DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON INTEGRATED POLLUTION AND
WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR SOUTH AFRICA:

A policy on Pollution Prevention, Waste Minimisation,
Impact control and Remediation

August 1998

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Ministries and Departments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and of Water Affairs and Forestry acknowledge the contribution that South Africans have made in developing a Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa. The role played by the Project Committee, which steered the process, and the contribution of the drafters of the Discussion Document and this Draft White Paper are also acknowledged.

A complete list of people who contributed to the process appears in Appendix 4 at the end of this Draft White Paper.

Below is a short list of officials, government departments and organisations which have played a key role in developing this Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy.

Ministry
Minister Z Pallo Jordan
Minister Kader Asmal
Deputy Minister Peter R Mokaba, who chaired the Project Committee

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Provincial Environmental Departments

Mpumalanga Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Eastern Cape Department of Economic Affairs and Environment
Free State Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
KwaZulu Natal KwaZulu Department of Nature Conservation
KwaZulu Natal Department of Traditional and Environmental Affairs
Northern Province Department of Agriculture, Land and Environment
North West Parks Board Environmental Affairs
North West Department of Environmental Affairs
Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Western Cape Department of Environmental and Cultural Affairs
Northern Cape Department of Health, Welfare and Environmental Affairs

for arranging and overseeing the provincial public participation process.

MINMEC: Environment and Nature Conservation

A full list of MINMEC members appears in Appendix 4.

The Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development (DANCED) who financially supported the process of compiling this Draft White Paper.

Mr. Einar Jensen - Environmental Attaché
Mr. Peter Lukey - Programme Officer

The formulation of an integrated pollution and waste management system was commissioned during 1994 by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.

A multi-sectoral stakeholder Project Committee was formed in January 1997 to assist Government in driving the process and to ensure that sectoral concerns were addressed.

A Discussion Document was released for public comment in May 1997.

The proceedings of Provincial Workshops and comments from individuals and organisations on this Discussion Document were used as a basis for the compilation of this Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa.

The Draft White Paper will be submitted to Cabinet and Parliament in October 1997 and published in the Government Gazette for public comment.

This Draft White Paper will be submitted to Parliament for debate by the National Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism and will then be debated by the National Council of Provinces. There will be opportunities for comment and public hearings during this Parliamentary Phase.

This Draft White Paper will be amended to incorporate comments from the aforegoing phases before final approval by Parliament and Cabinet.

Further information can be obtained from Dr Suzan Schlemmer at:

Postal Address:
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Private Bag X447
Pretoria
0001

Physical Address:
Fedsure Forum Building
315 Pretorius Street
c/o van der Walt Street
Pretoria

Telephone: 012 - 310 3646
Fax: 012 – 320 1167
E-mail: bes_ss@ozone.pwv.gov.za

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This chapter defines the concept of Integrated Pollution and Waste Management that government will use in its envisaged national policy on pollution prevention, waste minimisation, impact control and remediation, describes the scope and purpose of this Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy and delineates the consultative process used in developing this policy.

The government’s national policy on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management sets out the vision, principles, strategic goals and objectives that government will use for integrated pollution and waste management in South Africa.

This Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa serves the following two purposes:

• to inform the public of the government’s objectives, and how the government intends to achieve these objectives, and
• to inform government agencies and State organs of these objectives, and what must be done to achieve these objectives.

1.1 Definition of Integrated Pollution and Waste Management

Pollution is the introduction into the environment of any substance property (including radiation, heat, noise and light) that has or results in direct harmful effects to humanity or the environment, or that makes the environment less fit for its intended use.

Environment is defined as the following. The biosphere in which people and other organisms live. It consist of:

• renewable and non-renewable natural resources such as air, water (fresh & marine), land and all forms of life.
• natural ecosystems and habitats, and
• ecosystems, habitats and spatial surroundings modified or constructed by people, including urbanised areas, agricultural and rural landscapes, places of cultural significance and the qualities that contribute to their value.

Integrated pollution and waste management is a holistic and integrated system and process of management aimed at pollution prevention and minimisation at source, managing the impact of pollution and waste on the receiving environment and remediating damaged environments.

This Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa represents a paradigm shift towards:

• pollution prevention,
• waste minimisation,
• cross-media integration,
• institutional horizontal and vertical integration of departments and spheres of government, and
• involvement of all sectors of society in pollution and waste management.

1.2 Scope and Purpose of the Draft White Paper

This Draft White Paper sets out the government’s Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy for South Africa and describes the context in which it has been developed. This Draft White Paper comprises the following sections:

• an introduction that describes the concept of integrated pollution and waste management used in this policy, the scope, purpose and vision of this policy and the consultative process used in developing this policy,
• setting the context of the Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy globally and nationally,
• key issues relating to pollution and waste management identified through the stakeholders and based on the public participation process,
• the shift to prevention that sets out the reasons for changing the emphasis from control to prevention,
• approaches to development of this policy describing the environmental media approach,
• policy principles and criteria affecting governance, and accepted for developing this policy and subsequent planned actions, including decision making, legislation and regulation,
• the government’s strategic goals and supporting objectives for addressing the major issues regarding pollution and waste, as well as for measuring the success of policy implementation,
• the government’s approach to governance, detailing the powers and responsibilities of the different spheres and agencies of government and the regulatory approach to integrated pollution and waste management, and
• the way forward which outlines the government’s priorities and provides a framework for implementing the Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy, emphasising the development of a National Waste Management Strategy.

