South African pollution permit conditions to be reviewed

The government will start identifying South Africa's top 50 dirty industries from next month and get them to clean up their acts, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced on Monday.

Addressing the Western Cape Sustainable Development Conference in Cape Town, Van Schalkwyk said that once the industries had been identified, their air pollution permit conditions would be completely reviewed.

This was an interim measure until the 30 new air quality licensing officers had been trained in each province to implement the tougher new Air Quality Act which replaces the air pollution legislation promulgated in the 1960s.

"Our department will, by the end of July, appoint a service provider to identify the top 50 air polluting industries or sectors in South Africa. We will be be helping industry to phase in the much stricter standards of the new law and will be improving air quality for our communities," Van Schalkwyk said.

Source: www.iol.co.za