Media Release: Garden Route District Air Quality Awareness Campaigns have reached more than 60 000 people so far

For Immediate Release
19 May 2022

For the last seven (7) years, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) has incorporated air pollution education as part of its community outreach activities. The Air Quality awareness campaign was identified in response to the poor air quality status  of informal settlements during winter seasons. Dr Johann Schoeman, District Air Quality Manager at GRDM, emphasised that the poor air quality status is amongst others sources, caused by fires used for  cooking and heating purposes. In the pictures (below) are school representatives from various schools with their study packs.

With this in mind, a three-year formal tender was advertised for the procurement of services by a training provider to facilitate training at schools within the Garden Route.  The tender was awarded to Mingcele (PTY) Ltd to develop study packs and facilitate the training at Primary Schools until 2024. Mingcele facilitates and manages several community development projects with a special focus on educational training support and environmental awareness.

Further to this, Dr Schoeman explained that the Western Cape Provincial Government Education Department was also approached to address the issue at primary school level. This effort resulted in the Clean Fires campaign now being incorporated as part of the Grade 3 curriculum.  In order to reach as many learners as possible, and being inclusive in its approach, the course material is printed in isi-Xhosa, Afrikaans and English.

The course material covers the following air pollution aspects:

• What air pollution is;
• The health effects thereof;
• What causes air pollution;
• How you can help to reduce air pollution;
• How to make a fire;
• How to make a “cleaner” fire for heating purposes; and
• How to construct a stove from waste material.

Each participating school receives a study pack with study material -convenient for each teacher. The course material is in line with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) and each resource pack consists of full colour posters, an educational game pack, lesson plans, worksheets in all three official languages of the Western Cape, a full colour booklet, a DVD including the lesson plans and worksheets with five plugins for an interactive whiteboard.

Dr Schoeman said: “Since its inception, the project reached most of the primary schools in the Garden Route district. The project is rotated in the region with this year again focusing on the Klein Karoo region. In total, 72 teachers and 2033 learners from 39 schools were reached, amongst others in Oudtshoorn, Uniondale, Volmoed, De Rust, Calitzdorp, Avontuur, Haarlem and Ladismith areas.  GRDM’s officials were involved in the official hand-over of study packs to some of the participating schools.

When determining the current project impact on the receptor environment, Dr Schoeman highlighted: “It is anticipated that four (4) family members per child are reached with a cumulative impact of 8132 community members covered through the project for this year alone”.

The project statistics for the last four years are as follows:

2019: 37 schools and 72 teachers.
2020: 46 schools and 63 teachers.
2021: 66 schools and 151 teachers.
2022: 39 schools, 72 teachers and 2033 learners.

Seventy-two study packs were handed over to the participating schools. For the last 4 years, the project almost reached 60 000 people in the Garden Route.

In closing, Dr Schoeman said: “Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the project is taking place by means of follow-ups through social media (WhatsApp), email communication and completed attendance registers”.  Adding to this he highlighted: “Due to the success of this project and the positive feedback received from the participating schools, the GRDM committed itself for another two years to expand its awareness outreach sessions”.

The GRDM Air Quality Unit encourages the public to contact their office at 044-693 0006 during office hours, for any further information regarding the project.  To learn more about air quality, visit our page at: http://www.gardenroute.gov.za/air-quality/

Feature Image: Bersig Primary School

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Media Release: Garden Route Air Quality complies 100% with NAEIS

For Immediate Release
10 May 2022

The National Atmospheric Emission Inventory System (NAEIS) is an internet-based emissions reporting system that is a component of the South African Atmospheric Emission Licencing and Inventory System (SAAELIP) portal. The Air Quality Unit of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) must ensure that regulated industries, as well as authorities, report atmospheric emissions annually between January and March. This is completed to ensure that a national atmospheric emission inventory profile is in place.

According to Dr Johann Schoeman, Manager: Air Quality: “For the 2022 reporting cycle, GRDM had 37 facilities registered, of which all of them submitted their reports on the system before 31 March 2022. This ensured that the GRDM received a 100% submission rate.” Dr Schoeman says the 100% submission rate was achieved because of “relentless assistance to the industry”. The guidance is provided to the industry through special NAEIS completion target-group sessions, appointments, and personal assistance.

The NAEIS is aimed at providing accurate, current, and complete information on all significant sources of identified atmospheric emissions. This includes greenhouse gas emissions from South Africa. The information is used to inform policy formulation, for the Republic of South Africa to meet its obligations under the United Framework Convention on Climate Change and any other international treaties.

WHO SHOULD REPORT TO NAEIS?

Three groups of data providers are required to report to NAEIS, as listed below:

• Listed activity in terms of Section 21(1) of the National Environment Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 (the Act).
• Controlled emitters: Section 23(1) of the Act.
• Mines: Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002).

ARE THERE ANY PENALTIES FOR NOT REPORTING INTO NAEIS WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD? WHAT IS THE FINE FOR NON-COMPLIANCE?

A person guilty of an offence in terms of NAEIS Reporting Regulations is liable, in the case of a first conviction, to a fine not exceeding R5 million. A person can also be imprisoned for up to five (5) years. In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, a person can receive a fine not exceeding R10 million or be imprisoned for up to 10 years.

National Emission Reporting regulations that prescribe NAEIS reporting can be downloaded from https://www.environment.gov.za/legislation/actsregulations.

Feature Image: Dr Johann Schoeman (Manager: District Air Quality Management), , Anelisa Fuzani (Environmental Health Practitioner), Sam Bendle (Chief: Municipal Health Services – Mossel Bay), Angus Andries (District Air Quality Officer)

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Media Release: Garden Route Air Quality remains tops

For Immediate Release
14 January 2022

“Humankind faces its greatest existential threat in the form of climate change” – President Cyril Ramaphosa, 2020 State of the Nation Address

Climate change refers to long-term changes in weather patterns and temperatures. Such shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. Climate change has been primarily driven by human activities since the 1800s, particularly through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Fossil fuel combustion produces greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.

Climate change and air quality are closely related. Some of these emissions are not only of concern, but they often come from the same sources. Furthermore, air pollution and climate change interact in complex ways in the atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) alter the energy balance between the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface, altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere.

Examples of developments that will result in the release of GHG`s include:

• Electricity generation facilities that utilize fossil fuels.
• Industrial developments that contribute to atmospheric emissions.
• The extraction and production of fossil fuels.
• The development and related operations of feedlots.
• Clearing of vegetation and where it is replaced by built infrastructure such as roads, airports, and urban development.
• Waste disposal facilities.
• Treatment of waste through burn technologies.

In October 2011, the Government of South Africa published the National Climate Change Response White Paper, which details the Government’s vision for an effective response to climate change and a just transition to a climate-resilient, lower-carbon economy and society. The Minister has promulgated the National GHG Reporting Regulations. The purpose of these Regulations is to introduce a single national reporting system for the transparent reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, which will primarily be used to: Inform policy formulation, implementation and legislation.

“The Garden Route District Municipality recognises climate change as a threat to the environment, its residents, and its future development,” says Dr Johann Schoeman, District Manager: Air Quality. Böckmann (2015) states that measures should be taken to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions or enhance greenhouse gas sinks (mitigation). However, due to lag times in the climate and biophysical systems, the positive impacts of past and current mitigation will only be noticeable in the next 25 years (Jiri, 2016). In the meantime, adaptation is seen as an inevitable and necessary response to the changes projected in the district. Garden Route District Municipality has therefore prioritised the development of a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Change Response Plan.

The Air Quality status of the Garden Route

Air Quality in the Garden route is managed through its 3^rd generation Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). Our Air Quality vision is: To have air quality worthy of the name “The Garden Route”

“The GRDM is one of the front-running municipalities with regards to Air Quality management in South Africa,” said Schoeman.

Air pollution is an increasing risk, and it is estimated that more than 7 million people die worldwide because of air pollution. it is due to this risk that the GRDM for the last 6 years intensified its air pollution awareness through its GRDM Clean Fires campaign, focussing on air pollution awareness at the primary school level.

The Garden Route is a fast-developing zone with people all over South Africa migrating to the district. This will ultimately also lead to increased industrial activity and more pressure on the environment. Within the Western Cape Provincial contexts, GRDM issued 21% of the total number of Atmospheric Emission Licences within the Western Cape, with only the City of Cape town issuing more licences than the GRDM.

Garden Routers is fortunate to have three Provincial Air Quality monitoring stations, which are located strategically within the district. Their placement is based on potential hazardous sources of pollution. These stations are complemented by monitoring stations operated by the industry as well as air quality monitoring activities done by the Garden route district municipality. The George station is also reporting live to the South-African Air Quality Information System (SAQIS).

In general, the pollution measured at these stations are in compliance with the Ambient Air Quality standards of South Africa and the Garden route can still be regarded as a district with very good air quality. The public can access the data on the SAQIS- system. There is excellent cooperation between GRDM and Industry and many emissions reduction programmes and improved technology projects have been implemented to mitigate the harmful effect of air pollution.

Goals 3 and 4 of the GRDM Air Quality Management Plan focus on Climate change response (CCR). The following tasks are envisaged under this objective relating to CCR:

• Determining the types and quantity of fuels used in households
• Continue the Clean Fires campaign at schools
• Refine the emissions inventory to include household emissions
• Identify the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions within the GRDM
• Engage with these contributors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and acknowledge those who take effective steps
• Assist local municipalities to amend by-laws to affect emissions limits on unlicensed industries that emit greenhouse gasses.

The importance of air quality on the quality of life is often overlooked due to a lack of understanding of the impact that poor air quality has on the health and wellbeing of the community. The GRDM AQMP will continue to prioritise protecting vulnerable communities against exploitation.

Feature image: Air quality sensor

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Media Release: Garden Route Clean Fires Campaign reach expands year-on-year

10 June 2021
For Immediate Release

For the last seven (7) years, Garden Route District Municipality has incorporated air pollution as part of its community awareness-raising activities. The project was identified due to poor air quality, especially in informal settlements. This pollution is often caused by fires used for household purposes, such as cooking and heating.

The peer education project was first launched in the Klein Karoo in 2014 and was later rolled out in the rest of the Garden Route. The project advanced over the last three years, where the focus was shifted to primary school learners. More communities are being reached when primary school learners are educated.

Dr Johann Schoeman, Manager: District Air Quality Control at GRDM, said, “The municipality awarded a three-year tender to Mingcele Africa NPC.  Mingcele facilitates and manages community development projects with a special focus on educational training support and environmental awareness”. Adding to this, he said: “The Western Cape Education Department was approached whereby the Clean Fires campaign is now incorporated as part of the Grade 3 curriculum”.

The course material covers the following air pollution aspects:

• what air pollution is;
• the health effects thereof;
• what causes air pollution;
• how you can help to reduce air pollution;
• how to make a fire;
• how to make a “cleaner” fire for heating purposes; and
• how to construct a stove from waste material.

Each participating school receives a study pack with the course material that is very convenient to the teacher. The course material is in line with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), are printed in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, and each resource pack consists of:

• Six printed posters;
• A game pack to learn about pollution and the environment;
• Five lesson plans; and
• Five worksheets in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans.

(Lesson plans and worksheets are all bound in a full-colour booklet DVD with five plug-ins for an interactive whiteboard).

This year alone, 66 schools in the Garden Route participated in the programme – that is, 115 teachers and 4400 children. It is anticipated that four family members are reached per child with a cumulative impact of 17 600 community members reached through this project for this year alone.

The project statistics for the last three years are as follows:

• 2019: 37 schools and 72 Teachers;
• 2020: 46 schools and 63 Teachers; and
• 2021:  66 schools and 151 Teachers.

