AUGUST 2013 OUR BRANCH DDG: Mr Ishaam Abader Integrated - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
AUGUST 2013 OUR BRANCH DDG: Mr Ishaam Abader Integrated - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
LEGAL, AUTHORISATIONS AND COMPLIANCE INSPECTORATE PRESENTATION TO DEA STAKEHOLDER FORUM AUGUST 2013 OUR BRANCH DDG: Mr Ishaam Abader Integrated Environmental Authorisations- VACANT Enforcement Ms Frances Craigie Compliance-
OUR BRANCH
- DDG: Mr Ishaam Abader
- Integrated Environmental Authorisations- VACANT
- Enforcement – Ms Frances Craigie
- Compliance- Mr Sonnyboy Bapela
- Law Reform and Appeals- Adv Linda Garlipp
- Corporate Legal Support and Litigation – Ms Vanessa
Bendeman
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COMPONENTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND APP
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Effective legal support Improved compliance with environmental legislation Potential negative impacts of all significant developments prevented or managed
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CD:INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATIONS
- Currently consists of a staff complement of 40 officials.
- One of the key performance areas of the CD is to engage with
applicants, EAPs, organs of state and the general public during the EIA process
- As part of this process; officials are continually engaging with
applicants and EAPs on project and / application specific matters
- The Department also engages with state-owned companies to
ensure that applications are considered in an efficient and effective manner and to promote dialogue on strategic matters
- SMS members further engage other government departments
through the existing forums, like the WG, IDC, etc.
Table of key stakeholders: IEA
Category Stakeholders Engagement Modality
International IAIA Antarctica Treaty Consultative Meeting: Council for Environmental Protection International & Local Conferences Annual Treaty Meetings Organs of State DWA & TCTA, DAFF, DoE, DoT, DMR, DoT, DST, DTI, Transport, DPE, DPSA, DPW, DRD& LR, SAHRA, PRASA, PetroSA, CapeNature Project Specific (during EIA process)
Table of key stakeholders: IEA
Category Stakeholders Engagement Modality
NGO Birdlife SA Earthlife Africa WESSA WWF Project Specific (during EIA process) Department Forums EDCC Transnet SANRAL Randwater Ezemvelo KZN Garden Route National Park SanParks Isimangaliso Monthly Bi-monthly (2nd mnth) Bi-monthly (2nd mnth) Bi-monthly Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly DEA & Provincial Authority Working Group 7 Meetings Implementation Workshops Standards Workshops Enforcement Workshops Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly
COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT
- CD: Compliance currently consists of a staff complement of 31 officials.
- CD: Enforcement currently consists of a staff complement of 60 officials.
- Compliance and enforcement at national DEA is undertaken by 63
designated Environmental Management Inspectors or “Green Scorpions”.
- The national “Green Scorpions” form part of a network of 1681 EMIs
across the country in national statutory bodies, provincial environmental departments and parks boards, as well as the recent addition of 23 designated local authority EMIs.
- The work of the Environmental Management Inspectorate is summarised in
an annual National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report that provides an overview of inspections, investigations, administrative actions, case law etc. in the past financial year.
CD: COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT
Category Stakeholders Engagement Modality International
- Interpol
- INECE (International Network of Environmental
Compliance and Enforcement)
- US/UK Environment Agencies
- International Conferences,
- Joint cross-border operations,
- International Work Programmes
National
- South African Police Service (SAPS),
- National Prosecuting Authority (NPA),
- South African Revenue Service (SARS)
- Standard Operating Procedure
(SAPS),
- Training (Justice College:
Prosecutors) Provincial/Local
- Provincial environmental departments/parks
boards
- Municipalities
- MINTECH WGIV
Public/NGO
- Public complaints
- Environmental NGOs
- Environmental Legal Fraternity
- Regulated Community
- National Complaints 24 hr
Hotline
- Environmental Compliance and
Enforcement Lekgotla
- Industry Association Meetings
(Petroleum)
CD: CORPORATE LEGAL SUPPORT AND LITIGATION
- Currently consists of a staff complement of 15 officials.
- The key performance areas of the CD is to ensure efficient and
effective corporate legal services to the Department which enables the department to fulfill its mandate.
