1. 10th Air Quality Governance Lekgotla Session: 7.3
Offsets Guideline for Air Quality Management: Principles and Applications – Fezile Dabi District Municipality Case Study
10th Air Quality Governance Lekgotla
Session: 7.3
Climate Change and Air Quality
Ms Elizabeth Masekoameng
10th Air Quality Governance Lekgotla
President Hotel, Bloemfontein
29 September 2015

2. Presentation Outline Purpose of the guideline Definitions
Legislative provisions
Principles
Applications of the guideline
Roles and responsibilities
Public participation

3. Purpose of the Guideline
The Air Quality Management Offset Guideline is aimed at providing a framework to the industry or proponents, government entities, consultants, the general public and other key stakeholders regarding appropriate principles to be adhered to in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of air quality offsets.

4. Definitions (cont..) Air Quality Offsets
“An intervention/s specifically implemented to counterbalance the adverse impacts of atmospheric emissions to deliver a net ambient air quality benefit within the affected airshed/s.”
Examples: Interventions that reduces emissions from : domestic fuel burning , waste burning, vehicles etc

5. Legislative provisions
To protect the environment – reasonable measures for:
the protection and enhancement of the quality of air in the Republic;
the prevention of air pollution and ecological degradation; and
securing ecologically sustainable development while promoting justifiable economic and social development

6. Legislative provisions
Section 43 (m) of the AQA stipulates that “An atmospheric emission license must specify, among other things, any other matters which are necessary for the protection or enforcement of air quality.
Section 39(i) of the AQA: “When considering an application for an atmospheric emission license, the licensing authority must take into account all relevant matters including any other guideline issued by the minister or MEC relating to the performance by licensing authorities of their functions”

7. Principles
The offset must complement and not substitute legislative requirements.
Facilities must be committed to reducing point emissions and achieving emission limits.

8. Principles Acceptability
Licensing Authority(ies) and the Community must be in support for the interventions.

9. Principles Sustainability
The offset should be based on long term air quality improvement without impeding on other socioeconomic and environmental objectives.

10. Principles Measurable
IF approved, an offset must have measurable air quality outcomes. AQ monitoring should be a requirement. No “green washing”

11. Principles No Like for like
The proposed offset project(s) should address pollutant(s) whose ambient concentrations is/are of concern in a particular area and not necessarily the pollutant(s) whose emissions from a specific facility is/are of concern

12. How do we measure the success of offsets
KISS Approach
The implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the offset should be based on the outcome, which is the improvement in ambient air quality within the airshed

13. Applications
The case of Section 21 Postponement application.
Provides for applications for postponement of compliance timeframes for existing plants
The NAQO in concurrence with AELA may grant or refuse the application
Offsets as conditions for positively considered postponement applications: condition to be incorporated into the AEL

14. Applications (Cont…) The case of Variation of a license
According to Section 46(1)(d) of AQA, the licensing authority may vary a license or a provisional license upon request by the license holder.
If the request will result in an increase in atmospheric emissions S.14(3)(b), Offsets as a condition to a positive variation application

15. Set stricter emission limits
Applications (cont…)
The case of new AEL applications in areas with poor or potentially poor air quality
This includes all national and provincial priority areas (section 18 of AQA)
Also includes areas that are in the alert/transitional compliant/non-compliant zones in terms of the National Framework
Offset emissions
Set stricter emission limits
Avoid new facilities

16. Roles and responsibilities
Applicant
Identify & assess impact
Funding & implementation
logistics for public meetings
Authorities
Monitor and review
Support public meetings
(not identify project)
Communities
Support Implementation

17. Public participation Considerations
The manner in which the public was invited
Information sent to the participants
Measures to ensure effective participation by people with disabilities
Measures to ensure effective participation by people limited in terms of the level of literacy
Minutes of the meeting reflecting what people agreed and disagreed to.

18. THE CASE OF FEZILE DABI…………

19. Ms. Elizabeth Masekoameng Tel: /1

20. Environmental offsetting
Definitions
Environmental offsetting
“An environmental offset is an intervention, or interventions, specifically implemented to counterbalance an adverse environmental impact of land-use change, resource use, discharge, emission or other activity at one location that is implemented at another location to deliver a net environmental benefit”.
Carbon offsets
Biodiversity offsets
Air quality offsets
Water quality offsets
Heritage offsets (etc)

21. Why offsets
Every activity licensed means addition to pollution load in the airshed even if the activity complies with limits
Section 21
and AEL system
Option 1:
stricter emission limits are set by licensing authorities
Option 2:
Unless emissions are offset by another intervention 2 1

22. Why offsets(1) Industrial emissions Domestic fuel burning
AQA: Ambient air quality that is not harmful
Industrial emissions
Domestic fuel burning
Vehicle emissions
Emissions from abandoned mine dumps
Section 21
and AEL system
Challenges: Mandate, accountability.