Air Quality Management Capacity

Development Programmes

Session 6.1

Presentation to the Air Quality

Governance Lekgotla

30 October 2012

Orion Safari Lodge: Rustenburg

Presented by: Ms. Agnes Makau

Department of Environmental Affairs

Presentation Outline...

• Background

• Identified training Requirements

• Training Approaches

– DEA/ NACA courses

– AEL training

– GHG training

– Prosecutor training

– SETA programme

• Conclusion

Background

• The implementation the National Environmental

Management: AQA requires the technical

knowledge in Air Quality Management

• The recognition of the absence of a

comprehensive AQM courses by tertiary

institutions as they offer the environmental

courses over a long period of time.

• Only few institutions (UJ, UP) offered air quality

management short courses over a two weeks

period.

Background continue

• These short courses are expensive and also do

not cover a range of topics that the AQO’s need

in their current positions.

– For example, Introduction to Air Quality Management

(10 days) costs about R15000.00 per participant

excluding travelling and accommodation costs

(courses are being offered in Gauteng through the UJ

or UP).

• Not recognised by SALGA, making it difficult for

the AQO to gain incentives after attending these

courses.

Background Continue

• The WGII has decided that:

– The Task Team be establishment to look into

the training and capacity building

requirements of Air Quality Officials both in

the short and long terms.

– DEA to provide support to the local authorities

with necessary tools to implement the AQM

functions (job-specific training like AELs,

AQMP development, etc).

Identified Training Requirements

• Requests were made to the Provincial AQOs to

submit training requirements for officials within

their jurisdiction.

• The following were identified from the provincial

submissions:

– General/Introduction to Air Quality Management

– Emission Inventories – Development and

Interpretation

– Ambient AQ Monitoring & Stations Management

(calibration, maintenance, etc.)

– Air Pollution Meteorology

Identified Training Requirements

• Atmospheric Emission Licensing

• AQMP Development and Implementation

• Industrial Processes – linked to S21 Notice

• AQ/Dispersion Modelling (Interpretation of

Reports & Use)

• Noise Control Management

• AQ Compliance and Enforcement

DEA-NACA Training

DEA/ NACA Courses

• The DEA-NACA MoU provided the department with

the opportunity to expand and grow the technical

knowledge.

• NACA should offer AQM courses in all provinces and

not at the University as it is currently.

• DEA and NACA to agree on the number of officials per

course.

• Training manuals will be prepared by NACA in

collaboration with the DEA to ensure that the content

meet the needs of the officials

• DEA to provide funding for training

DEA/ NACA Courses

• Currently NACA is offering the Introduction to Air

Quality Management course over two weeks

period to all provinces to assist officials with the

basics

• The course covers the following topics: – Legislative and regulatory context

– Introduction to air pollutants and their characteristics

– Sources of air pollution - identification, emission quantification

and control –

– Impacts of air pollutants on receiving environments

– Air Pollution Meteorology

– Air Pollution Modelling

– Air Quality Management Planning

DEA/ NACA Training courses

PROVINCE DATE No. of officials

Limpopo 12 – 16 March 2012 19

North West 26 –30 March 2012 21

Western Cape 7- 11 May 2012 22

Eastern Cape 4 – 8 June 2012 23

Mpumalanga 23 – 27 July 2012 8

Gauteng 23 – 27 July 2012 11

Free State To be confirmed

Northern Cape To be confirmed

KwaZulu Natal To be confirmed

Positive Outcomes

• The training was well attended

• The content of introduction AQM course

was well received

Training Challenges

• Absence of confirmed officials

• Late or no submissions of assignments for

assessments

Way forward

• Release the assessment results for the

completed provinces

• Complete the remaining provinces

• Preparation of the content of the

specialised courses identified

• Resume training with specialised courses

AEL training

AEL Training

• DEA also offer the on job training in parallel with

NACA theoretical courses.

• AEL training has resumed to:

– To assist with capacity building of the

licensing authorities

– To get licensing authorities to the point where

they are confident in processing application

– To get new (with delegated function) licensing

authorities capacitated to take over the

function.

