KwaZulu-Natal to monitor air
Craig Bishop
12 July 2005
While the rest of the world grapples with the intricacies of the Kyoto Treaty to reduce greenhouse emissions, the KwaZulu-Natal government is flexing its own muscles.
Environmental MEC Gabriel Ndabandaba officially opened five new air quality monitoring stations in the province last week
"Too many industrial incidents, such as the recent ammonia leak in Richard's Bay and emissions from other refineries, are compromising the health of civil society," Ndabandaba said. "Polluters will face the full might of the law."
The stations, which cost R5-million, are situated in emission "hotspots" in Newcastle, Estcourt, Empangeni, Mandeni and Port Shepstone.
In addition to collecting air quality data, the stations will provide a clearer picture of who is polluting and what punitive steps should be taken to deal with them.
South Africa's new national Environmental Management Air Quality Act, which replaced the Atmospheric Pollution
Prevention Act of 1965, introduces far more severe penalties for offences.
Ndabandaba said the government spent close to R4-billion annually dealing with health problems related to air pollution.
The 24-hour operational stations will monitor four critical pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and ozone. University of the Witwatersrand climatologist Dr Stuart Piketh will generate data daily for a public website.
Ndabandaba also announced that his department had embarked on a vehicle emission strategy to curb emissions as part of a strategy to phase out leaded petrol by 2006.
The removal of benzine and other fuel additives was also being considered, he said.
He urged communities most affected by toxic emissions, such as in Mandeni and parts of the south coast, to ensure that they acted as the eyes and ears of government on the ground.
Source: BuaNews
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