Heritage Cases

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) commissioned a study in 2007, completed in 2009, that aimed at identifying and determining the number of waste disposal facilities in South Africa that are not licenced. Of a total of 581 sites that were identified, 431 needed to be licensed. It was evident from the study that Local Municipalities (LMs) did not have adequate training or funding for lodging applications to licence their unlicensed waste disposal facilities or the management thereof. The Minister undertook to begin the process of licencing these sites, with a target that all would be licenced by 2013/2014. Subsequently, the DEA has identified an additional 57 municipal waste disposal facilities which must be licensed during the 2014/15 financial year. The licensing of the Hartswater landfill falls within the scope of this process. The Phokwane Local Municipality (LM) is applying for a Waste Management License (WML) for the closure of the existing unlicensed Hartswater Landfill. This landfill is to be decommissioned, as the LM obtained a WML for the new (existing) Hartswater Landfill in 2010. The unlicensed landfill is located approximately 1.2 km south east of the Hartswater CBD, Northern Cape. Although the unlicensed landfill has not been used by the Applicant since 2013, illegal dumping of general waste is still taking place within the landfill boundaries. The site is not licensed but is classified as a G:C:B-, due to the waste types and volume received and the climatic conditions of the area. A general description of the landfill (following a site visit conducted on the 17/08/2015) includes the following: The landfill site is enclosed by perimeter fencing and a gate. However, no access control is conducted and the fence has been removed on the eastern side to allow for semi-formal housing; This facility is not lined with any impervious surfacing; No hazardous waste was reported to be received on site; No record keeping of the influx (amount) of waste received was kept; A wetland has formed in the centre of the landfill, with some erosion gullies towards the north-eastern corner; and, Illegal dumping was found to occur inside the landfill facility.