be achieved through a combination of emission determination and reduction, technological improvement, improved resource allocation and information provision. The use of regulatory tools and best practice principles is also provided for. Political and social awareness, alternative energy and energy efficiency, fugitive dust emissions and greenhouse gas emission reduction are also promoted as aspects towards achieving the goal. The maintenance of vehicles and equipment on sites and industrial plants are addressed, and spontaneous combustion is addressed as a contribution from the industrial mining sector.
Effective interventions, research, awareness ra1s1ng and education are major aspects in achieving the goal. Technological improvements are also critical, together with addressing the social and economic drivers of poor environmental practices.
This goal focuses on the implementation of the National Vehicle Emission Strategy, as it will provide direction on emission reduction, technological improvement, and a conducive regulatory environment.
18 No.34250 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5 MAY 2011 recognised as a major driver for current reductions in vehicle emissions, which can be instituted by provincial and local authorities.
Achieving the goal is linked to access to information, resources, improving governance and authorities' capacity, and promoting air quality issues amongst stakeholders.
Management and regulatory tools are keys to achieving the goal, together with improved individual practices such as reduction of polluting inputs, awareness of unsuitable conditions and use of control measures.
In achieving the goal, it is necessary to improve waste processing, promote best practice principles and technological improvements, and address planning and delivery shortcomings, and improve regulatory control of all aspects of waste management.
In the Implementation Plan, each of the seven goals is sub-divided into logical and related objectives. In turn, activities are allocated to the respective objectives and time frames and responsibilities are allocated accordingly. The timeframes are: Short-term (1-2 years); Medium-term (3-5 years); Long-term (>5 years), and the responsibilities are allocated to the principal implementing entity (P), entities providing input (I) and entities with an oversight role only (0). Indicators to measure progress with implementation of the activities for the respective objectives are also assigned.
Personnel are equipped to perform AQM function and use AQM tools effectively Cooperatively develop training guideline 1 Short decision making (under IGRFA) e.g.
Acknowledge good performance/compliance e.g.
Low-income and informal households are energy efficient Participate in the..
On-going accessible to all stakeholders e.g.
Management alternatives to Promote grass cutting and baling in agricultural, Short, On p DEA, DoA, Reduction in burning in burning are available protected and road reserve areas, to be used as a going DoT agricultural, protected and resource e.g.
Emissions from burning of waste are reduced Motivate for regular collection of waste from skips sr.
As part of the AQMP development, work by stakeholders not directly related to air quality but having co-benefits for improved air quality in the HPA has been included. The projects listed are under development, have been implemented, or are proposed following consultation, and possible collaboration.
Department of Health : Implementation of the guideline on indoor air pollution :.
Motivate for stricter enforcement action through prosecution and.
Promote research on improving farming techniques and good : agricultural practices e.g.
Monitoring the progress of the implementation of the AQIVIP is a key factor in maintaining momentum for the rollout ofinterventions and provides a means to update key stakeholdi!rs. Working groups are the preferred mechanism for monitoring, as they are the primary means for initiation of implementation. The outcomes of the meetings will be taken for:ward into the annual evaluation exercise.
On-going evaluation is an essential element of AQMP implementation as it allows for a thorough assessment of the AQMP. Evaluation is an internal mechanism to measure the performance of the AQMP implementation.
38 No.34250 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5 MAY 2011 a minimum timeframe and is ideally incorporated into the annual performance review mechanisms.
AQMP evaluation comprises an internal evaluation of the final AQMP, and an on-going evaluation, which addresses implementation outcomes. This component is regarded as a limited peer review mechanism, as the MSRG has technical and management background in AQM and is able to refine the AQMP. An evaluation checklist is provided in DEA's AQMP Manual, which deals with all aspects that require assessment.
Indicators have been developed for the AQMP implementation plan. These are ideally incorporated into the annual reports to be submitted to the Minister, as indicated in Section 17 of the AQA. These reports, together with the regular progress reports proposed in the implementation, will be incorporated into the National AQO's Annual Report, which is submitted to the Minister as well, and available to all stakeholders.
AQMP review comprises internal and external review components, and addresses further developments in the science as well as management of air quality.
With regard to the formal review of the AQMP and the implementation, a review period of every five years is recommended in the DEA Manual. The definition of the review period is subject to funding and politicai cycles, as weil as impiementation outcomes.
The process of five-yearly review is anticipated to be initiated through an internal review mechanism and incorporate the annual evaluation exercise, effectively assessing the fiveyear performance of the AQMP.