- As part of this process, officials are continually engaging with
stakeholders at various levels
- We engage other with government departments, the courts,
media, the public at large, private sector, state-owned enterprises and local municipalities
CD: CORPORATE LEGAL SUPPORT AND LITIGATION
Category
Stakeholders Engagement
Manage Litigation by and against the DEA and the Minister
The State Attorneys Office, The Department
- f Water Affairs, The
Department of Transport, SANRAL, SANParks, Provincial Departments dealing with environmental matters Create a forum which seeks to improve intergovernmental cooperation and to ensure a consistent approach to litigation matters.
Compliance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000(PAIA)
DEA Public entities that report to the Minister Ensure PAIA compliance within the Department and co-ordinate compliance with DEA entities
CD: LAW REFORM AND APPEALS
- Currently consists of a staff complement of 19 officials.
- The key performance areas of the CD is to ensure efficient legal
support to the law reform programme of the Department and to ensure that appeals are effectively dealt with.
- On a quarterly basis the Advisory Committee on Environmental
Policy and Law Reform convenes. This Committee is comprised of National and Provincial legal officers, and provides legal advice to the Minister and MECs responsible for Environmental Affairs through a forum called MinMec
- We engage other with government departments, media, public at
large, private sector, state owned enterprises and local municipalities
CD: LAW REFORM AND APPEALS
The following Bills currently before Parliament:
- National Environmental Management Laws First Amendment Bill [B 13─2012]: The
First Amendment Bill proposes amendments to five Acts. Amongst others, the proposed amendments to the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 are intended to address the abuse of the permitting system with regard to the hunting of threatened or protected species (for example rhinoceros) in the country.
- National Environmental Management Laws Second Amendment Bill [B 8─2013]: The
Second Amendment Bill proposes amendments to the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 to provide for tighter provisions and penalties with respect to environmental authorizations as well as the abuse of the Section 24G permitting process by persons.
- National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Amendment
Bill, 2013: This Amendment Bill proposes amendments to the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008 in order to address implementation challenges with respect to the conservation of the coastal environment within the country.
CD: LAW REFORM AND APPEALS
- In 2013, processing of the following Bills at Cabinet and Parliament:
- National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill, 2013:
The objective of the Amendment Bill is to amend the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 in order to achieve further alignment between the environmental legislation and the mineral, petroleum resources development legislation.
- National Environmental Management: Air Quality Amendment Bill,
2013: The Amendment Bill proposes amendments to address regulatory gaps with respect to the implementation of the atmospheric emission licensing system.
CD: LAW REFORM AND APPEALS
The National Environmental Management: Waste Bill to address matters in the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. South African Weather Services Bill: to amend certain provisions in the Weather Services Act.
CD: LAW REFORM AND APPEALS
Category Stakeholders Engagement Modality National
- National Departments: DMR, DoE, EDD, DoHS;
DWA, DAFF
- Standard Operating Procedure
(SAPS), Provincial/Local
- Provincial environmental departments
- Municipalities
- General public
- MINTECH WG 11
- Consultation Processes
Public/NGO
- Public complaints
- Environmental NGOs
- Environmental Legal Fraternity
- Regulated Community
- National Complaints 24 hr
Hotline
- Industry Association Meetings
(Petroleum)
- Media articles
FOCUS FOR 2013
- Initiatives to maintain and improve working relationships
with SARS, SAPS and NPA
- Joint compliance and enforcement operations, both in the
“brown” and “green” subsectors, including joint inspections with DWA and the DMR
- Roll out of EMI to local authorities has commenced –
currently approximately 30 municipal EMIs designated
FOCUS FOR 2013
- Project has been initiated to develop a Compliance and
Enforcement Strategy for the EMI, including: – Review current C&E system, including an assessment of the impact that the work of the EMI’s has; – Breakdown of relevant structures, resources and capacity within each EMI institution; – Determination of how many Inspectors are required to provide for effective environmental C&E; – Development of tools to identify priorities for C&E work; – Development of a C&E strategy which promotes co-
- perative governance and incorporates aspects relating to
information management and communications
FOCUS FOR 2013
- Passing of legislation already discussed
- Improving of PAIA compliance
- Green Building Contract Management
- Improving efficiency of EIA and other authorisation