AEL Training Program Outline • The training program includes BUT NOT

LIMITED TO:

– Detailed explanation of AEL application form and

license templates

– Processing actual application form(s) received by

licensing authority

– Section 21 Listed Activities and the S21 companion

document

– Last day: Site visit to a facility (preferably an

applicant)

– Licensing authorities may send requests in advance

for a specific topic to be added to the program

AEL Training Program

PROVINCE DATE VENUE

Free State 11 – 13 July 2012 Fezile Dabi

Eastern Cape 16 – 18 July 2012 Bloemfontein

Northern Cape 1 – 3 August 2012 Upington

North West 6 – 8 November 2012 Klerksdorp

Limpopo 13 – 15 November

2012

Polokwane

Mpumalanga 20 – 22 November

2012

Nelspruit

Gauteng 28 – 30 November

2012

Ekurhuleni

Western Cape TBC TBC

KwaZulu Natal TBC TBC

Positive Outcomes

• Officials who are familiar with the AEL content

engage more and ask specific questions – This

allows more content to be covered during

training

• Practice makes perfect – The more officials

attempt processing AEL application, the easier

the processing

• Department learns from the feedback (positive

and constructive) from authorities

Training Challenges

• Officials come unprepared for AEL training

– Some officials are still unfamiliar with the

contents of the AEL templates: Low

participation because of highly technical

content

– Participants leave training more confused

(especially when unfamiliar with content)

• AEL support program will continue through next

year

• Training will be more focused

• Officials need to specify focus areas to be

trained on (e.g. listed activities, monitoring, etc) -

This can also allow experts to be invited

• Training will only be offered to officials who have

attempted processing the application (NO

EXPLANATION OF TEMPLATES)

Way forward

GHG training

GHG training

• A five day training workshop on GHG emissions

inventory compilation, based on the 2006

Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change

(IPCC) guidelines.

• Training is aimed at assisting the local

authorities on how to estimate GHG emissions in

order to create an emissions baseline, monitor

progress, assess the relative contributions of

emission sources.

GHG training outline

• The training covers the following topics:

– Introduction to emissions inventories

– Compilation of Key Category Analysis

– The 2006 Intergovernmental Panel for

Climate Change Guidelines

– Introduction to the components of a sound

GHG Inventory management system

– Introducing the IPCC Emission Factor

Database (EFDB)

GHG training schedule

Province Dates

Eastern Cape 30th May – 03 June 2011

North West 18th -22nd June 2012

Free State 2nd – 6th June 2012

Mpumalanga 30th July – 03 August 2012

Gauteng To be confirmed

Limpopo To be confirmed

Northern Cape To be confirmed

Western Cape To be confirmed

KwaZulu Natal To be confirmed

Prosecutor’s training

Prosecutor’s training

• DEA is also conducting training to prosecutors to

support their understanding of the AQA

• Two trainings conducted in June and July in

Cape Town and Pretoria respectively

• One training scheduled to take place in

November

SETA Programme

SETA programme

• DEA is working closely with Quality Council for

Trades and Occupations regarding accreditation

for environmental courses

• CD AQM is in consultation with the DEA Sector

Education Training and Development Section

regarding the SETA accreditation process to

ensure that air quality management courses

received a required recognition.

SETA programme

• merSETA has been identified as the

possible relevant SETA

• Two expert panels need to be established,

i.e Quality Development Partners and

Quality Assessment Panel

SETA Programme

• Quality Development Partners- to be comprised

of people who are experts in the subject matter

(industry, academia and government) to develop

the course content

• Quality Assessment Panel – The panel will

ensure that the standard of the training material is

consistent with the approved curriculum (academic

background).

• DEA has already identified potential scientists

(industry, government, academia) to serve on the

panels and invitation letters will be circulated to

them.

Conclusion

• SETA process might take a while to

complete

• DEA will continue to support the local

authorities to build capacity and grow the

technical knowledge that is required by

AQO to perform their functions

KEA LEBOGA