The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has amended the compulsory registration date for Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs).
EAPs now have until 7 February 2022 to register with a registration authority appointed by the Minister Barbara Creecy.
“The extension of 24 months, from the present deadline of 8 February 2020, was published in Government Gazette No. 43632 (Notice No. 906) by the Minister, on 21 August 2020. The amendment of Regulation 22 of the Section 24H Registration Authority Regulations was promulgated following public input,” said the department in a statement on Wednesday.
The department said the additional time allows for the facilitation of additional applications and for the processing of applications received by the appointed registration authority.
The Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) was appointed on 8 February 2018 in terms of Section 24H of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
The Regulations guiding the work of the sector provide that no person other than a registered EAP may hold primary responsibility for the planning, management, coordination or review of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and associated Environmental Management Programmes (EMPrs).
“Apart from the need to provide more time for environmental assessment practitioners to register, it has become clear that other amendments to the Regulations will be required. This will be necessary to provide clarity on some aspects contained in the Regulations in order to make the implementation thereof more efficient,” it said.
The department has encouraged all non-registered EAPs to submit their applications for registration with the registration authority before the next deadline.
The notice in the Government Gazette can be accessed on: https://www.environment.gov.za/sites/default/files/gazetted_notices/nema_section24Hregistrationauthority_g43632gon906.pdf - SAnews.gov.za
