National Environmental Management Act (107/1998) » Generic EMPr for development and expansion for overhead electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure

This 2019 South African government guide establishes generic Environmental Management Programmes (EMPrs) for the development of electricity substations and overhead transmission and distribution infrastructure. It provides a legally binding framework for mitigating environmental impacts, defining roles for project managers and environmental officers, and prescribing specific actions for waste management, vegetation clearing, and site rehabilitation.

• The generic EMPrs are mandatory for applications for environmental authorisation (EA) that trigger specific activities under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014, specifically activity 11 or 47 of Listing Notice 1 and activity 9 of Listing Notice 2.
• The document defines a structured three-part system for the EMPr: Part A provides non-binding general guidance; Part B Section 1 is a pre-approved template of impact management outcomes and actions; Part B Section 2 contains site-specific information and a declaration of compliance; and Part C addresses site-specific environmental sensitivities not covered in the generic template.
• The implementation of the EMPr requires a clear hierarchy of roles, including a Developer's Project Manager (DPM) accountable for overall compliance, a Developer Site Supervisor (DSS) for day-to-day implementation, an independent Environmental Control Officer (ECO) for monitoring and auditing, and a Contractor's Environmental Officer (cEO) for on-site execution.
• Strict documentation and reporting protocols are required, including a hard-copy EMPr file, weekly environmental checklists completed by the ECO, monthly Environmental Audit Reports (EAR), and a digital photographic record showing the site before, during, and after rehabilitation.
• Contractors must submit detailed method statements at least 14 days before starting activities. These statements must cover construction procedures, equipment use, transport, storage, leak containment, timing, and compliance measures.
• Specific environmental protections are mandated for watercourses and estuaries, including the prohibition of development equipment traversing wetlands where possible and the requirement that any water contaminated with suspended solids be treated in settlement ponds before release.
• Vegetation management requires that protected or endangered species be identified, rescued, and replanted by a specialist before clearing begins, and that permits be obtained from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
• Hazardous substance management requires all storage areas to be bunded with a SABS approved liner, and the bund volume must be 130% of the total capacity of all storage tanks to account for statutory requirements and rainfall.
• For overhead infrastructure, a one-metre 'trace-line' may be cut through vegetation for stringing purposes only, and this must be done by hand using chainsaws or hand-held implements without the use of mechanised equipment.
• Rehabilitation requirements specify that disturbed areas must be returned to a state approximating original conditions, with topsoil stockpiles not exceeding 2 metres in height and berms created with a slope of 1:4 and replanted with indigenous species.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). National Environmental Management Act (107/1998) » Generic EMPr for development and expansion for overhead electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Generic-EMPR-Substations-and-Overhead-electricty-transmission-and-distribution-infrastructure.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. National Environmental Management Act (107/1998) » Generic EMPr for development and expansion for overhead electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Generic-EMPR-Substations-and-Overhead-electricty-transmission-and-distribution-infrastructure.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=National Environmental Management Act (107/1998) » Generic EMPr for development and expansion for overhead electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Generic-EMPR-Substations-and-Overhead-electricty-transmission-and-distribution-infrastructure.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndnational, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{National Environmental Management Act (107/1998) » Generic EMPr for development and expansion for overhead electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Generic-EMPR-Substations-and-Overhead-electricty-transmission-and-distribution-infrastructure.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }