1. PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS - BRIEFING BY DEA: AIR QUALITY MANAGEMRNT

2. Presentation Outline
National Priority Areas declared in terms of Section 18 of the NEMA:AQA 39 of 2004: Air Quality Management Plans
Air Quality in Priority Areas
Status of Air Quality Monitoring in Priority Areas

3. National Priority Areas
The Minister of Environmental Affairs has to date declared three (3) National Priority Areas in terms of Section 18(1) of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004) (AQA) namely, the:
Vaal Triangle-Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA) in 2006,
Highveld Priority Area (HPA) in 2007, and
Waterberg-Bojanala Priority Area (WBPA) in 2012.
The declaration of the VTAPA and the HPA came about as a result of poor air quality due to industrial activities, domestic fuel burning, waste burning, and mining activities in these areas. The WBPA declaration was in line with the precautionary principle of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No of 1998) due to planned developments for the area.

4. Priority Area Structures
As part of the implementation of the Priority Area (PA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) as required by Section (19)(6)(c) of the Air Quality Act, the Department has established the Multi-Stakeholder Reference Groups (MSRGs) and Implementation Task Teams (ITTs) for each priority area. These structures consist of representatives from:
Relevant national departments, affected provincial department, district and local municipalities,
Non-Government Organisations and Community Based Organisations
Industries,
academia,
Interested and affected parties identified during the implementation of the Air Quality Management Plan.

5. Priority Area Structures
The Multi-Stakeholder Reference Groups and Implementation Task Teams play a crucial role in the implementation of each of the priority area Air Quality Management Plans. They do this by:
Creating a platform for stakeholders to share information and to report on their air quality management, interventions, performance, practices, strategies, and goals to other stakeholders,
Enabling government, industries, non-governmental organisation and other stakeholders to maximize opportunities for improving and leveraging available resource,
Establishing a mechanism for an improved understanding of stakeholder’s priorities and to respond to emerging stakeholder concerns
Providing a platform for stakeholders to discuss priority issues together, thereby building trust and promoting collaboration through dialogue.

6. Projects
A number of projects have been implemented by the Department in collaboration with stakeholders since the declaration of the first priority area. Below are some of the projects:
Health Studies
Source Apportionment Study
Air Quality Awareness Fun Run
Air Quality Offset projects
Alternative fuels pilot project
Tyre management project

7. Focus on Affected Communities
The Department identified early in the implementation of the Air Quality Management Plans the need for affected communities to be capacitated in matters relating to air quality in order to enable them to participating more effectively in the established structures. To meet these objectives, the Department has conducted a number of workshops across the three Priority Areas. Some of the communities that the Department has conducted workshops for are:
Soweto & Ivory Park, City of Johannesburg
Madibeng, Bojanala District Municipality
Emalahleni, Nkangala District Municipality
Zamdela, Fezile Dabi District Municipality
Marapong, Waterberg District Municipality

8. Focus on Affected Communities
In addition to this initiative by the Department, other spheres of government have implemented their own projects in the priority areas as part of the implementation of the annual plans. Education and awareness has also formed an integral part of the municipalities’ air quality interventions. In the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area, the Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group stakeholder identified the need to improve awareness around air pollution, resulting in the formation of an Awareness Task Team.

9. Focus on Affected Communities
Strategy to Address Air Pollution in Dense Low-Income Communities
The department has published the DRAFT strategy to address air pollution in dense low income settlements upon Cabinet approval
Workshops with communities were held in Zamdela, Ivory Park and Emalahleni (December 2016-February 2017)
Currently finalising consultation with implementing Departments:
Energy
Human Settlements
Health
The strategy will be submitted to cabinet for approval

10. Source Apportionment Study

11. Source Apportionment in the VTAPA
The Department has recognized the need to have a better understanding of the contribution of the different sources to the ambient air. To this end, the Department, in collaboration with its stakeholders, is currently undertaking a Source Apportionment Study in the VTAPA. The study will shed light on the contribution of sources such as industrial activities, domestic fuel burning, mining and vehicular emissions to the ambient air. It must, however, be clarified that the study will not be able to pinpoint individual contributors but will give us an idea of the various contributors towards air pollution in the area.
Information obtained from this study will then assist the Department in developing targeted interventions, thereby ensuring that all stakeholders use resources efficiently & effectively.

