ESKOM’S APPLICATIONS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004: ESKOM HEALTH STUDIES

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a letter to the Department of Environmental Affairs on 24 June 2014, arguing that Eskom failed to conduct necessary health impact assessments for its applications to postpone Minimum Emission Standards (MES). The CER highlights expert estimates of significant premature deaths and economic costs resulting from Eskom's emissions and notes that Eskom previously withheld its own internal health risk reports from the public.

• An expert report cited by the Centre for Environmental Rights estimates that emissions from Eskom's coal-fired power plants cause approximately 2,200 premature deaths annually due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), including about 200 deaths of young children, with an annual economic cost of 30 billion rand.
• If Eskom's applications for postponement of the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) are granted, it is projected that an additional 20,000 premature deaths (including 1,600 children) would occur over the remaining life of the plants, with an associated economic cost estimated at 230 billion rand.
• Eskom is accused of withholding internal health impact assessments from the public and the National Air Quality Officer. Two reports commissioned by Eskom in 2006, regarding the Mpumalanga Highveld and Limpopo Province, were only released following a Promotion of Access to Information Act application.
• The Department of Environmental Affairs has noted deficiencies in Eskom's applications; specifically, for the Hendrina station, the Department stated that no assessment of emissions' impact on human health and the environment was conducted.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2014). ESKOM’S APPLICATIONS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004: ESKOM HEALTH STUDIES. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-health-studies_24-June-2014.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. ESKOM’S APPLICATIONS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004: ESKOM HEALTH STUDIES. 2014. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-health-studies_24-June-2014.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=ESKOM’S APPLICATIONS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004: ESKOM HEALTH STUDIES |date=24 June 2014 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-health-studies_24-June-2014.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2014eskoms, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{ESKOM’S APPLICATIONS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004: ESKOM HEALTH STUDIES}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CER-letter-to-DEA-re-Eskom-health-studies_24-June-2014.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }