OBJECTIONS: ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA APPLICATION FOR ALTERNATIVE SO2 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS LIMIT AT DIRECT REDUCTION KILNS, ARCELORMITTAL VANDERBIJLPARK WORKS, GAUTENG PROVINCE

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted formal objections to ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMSA) application for an alternative SO2 emission limit at its Vanderbijlpark Works. The objections argue that granting a limit of 1,500 mg/Nm³—three times the legal standard of 500 mg/Nm³—would violate constitutional rights to a healthy environment, ignore the conversion of SO2 into dangerous particulate matter (PM), and prioritize corporate cost-savings over public health in a known pollution hotspot.

• AMSA is seeking an alternative SO2 emission limit of 1,500 mg/Nm³ for its direct reduction (DR) kilns, which is three times the strict legal Minimum Emission Standard (MES) of 500 mg/Nm³.
• Granting the requested alternative limit would result in an additional 1,561 tons of SO2 emissions per year compared to strict compliance, increasing annual emissions from 7,572 tons to 9,133 tons.
• The Atmospheric Impact Report (AIR) is deficient because it treats SO2 strictly as a gas and fails to model the 'gas-to-particle conversion' where 10-30% of SO2 emissions transform into secondary particulate matter (PM2.5) depending on weather conditions.
• The Vanderbijlpark plant is located in the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA), a pollution hotspot where PM10 and PM2.5 levels already exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
• AMSA's justification for the alternative limit is based on economic burden rather than technical impossibility, citing 'exceptionally high capital expenditure' and 'substantial operational costs'.
• The objections assert that granting the alternative limit violates Section 24 of the Constitution, which provides an unqualified right to an environment not harmful to health, and Section 28(2), regarding the best interests of children.
• AMSA has a history of non-compliance with environmental legislation, including exceedances of particulate matter (PM) noted in the National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER) 2016-2017.
• The document argues that the use of Section 12A of the National Framework to grant alternative limits is a 'retrogressive application of the law' and should be challenged in court to prevent permanent non-compliance.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2026). OBJECTIONS: ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA APPLICATION FOR ALTERNATIVE SO2 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS LIMIT AT DIRECT REDUCTION KILNS, ARCELORMITTAL VANDERBIJLPARK WORKS, GAUTENG PROVINCE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.06.15-VEJA-Objections-to-AMSA-section-12A-Application.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. OBJECTIONS: ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA APPLICATION FOR ALTERNATIVE SO2 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS LIMIT AT DIRECT REDUCTION KILNS, ARCELORMITTAL VANDERBIJLPARK WORKS, GAUTENG PROVINCE. 2026. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.06.15-VEJA-Objections-to-AMSA-section-12A-Application.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=OBJECTIONS: ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA APPLICATION FOR ALTERNATIVE SO2 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS LIMIT AT DIRECT REDUCTION KILNS, ARCELORMITTAL VANDERBIJLPARK WORKS, GAUTENG PROVINCE |date=15 June 2026 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.06.15-VEJA-Objections-to-AMSA-section-12A-Application.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2026objections, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{OBJECTIONS: ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA APPLICATION FOR ALTERNATIVE SO2 MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS LIMIT AT DIRECT REDUCTION KILNS, ARCELORMITTAL VANDERBIJLPARK WORKS, GAUTENG PROVINCE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.06.15-VEJA-Objections-to-AMSA-section-12A-Application.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }