EIAs – Is The Public Able To Participate?

Originally published in Business Brief - October/November 2008

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) have been part of South African environmental law since the enactment of the EIA Regulations under the Environmental Conservation Act in 1998. These have been amended and streamlined since the new EIA Regulations were introduced in 2006 under the National Environmental Management Act and are currently undergoing further amendments.

Rubber Stamping?

Public participation, and the public's right to information by interested and affected parties (IAPs), is a fundamental cornerstone of participatory environmental democracies around the world. However, an allegation which is frequently levelled at the EIA process is that it is merely a rubber stamping exercise carried out by the applicant's consultant and given credence by the regulators.