SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004 (AQA)

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting on behalf of groundWork, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted comments on 5 February 2013 regarding the draft National Dust Control Regulations published on 7 December 2012 under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (AQA). The submission argues for stronger protections for vulnerable populations, more rigorous monitoring standards, and the inclusion of government entities in enforcement.

• The submission proposes general improvements to the Regulations, including allowing air quality officers to request qualitative and quantitative analyses to identify hazardous substances in dust, such as toxic constituents in coal ash or fines. It also suggests including controls for incidental releases and implementing a community awareness campaign with clear procedures for dust-related incidents.
• The Centre for Environmental Rights argues that the definition of "residential area" should be expanded because the current wording, which relies on local town planning schemes, may exclude informal and traditional areas that are highly vulnerable to poor air quality.
• Regarding dust fallout standards (Regulation 3), the submission claims the proposed 30-day average for residential areas fails to account for acute exposure over short durations and could reduce the quantification of high-concentration emissions. It recommends setting standards for shorter durations, such as 24 hours.
• The submission suggests enhancements to monitoring requirements: dust monitoring reports should include data on the social environment (such as the number of children and elderly persons exposed), and PM10 monitoring should trigger PM2.5 monitoring if levels approach or exceed national ambient air quality standards.
• The submission emphasizes that government offenders must be held accountable for breaches of the Regulations, as the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (AQA) binds all organs of state.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2013). SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004 (AQA). https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CER-comments-2012.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004 (AQA). 2013. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CER-comments-2012.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004 (AQA) |date=5 February 2013 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CER-comments-2012.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2013submissions, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004 (AQA)}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2013}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CER-comments-2012.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }