29 May 2007 - Media Statement
- Multi-day environmental compliance inspection
at Mittal Steel’s Vereeniging plant
TUESDAY, 29 MAY 2007: On Tuesday, 29 May
2007, Environmental Management Inspectors
(EMIs) from the Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism and the Gauteng Department
of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
start a comprehensive environmental compliance
inspection at Mittal Steel’s Vereeniging
plant.
The EMIs (popularly referred to as the
Green Scorpions) will be joined by officials
from the Department of Water Affairs and
Forestry and Sedibeng Municipality.
Mittal Steel’s Vereeniging plant falls
within the Vaal Triangle priority air pollution
area declared by the Minister of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism in terms of the new
Air Quality Act.
The purpose of the compliance inspection
is to determine the Mittal plant’s compliance
with environmental legislation and all permits
issued to the plant in respect of air, waste
and water. The inspection is expected to
take several days to complete, and results
of the inspection will only be available
a few weeks after the inspection.
The inspection at Mittal constitutes the
launch of a national environmental compliance
campaign in the iron and steel and ferroalloy
industry, known as Operation Ferro. Approximately
40 sites in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Northwest,
KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape will be inspected
during the course of this multi-year project.
The iron and steel and ferroalloy industries
have been prioritised in this environmental
compliance campaign as their industrial
processes may contribute significantly to
pollution if not mitigated and managed properly.
The same industries are also currently undergoing
a review of all their air pollution permits
by the Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism.
Melissa Fourie (Director: Enforcement)
+ More
Environmental Protection Vessels Hard At
Work - Arrest Poachers, Confiscate Boats
And Prevent Poaching
28 May 2007 - Media Statement - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - MONDAY,
28 MAY 2007: The effective deployment of
the Environmental Protection Vessels (EPV’s)
during the past few weeks yielded significant
results once again as poachers were arrested,
boats seized and numerous poaching activities
prevented.
During the latest voyage of the Sarah Baartman,
the Inspectors, Captain and Crew of the
Sarah Baartman, arrested a diver at Bird
Island, scared of 3 Super ducks, thereby
prevented abalone poaching and fined 3 fishing
vessels fined for contravention of fishing
permit conditions. The Sarah Baartman struck
again thereafter and confiscated a ski boat
and arrested three suspects in the Kleinmond
area for west coast rock lobster poaching.
This arrest took place late at night and
more than 20 crayfish traps, which were
detected by the on- board equipment of the
Sarah Baartman, were also removed from the
water. In a separate incident fines to the
value of R13 250 were issued for contravention
of fishing permit conditions in the St Helena
Bay area.
The Sarah Baartman further rendered assistance
when two fishing vessels collided at Dassen
Island by providing situational reports
indicated the exact location of the collision,
depth of the water where the sunken vessel
laid and whether or not any oil or diesel
was leaking form the vessel. This information
proved useful in immediately addressing
the situation and minimizing the impact
on the marine environment.
In a separate incident information was
received that abalone poachers were preparing
to launch from Harbour Island to poach in
the Cape Point area. The Ruth First was
tasked to carry out a visible patrol between
Gordon’s Bay and Cape Point in order to
keep the poachers at bay. This strategy
worked exceptionally well as the poachers’
boats where unable to launch to carry out
their criminal activities.
The Lillian Ngoyi was called in to assist
with the recovery of a Research Buoy that
had come adrift. The Inspector, Captain
and Crew rose to the occasion even though
the weather conditions were not all that
favorable. The Lillian Ngoyi also recently
managed to apprehend a superduck in the
Port Elizabeth area. It appears that the
superduck had only one operational engine
and did not comply with any South African
Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Regulations.
The Inspectors, Captain and Crew of the
Lillian Ngoyi handed this superduck over
to SAMSA. The owner of the superduck paid
a detention fee of R 1000. In addition the
Owner and Skipper were each fined R 5000,
generating a total of R11 000, 00 in fees.
The Florence Mhkize, the high-speed chase
vessel, continues to serve as a deterrent
in her role against abalone poaching. The
Florence Mhkize participated in a joint
SAPS operation where an arrest was made
at Robben Island. A large superduck and
eight divers were arrested with a consignment
of abalone. Since then there has been no
reports of abalone poaching at Robben Island,
signaling a drastic decline in poaching
in and around the Island.
The Victoria Mxenge has maintained a continued
presence around Robben Island, where she
had been anchored at the Island at night
conducting regular visible patrols with
a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB). This
system, which is employed with cooperation
of the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Port of Entry Division, seems to have been
effective in keeping poaching at Bay and
is set to be intensified.
The Victoria Mxenge had also issued a R2500,00
fine to a fishing vessel for non-compliance
to fishing permit conditions.
In another successful operation, the special
investigation team of the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism arrested
3 suspects and confiscated two consignments
of shucked abalone in Beaufort West during
the early hours on Friday morning (25 May
2007).
This followed intense surveillance efforts.
The team worked throughout the night and
followed the trial of information related
to two vehicles leaving the Overberg region
with two consignments of abalone, heading
towards Gauteng.
A BMW, a Ford bakkie and a trailer were
also confiscated.
Blessing Manale (Acting Chief Director:
Communications)