12. Ambient Monitoring in the Priority Areas – Legislative Context
According to the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act (Act 39 of 2004 )
It is a legal requirement to monitor ambient air quality to assess compliance with ambient air quality standards Section 8(c)(ii)
To determine and report the state of ambient air quality in an area so as to understand whether people enjoy their right to air that is not harmful to their health and well being
Human health impact is informed by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Section9 Gazette No of 2009

13. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

14. Status of Monitoring Stations
Network
Number of Stations
Pollutants Measured
Operational Status
Vaal Triangle
6 stations at
Diepkloof
Klipriver
Sebokeng
Sharpville
Three Rivers
Zamdela
Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Particulate matter (Pm10, PM2.5)
Oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Ozone (O3)
Black carbon
Operational since 2007
SANAS Accredited
Highveld Priority Area
5 stations
Ermelo
Hendrina
Middleburg
eMalahleni
Operational since 2008
Waterberg-Bojanala
4 stations
Lepalape
Mokopane
Thabazimbi
Xanadu
Operational since 2014

15. Vaal Triangle Priority Area
PM10 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in all of the six stations in the VTAPA.
PM10 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in all of the six stations in the VTAPA.
In Diepkloof ambient concentrations of PM10 are affected by sources such as transportation
related emissions (N1 and N12) and mining activities (particularly mine tailings dumps). Due to low rainfall during 2015, dry conditions favor high concentrations from such sources. The high PM10 concentrations in Sharpville could be attributed to the close proximity of the station to a low income settlements, industrial source and vehicle emissions in the area.
Concentrations of PM10 have been decreasing in Sebokeng and Zamdela, with Zamdela having a notable decrease from annual average of about 100 μg/m3 in 2009 and 2010 to 47μg/m3 in 2015, which is a 53% reduction.

16. VTAPA PM10 Seasonal Cycles
DIEPKLOOF
KLIPRIVER
SEBOKENG
SHARPVILLE
THREE RIVERS
ZAMDELA

17. Vaal Triangle Priority Area
PM2.5 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in all of the six stations in the VTAPA.

18. VTAPA PM2.5 Seasonal Cycles
DIEPKLOOF
KLIPRIVER
SEBOKENG
SHARPVILLE
THREE RIVERS
ZAMDELA

19. Vaal Triangle Priority Area
SO2 concentrations are below the current annual NAAQS in all of the six stations in the VTAPA.

20. VTAPA SO2 Seasonal Cycles
DIEPKLOOF
KLIPRIVER
SEBOKENG
ZAMDELA
THREE RIVERS
SHARPVILLE

21. Highveld Priority Area
PM10 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in two of the five stations in the HPA, namely Ermelo and Witbank.

22. HPA PM10 seasonal variations
Ermelo
Hendrina
Middleburg
Witbank
Secunda

23. Highveld Priority Area
PM2.5 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in most of the five stations in the HPA.

24. HPA PM2.5 seasonal variations
Ermelo
Hendrina
Middleburg
Secunda
Witbank

25. Highveld Priority Area
SO2 concentrations are below the current annual NAAQS in all of the six stations in the HPA for the year 2015.

26. HPA SO2 seasonal variations
Ermelo
Hendrina
Middleburg
Secunda
Witbank

27. Waterberg Priority Area
PM10 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in two of the three stations in the WPA, namely Mokopane and Thabazimbi, Lephalale is compliant with the NAAQS.

28. Waterberg Priority Area
PM2.5 concentrations are above the current annual NAAQS in two of the three stations in the WPA, namely Mokopane, Lephalale is compliant with the NAAQS.

29. Waterberg Priority Area
SO2 concentrations are below the current annual NAAQS in all of the three stations in the WPA over the years.