PROPOSED WASTE REGULATIONS

National Environmental Management : Waste Act Number 59 of 2008 will come into operation 1 July 2009 except for Section 28(7)(a), Part 8 of the Act (Sections 35 - 41) and Section 46 according to a proclamation published in Government Gazette No. 32169 of 30 April 2009 by the Minister of Environment Affairs and Tourism.

In a separate notice (Notice 409 of 2009) published on 30 April 2009 the Minister announced his intention to publish a list of Waste Management activities that are likely to have a detrimental effect on the environment.

These activities deal with the storage and transfer of waste, recycling, reuse and recovery of waste.  The treatment of waste.  The disposal of waste, storage, treatment and processing of animal waste.  Construction, expansion, or decommissioning of facilities and associated structure and infrasture.

Some of these activities are equivalent to those that require a basic assessment process as stipulated in the environmental impact assessment regulations made under Section 24(5) of the National Environmental Act of 1998.

Besides activities related to construction, expansion or decommissioning of facilities and associated structures and infrastructures members may also be affected when disposing any quantity of hazardous waste to land or the disposal of general waste to land covering an area in excess of 200m².

Interested and affected parties are invited to submit comments on the proposed regulations on or before 30 May 2009 to the Director-General, Attention Obed Baloyi obaloyi@deat.gov.za or fax (012) 322 5515 tel:  (012) 310 3833.

Gary Amstutz | Commercial and Online Manager