Public comment sought on environmental licence fees

In November 2011, the department published for public comment the draft fee structure for environmental authorisations and waste management licences in Gazette No 34734. Amendments were made to the fee regulations based on comments received and are being gazetted for a final round of comment.

The purpose of the regulations is to prescribe the fee to be paid for the consideration and processing of an application for an environmental authorisation or waste management licence, an amendment of an environmental authorisation as well as the transfer, renewal or variation of a waste management licence.

The regulations exclude applications for wetland rehabilitation, community based projects funded by a government grant and applications made by an organ of state.

Environmental Affairs spokesperson Albi Modise said that presently, government was covering all costs related to applications for environmental authorisations and waste management licences.

"It was decided that a fee be attached to applications in order to recover basic administration costs of processing an application."

Modise warned that when an application was withdrawn or has lapsed, the fee would not be refunded.

Furthermore, when an application for an environmental authorisation - for which a basic assessment is required - is lodged and it later transpires that the application requires scoping and an environmental impact assessment, the balance of the fee must be paid before the reports are considered.

The fees are proposed to be implemented in July 2012.

Interested and affected parties are invited to submit written comments to the minister within 30 days of publication of the notice in the Gazette.

Written comments or inputs can be delivered by hand at 315 Pretorius Street, corner Pretorius and Van Der Walt streets, Fedsure Forum Building, 2nd Floor, North Tower.

Mail can be addressed to The Director-General: Environmental Affairs, Attention: Mr N Nkotsoe, Private Bag X447, Pretoria, 0001. Emails can be sent to nnkotsoe@environment.gov.za or telefax transmission to (012) 320 1781.

All enquiries should be directed to Nkotsoe at (012) 395 1689. Comments received after the closing date may not be considered.

Access the gazette notices on waste management licence fees.
Access the gazette on environmental authorisation licence fees.