Provincial Integrated Waste Management Plans - Environmental Management , May/June 2008

Jeffares & Green (Pty) Ltd was appointed by the Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation (DTEC) of the Northern Cape Provincial Government to develop a Provincial Integrated Waste Management Plan (P-IWMP). This project marks the first P-IWMP to be undertaken by Jeffares & Green, although the company has developed many local and district municipal IWMP’s, including those for the City of Cape Town and the Namakwa District Municipality. The Northern Cape Province is one of the first provinces to develop an Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP); another is the North West Province.

Unlike a local municipal IWMP, a P-IWMP has a stronger focus on the enabling and support structures of provincial government in terms of legislation; enforcement and capacity building. Bearing these aspects in mind, it is still necessary to understand the current waste management systems in place, from local municipality to provincial level.

The Northern Cape Province is a vast and diverse area geographically with large travelling distances between main towns, which can contribute to challenging waste management issues. It covers 29,7% of South Africa's land surface at 361,830km², yet it has the country's smallest population – around one million people, and a spacious population density of three people per square kilometre. The province is made up of five district municipalities:

Pixley Ka Seme – district capital, De Aar; Frances Baard – district capital, Kimberley; Siyanda - district capital, Upington; Namaqua - district capital, Springbok; and Kgalagadi - district capital, Kuruman.

Challenges: local level
The Northern Cape presented many challenges in terms of data collection and information gathering. Information concerning the existing waste management practices was obtained through available data sources, including existing district and local IWMPs. Four of the five district municipalities (DM) had developed an IWMP. Questionnaires were sent to the local municipalities within that district in an attempt to obtain up-to-date data. The IWMPs reflect that the recording of waste information in the past, and currently, is not considered a priority for the majority of local authorities, as there are generally no records available detailing the waste volumes or waste types. The DM-IWMPs developed have used per capita generation rates to estimate daily, weekly and per annum generation rates. The per capita waste generation volumes vary between the different IWMP reports. Variation is expected between the different socio-economic income groups but the range of variation has led to confusing data.

Per capita generation rates (variation)

Low income 0,2-0,5kg per day

Middle-high income 0,4-1,5kg per day

In order to gain a better understanding of the data that was received, field visits were conducted during January 2008. The field visits included meetings with the relevant district and local officials in charge of waste management activities, as well as inspecting selected waste management facilities. The sites visited provided a good overview of the challenges and opportunities.

One of the main challenges which local municipalities face is the lack of resources; in terms of human, financial and capital (site machinery and infrastructure) resources. The waste management function is often designated as a sub-function within a department such as environmental health, water and sanitation or social development. More often than not, environmental health practitioners are given the additional responsibility of managing waste functions in conjunction with their other responsibilities. It was also found that there were many posts vacant, increasing the pressure at these levels. Local municipalities obtain their financial budgets from the rates and tariffs they charge for services they render. It would appear that the rates and tariff structures require reviews to ascertain whether what is being charged for is in line with the required budget to operate an effective waste management service - and what the ratio of non-payment is. The operating budgets of local municipalities generally reside within other departments, making it difficult to decipher where and how budgets are spent on waste management. A separate budget should be allocated to waste management activities in order to track how these budgets are spent, and a full cost accounting system implemented.

Due to the lack of resources, there is a marked difference between those sites managed by a private company and those operated by the municipalities. With the exception of the mine controlled waste disposal sites, there are three landfill sites in the province that are privately managed by a waste contractor. These sites have permanent staff and equipment on site, whereas the municipal sites are largely left unmanned with little or no equipment evident.

Enforcement of legislation is a further challenge. Whilst the local municipalities have very few resources, there is still an obligation to meet the minimum requirements in terms of legislation - national, provincial and local bylaws. Landfill sites and other waste management facilities are governed by the Environment Conservation Act, 73 of 1989 in terms of the permit requirements in Section 20 (1) and the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (EIA). The National Environmental Management: Waste Management Bill is soon to be promulgated and this will form the overarching framework legislation for waste management in South Africa. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is the delegated permitting authority for waste management facilities.

There are 130 waste disposal sites in the Northern Cape Province. Of these 130 sites, 84 are municipal and 46 are mine or privately owned; 85 are permitted, while 45 are not permitted. All of the mine operated sites have permits. The 85 permitted sites are classified as follows, 4 x G:M:B-, 24 x G:S:B- and 57 x G:C:B-.

A number of landfill sites have gone through the necessary EIA process and received a Record of Decision (Environmental Authorisation) on the basis of which they have applied for an operating permit. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) was formally the regulating authority for the issuing of permits in terms of Section 20 (1) of the Environment Conservation Act; this function has been delegated to DEAT, since 2006. It was reported during discussions with officials that some operating permits applied for, prior to DEAT becoming the permitting authority, are still outstanding and in some cases the applications have had to be re-submitted to DEAT. A number of sites were visited to ascertain whether there had been any improvements since the envelopment of the DM-IWMPs.

Sites visited included:


The landfill sites visited generally do not meet the Minimum Requirements. An example of this is a G:M:B landfill site which is poorly located as there is definite ponding in evidence on site. It is not clear whether the ponding is from surface water runoff, groundwater seepage, leachate or a combination of these. Concern has been raised about this ponding because there is a community living in close proximity (± 400m) to the site and making use of borehole water.

However, the site is managed by a private waste contractor and, aside from its unsuitable siting, the management of the site deserves commendation. Staff members are always on site to record incoming waste volumes (estimated in relation to the capacity of the vehicle); to direct the vehicles to the landfill working area; and there is equipment on site to compact and cover the waste on a daily basis. Chipping of green waste also takes place on site for mulching and composting purposes. A further example is that of a G:S:B- Iandfill site which is also poorly located and with no available cover material. Winddblown litter is evident en route to the site and the burning of waste is common practice. There are future plans to close both of these sites.

Informal salvaging is common on the disposal sites. In some areas the salvaging is very organised and in others it is disorganised and random. A range of recyclables is collected, including metal from burnt tyres and recovered bricks from building rubble. It was noted at a G:M:B- site that food products were being collected and in discussion with the salvager, it was stated that the meat products would be used to feed his pigs - but this is uncertain. This incident is not particular to the Northern Cape; informal salvaging of recyclables and food products occurs at many landfill sites around the country. The informal recovery of food products from landfill sites is an illustration of the reality of the many people who are living in poverty. A particular site which has taken entrepreneurship to new levels, found salvagers collecting onions off the landfill, bagging them and selling them to the public a kilometre down the road! The waste onions are disposed of by a nearby farmer. The municipality should investigate whether the waste onions are suitable for collection and re-sale, as this is a potential opportunity for collaboration between the farmer and the salvagers.

Information pertaining to waste generation and disposal data was generally lacking throughout the province. There is a need for the province to initiate a Waste Information System (WIS) on a rudimentary level, prior to the roll-out of the National WIS. The WIS does not have to be complicated and could involve basic record keeping of incoming loads at landfill facilities. Having a better understanding of the amount and types of waste being generated in the province will ensure improved future planning. At present, it is a challenge to set targets when the baseline data are unknown or inaccurate.

Challenges: provincial level
The challenges at provincial level are somewhat different from those found at local level. The most common challenges are in terms of enforcement, funding and skills resources. The provincial authorities are required to ensure that the local authorities are providing the necessary services in a sustainable manner as per the Constitution.

It should be noted that enforcement in terms of the Constitution - the Bill of Rights, as well as Chapters 6 and 7 which stipulate the roles and responsibilities of provincial government and local municipalities, respectively - is not being carried out, in terms of both waste management facilities and services. Local municipalities have a designated function to strive to provide services that do not impact negatively on the community's health, environment and well-being; whilst the provincial authorities are required to play a regulating role and enforce National legislation. The lack of enforcement on the provincial level can mainly be attributed to a lack of staff, as well as an inability to maintain co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations. The Constitution of South Africa is very clear about the responsibilities of the different tiers of government and dispute resolution.

The budget of the Waste Management and Pollution sub-programme on average receives 0,05% of the total Northern Cape Provincial Budget. This figure is low and indicates that waste management is not getting the attention that is required. The budget needs to be reviewed in line with the requirements of the Department, especially in light of the soon to be promulgated National Waste Management Bill. The permitting function is likely to be delegated from the National DEAT to the provincial authorities, and this additional function at the provincial level will require additional resources and skills.

The promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Waste Management Bill will require many changes within the various tiers of government. At the provincial level, the MEC will be required to set targets, norms and standards for waste minimisation and recycling at the provincial, district and local, municipal levels. It will also be necessary for the district and local municipalities to have designated waste management officers. Institutional changes such as these will have an impact on the already restricted financial budgets and human resources at both provincial and local levels.


Opportunities
Whilst many challenges were identified through the development of the P-IWMP, there are many opportunities which need to be explored.

One of the main areas of concern is the poor state, in general, of many of the province’s waste management facilities.
This is an area of high priority and one where the provincial authorities can assist the local authorities. Opportunities exist for information transfer and capacity building from the provincial level to the local level. A Waste Management Forum already exists in the province and should be used to its full potential. At present, there are not many local authorities that attend the forum meetings and attendance should be encouraged, as it is a perfect platform for information exchange and an opportunity for local authorities to present their constraints in terms of waste management.

The general lack of data on waste should be addressed by implementing a basic WIS. Implementing a basic system now, will assist the authorities when the National WIS comes online and it will provide the necessary information for future planning. Knowledge of baseline data can assist authorities at all levels to motivate for additional funding and other resources from National Treasury and from other funding sources.

The national legislative structures are in place to enable provincial authorities to supply the necessary support structures to the district and local municipalities. This aspect will be very important in assisting the local municipalities to draft IWM by-laws. The legislative review revealed that there are either no waste by-laws in place or that the by-laws that are in place are outdated and bear no relation to integrated waste management or the principles of the waste management hierarchy. The soon to be promulgated National
Waste Management Bill will require all provincial government's to develop a P-IWMP and to implement a WIS. Provincial governments should consider taking the lead from the Northern Cape, in order to gain a good understanding of the waste issues facing their province as a whole. Provincial governments have an opportunity to lead by example and to provide the support structures required by both district and local municipalities, as required by the Constitution of South Africa.


Article by Sally-Anne Engledow, Jeffares & Green (Pty) Ltd and
Erna Groeners of the Northern Cape Province: Department of Tourism, Environment & Conservation.


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