Appendix 1 lists international conventions, agreements, treaties and protocols relating to integrated pollution and waste management.

Appendix 2 contains the principles from the Draft White Paper on Environmental Management for South Africa.

Appendix 3 contains a glossary of key terms used in this policy.

Appendix 4 contains acknowledgements of all those who contributed to the development of the government’s Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy.

1.3 Vision for the Policy

The vision of the government is to develop, implement and maintain an integrated pollution and waste management system which contributes to sustainable development and a measurable improvement in the quality of life through harnessing the energy and commitment of all South Africans for the effective prevention, minimisation and control of pollution and waste.

1.4 Purpose of the Policy

The Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy is a subsidiary policy of the overarching environmental management policy as set out in the Draft White Paper on Environmental Management Policy for South Africa. This Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy subscribes to the vision, principles, goals and regulatory approach set out in the draft environmental management policy and details the government’s specific policy for pollution and waste management.

This Integrated Pollution and Waste Management policy applies to all government institutions and to society at large and to all activities that impact on pollution and waste management. One of the fundamental approaches to this policy is the prevention of pollution, minimisation of waste, control of impacts and remediation. The management of waste will be implemented in a holistic and integrated manner, and will extend over the entire waste cycle, from cradle to grave, including the generation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and final disposal of waste.

This Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa acts as a statement of intent by the government on how to manage and minimise South Africa's diverse pollution and waste streams, in a manner which is environmentally, socially and politically acceptable as well as economically sustainable.

The government aims to:

• promote the prevention and minimisation of waste generation and hence pollution at source,
• promote the management and minimisation of the impact of unavoidable waste from its generation to its final disposal,
• ensure the integrity and sustained "fitness for use" of all environmental media i.e. air, water and land,
• ensure the remediation of any pollution of the environment by holding the responsible parties accountable, and
• ensure environmental justice by integrating environmental considerations with the social, political and development needs and rights of all sectors, communities and individuals.

South Africa is emerging from a period of unsustainable and inequitable development that not only threatened the livelihoods and degraded the quality of life of a large proportion of the population, but which was also responsible for environmental degradation. In order to move towards development that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, all sectors of society will have to undergo a number of important transitions.

Some of the important transitions will be:

• A move to equitable sharing of development opportunities and benefits and an equitable provision of services. This priority transition must be aimed at significantly improving the situation of the impoverished majority.
• A move towards efficient use of energy with a priority on the development of renewable and affordable resources.
• A transition towards accelerated industrial development while using cleaner technologies and production methodologies.
• An institutional transition towards new structures at national, provincial and local government levels with a priority to integrating economic, equity and environmental imperatives in planning and decision making within and between different ministries and between provinces.
• A governance transition towards greater public accountability and participation with a priority to initiate and maintain sustainable development partnerships between government and civil society.
• A capacity building transition towards greater national and regional self-reliance with a priority to accelerate development and promote the use of local knowledge, technology and expertise.
• A move from reliance on foreign aid to economic self sufficiency.

To effect the transformation to development that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, the government has met the challenge of redefining the way in which pollution and waste will be managed in South Africa.

The much needed economic growth for the upliftment and enhancement of the South African population, and in particular for the generation of jobs, can be achieved through more appropriate and efficient use of natural resources, within a framework of integrated pollution and waste management to protect both the people of South Africa and the environment without a continuous degradation of natural resources.

Over the past years, the government has passed legislation to address environmental and human health threats. Regulations aimed at controlling some of the major and most obvious risks have been promulgated.

However, a number of limitations have become clear:

• limits of impact management,
• limited civil society involvement,
• inadequate integration of environmental media,
• inadequate integration across government departments,
• lack of capacity to implement, and
• inadequate consideration of global environmental issues.

After earlier investigations and initiatives by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the consultative process followed in the drafting of this Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa, involved:

• The constitution of a multi-sectoral Project Committee under the chairmanship of the Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Peter Mokaba, which guided the consultative process.
• The compilation of a Discussion Document towards a White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management.
• Discussion of and comment on this Discussion Document through a process of public participation in the provinces, as well as through direct comments from labour, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations, business and industry, mining and individual members of civil society.
• Consideration of these comments for the compilation of draft policy statements and objectives.
• Compilation of this Draft White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa.

Contents    Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3  Chapter 4  
Chapter 5   Chapter 6   Chapter 7  Appendicies