For the last three years, the project almost reached 50 000 people in the Garden Route district.

Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the project occur through follow-ups and communication through two-way social media channels and attendance registers.

Due to the success of this project and the positive feedback received from the participating schools, the GRDM committed itself for another three years and a new tender was subsequently advertised for the continuation of the project.

As at Wednesday, 9 June 2021, the sixty-six (66) schools in the district have already received their study packs.

For any further information on the project, please contact Dr Johann Schoeman or Mr Angus Andries at: jschoeman@gardenroute.co.za or 044 693 0006.

Feature image: Study packs ready for distribution to schools in the Garden Route district.

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Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality establishes a dispersion modelling function

For Immediate Release
10 June 2021

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) recently procured the Enviman AERMOD (Air Quality Dispersion Modelling) software programme that enables the GRDM Air Quality Unit to conduct dispersion modelling studies. This is a new initiative to expand the scope of work of the GRDM Air Quality Officers.

According to Dr Johann Schoeman, GRDM Manager: Air Quality: “Air dispersion modelling is defined as a series of mathematical simulations of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the dispersion of pollutants.”

Dr Schoeman says AERMOD is also listed as an approved dispersion model in the Regulations that governs Dispersion Modelling, 2014, Government Notice R533. Thus, the program allows for creating air quality maps for comparison against national guidelines and limit values.

The application of this software will assist the Air Quality unit in dealing with air quality complaints. It predicts the emissions and effect of a specific source on a particular residency, depending on real-time weather data availability. For example, suppose a person phones the GRDM to complain about the smoke from a stack of Facility X. In that case, the GRDM can execute a theoretical predication of the dispersion by entering the real-time weather data and stack parameters, and the model will determine the concentrations at the complainant’s residency. GRDM can then determine if the complaint is indeed justified by comparing it with the National Ambient Air Quality standards.

The GRDM can also determine the air quality impact of area sources such as landfill sites on communities. The below dispersion model for Methane was done for the proposed GRDM Landfill site in Mossel Bay, based on the predicted landfill volumes during year one and the historical weather data for Mossel Bay over the last three years.

The programme can also determine various percentile equations to determine a specific source’s worst-case scenario on a community. The 99 percentile, for example, predicts the highest concentration of a pollutant for 1% of the year. This is demonstrated in the picture below.

Feature image: Average hourly period concentrations for Methane from the proposed Landfill site in Mossel Bay computed over a year. As can be seen in both examples, the methane concentrations are insignificant and will not cause any harm to the community. 

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Media Release: Garden Route at the top of its game in controlling air quality

For immediate release
26 March 2021

Garden Route district continues to achieve 100% submission of NAEIS reports

The “National Atmospheric Emission Inventory System” or “NAEIS” is an internet-based emissions reporting system, which is a component of the South African Atmospheric Emission Licencing and Inventory System (SAAELIP) portal. NAEIS allows for regulated industries, as well as authorities to report atmospheric emissions from all sectors for compiling a national atmospheric emission inventory profile. NAEIS is legislated through the National Emission Reporting regulations that prescribe NAEIS reporting.

“Emission inventory means an accounting of the amount of pollutants discharged into the atmosphere and it contains the total emissions for one or more specific greenhouse gases and air pollutants originating from all sources in a certain geographical area and within a specified time span, said Dr Johann Schoeman, Manager: District Air Quality Control.NAEIS is a web-based atmospheric emissions monitoring and reporting system that is aimed at providing accurate, current and complete information. It includes all significant sources of identified atmospheric emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions from South Africa. NAEIS uses a single national reporting system of atmospheric emissions, which includes:

• Informing policy formulation;
• Meeting obligations as a country, under the United Framework Convention on Climate Change and any other international treaties to which it is bound; and
• The establishment and upkeep of a National Emission Inventory Profile.

