Palabora Copper WML_ Section 24G Rectification

Palabora Copper (Pty) Ltd (PC) applied for an Integrated Waste Management Licence under Section 20 and 44 of the National Environmental Management Waste Act, 2008, which they received in 2016. The license application was made for waste management activities related to general and hazardous waste streams at their premises in Phalaborwa, Limpopo Province. PC generates various hazardous and general waste streams, including process wastewater, boiler ash, slag, hydrocarbon-contaminated materials, sewage, domestic waste, silt, wood, scrap, and used oils.

PC was granted the Waste Management License (WML) in 2016 under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008, authorizing the PC Waste Management Facility for hazardous waste disposal, general waste disposal, sorting, reuse, recycling, recovery, and treatment of hazardous waste. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted by Golder Associates Africa (Pty) Ltd, an independent consultant, and the Environmental Management Programme was compiled to support the License Application. The WML, valid until 19 February 2021, was to be reviewed every three years, with PC initiating the review within six months. The review could be amended, withdrawn, or extended based on license conditions, audit reports, or changing legislation. PC engaged the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to review and vary the WML.

PC received a rejection letter from the DFFE on 1 September 2023, stating that the WML expired on 19 February 2021, preventing it from reviewing its waste management facility. This contravened section 20 of NEMWA, and PC must now apply for a new authorization under section 24G of NEMA.
Province(s): Limpopo