Environmental Compliance Monitoring and Auditing

Environmental compliance (or performance) audits are specifically designed to test compliance (which covers both legal compliance and corporate compliance) to environmental policies, objectives, laws, by-laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards. These types of audits will often also include more numerical testing and specific checks on, for example, compliance with requirements in water and air permits and licenses.

Environmental Management Systems

An Environmental Management System (EMS) has the aim of ensuring that all businesses, whether public or private, as well as governmental agencies, limit their negative impact on the environment while continuing to function efficiently.

An environmental management system is built on a structure that includes process planning, principle application, outcome monitoring, and operation correction. An environmental management system is thus designed to improve business operations and efficiently reduce environmental impact.

Water use authorization (WULA and GA)

Applications for water use authorizations for water use activities may take the form of a Water Use License (WULA) or a General Authorization (GA), depending on the nature of the proposed water use and the likely impact the water use will have on water resources.

All application processes are undertaken in alignment with the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) ‘Regulations regarding the Procedural Requirements for Water Use License Applications and Appeals’ (Government Notice R267 of 24 March 2017). SES has extensive experience in undertaking both WULA and GA applications.

General Authorisation
The Department of Water and Sanitation, as the responsible authority, has by notice in the Government Gazette issued General authorizations that generally apply to specific water uses in relation to specific water resources and/or in specific areas. If a proposed activity complies with all the conditions as set out in the applicable general authorisation, the activity will only be subject to a registration process that can be finalised within 30 days.

Water Use Licence Application (WULA)
A Water Use License Application process is required when the risk of impact to a water resource is too high and the proposed activity does therefore not comply with the conditions of a General authorisation. The water use license application process is undertaken within 300 days which is initiated with the submission of the initial application documents and concludes when a decision is reached by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Contrary to the registration process required for a general authorization, the water use license application process requires a site visit to the area where the activity occurs or is proposed; a public participation process; detailed specialist assessments of the likely impacts on water resources, and assessment of the application by the competent authority

Environmental Management Programme Reports ( EMPr)

An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) or Programme (EMPr) is an environmental management tool used to ensure that undue or avoidable adverse impacts of the construction, operation, and decommissioning specific to a project are prevented; and that the positive benefits of the project are enhanced.

There is a reliance on the EMPr to ensure that a project’s actual environmental impacts are consistent with those evaluated in the (EIA) process. The EMPr is therefore fundamental to the EIA process and should ensure that commitments were given at a project’s planning and assessment stage are carried through the construction and/ or operation stage.

The empire, as contemplated in Chapter 5 Section 24 N (1A) of NEMA, plays a vital role in the implementation of consistent and continued environmental management for the duration of a project life cycle.