To comply with the reporting regulations, facilities must report emissions from each preceding year. This is made possible when the NAEIS system is opened for reporting from 1 January to 31 March annually. To ensure that this is done, the GRDM Air Quality unit arranged training sessions for its industries since the inception of NAEIS reporting in 2015 to assist stakeholders with reporting on the NAEIS system. Since the start, the Garden Route district collectively achieved a 100% submission of NAEIS reports although the National target currently stands at 90%.

This 100% submission rate is achieved through relentless assistance to our industry. “We guide the industry through special NAEIS completion target-group sessions, appointments and personal assistance,’ said Dr Schoeman.

“Most of the larger industries also have the capacity to appoint consultants to assist them with NAEIS reporting. We therefore focus on the smaller industries that do not have the capacity to do the reporting.”

Dr Schoeman further explained: “Within the Garden Route district, we have 37 facilities that have to report on NAEIS. With a week remaining, we already achieved a 70% submission rate with 26 Facilities that already submitted their NAEIS reports. We are in the process of reminding and assisting those that are busy with their NAEIS reports to do their submissions before 31 March 2021.”

The GRDM’s Air Quality section is sure that another 100% submission rate will be achieved for 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic made it challenging for both Industry, as well as the Air Quality Officers, because additional to compliance with Covid-19 protocols were added to daily tasks. Despite these challenges, the GRDM used innovative means to achieve its goals and objectives. After the NAEIS reporting cycle, authorities have to audit the NAEIS report, after which the National Department does National verifications.

For more information on the South African Atmospheric Emission Licensing and Inventory Portal (SAAELIP) go to:
https://saaelip.environment.gov.za/saaelip/home/

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Media Statement: Oil smell and possible oil pollution in Dana Bay

For Immediate Release
10 February 2021

Community members recently raised concerns via social media regarding possible oily residue in the Blinde River and areas reeking of oil in Dana Bay.  An inspection was subsequently done at the Blinde River on 10 February 2021 at around 13:15. Results of the inspection indicate that the blackish residue is most likely from algae growth in the river.

Algae often loosens up and decomposes alongside river banks and is in this case visibly darker in colour, similar to oil residue. PetroSA, who also visited the Blind River also confirmed this finding. However, samples were taken and sent for lab tests to confirm this statement. Furthermore, it was also confirmed that there was no oily smell from the black algae residue in the River or in Dana Bay.

The oily smell during the night is most likely residing from the PetroSA Gas To Liquids (GTL) refinery and specifically from an oil spill that occurred at the end of 2020 in two storm water ponds located adjacent to the N2. This incident was subsequently communicated to community members.

The respective case officers from National and Provincial level have been informed and are currently busy with applicable administrative action to resolve this issue. Over the short term, a solution is to clean the affected ponds, which is already underway. While the long-term solution is to upgrade the applicable unit to prevent spillages going forward. Further details about such clean-up operations need to be directed to the relevant authority, i.e. PetroSA.

The fact that the smells are more eminent during early morning hours is just that at that time of the morning, weather conditions are normally stable with dispersion conditions favouring air pollution. As soon as the temperature rises and the wind picks up, the smells gets dispersed.

Provincial air quality monitoring stations are located in George, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. The concentrations of pollutants measured at the Mossel Bay station continues to comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Furthermore, the listed activities in the Garden Route are monitored through their respective Atmospheric Emission Licences and any non-compliance will continue to be addressed through administrative action.

Mossel Bay residents are further informed that PetroSA management has opted in for an open line of communication with the public. Residents are therefore urged to contact the PetroSA Shift Manager at 044- 601 2531 to lodge a complaint which will be subsequently investigated.

The public is also welcome to contact the District Air Quality office for any applicable air quality complaints under the GRDM jurisdiction. The office number is 044-693 0006 during normal office hours (Monday – Thursday, 07:30 – 16:30; Fridays from 07:30 – 13:30).

Dr Johann Schoeman
Manager: District Air Quality Control
jschoeman@gardenroute.gov.za
Tel: +27 (0)44 693 0006 | +27 (0)84 317 9167

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