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Subject: South Africa: It's official: Asbestos to be banned in SA
From: editor@...
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:51:11 +0100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Below, official announcement of South Africa’s ban on asbestos. Below that, a related news item.
It would be good to see similar moves in Canada and other nations still actively promoting asbestos production and exports. Other nations, including the US, could help increase the pressure for a global ban by instituting their own prohibition. Rory
Rory O’Neill
International Federation of Journalists
Hazards magazine www.hazards.org/asbestos
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism,Marthinus van Schalkwyk, announces a prohibition on the use, processing ormanufacturing of asbestos or asbestos containing products at the launch of theAsbestos Regulations, Pretoria
27 March 2008
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism today announced a prohibition on the use, processing or manufacturing, of any asbestos or asbestos containing products.
South Africa (SA) mined crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile asbestos extensively from the late 1800s until 2001. Asa major supplier of asbestos to the world, SA produced 97% of the world’s crocidolite, 100% of the amosite and was the fifth largest producer of chrysotile. At its peak asbestos accounted for 3% of the value of South Africa’s mineral exports.
Mining occurred in the Northern Cape, North West,Limpopo and Mpumalanga.The health implications of exposure to airborne asbestos fibres were highlighted in the 1930s and specific links to certain cancers were first made in South Africa in the early 1960s. Due to the extent and severity of asbestos related problems affecting the communities in these provinces, a multi-stakeholder National Asbestos Summit was convened by the Environmental Portfolio Committee in 1998.
The recommendations from the national asbestos summit brought about the development of a national strategy to address asbestos pollution in the country. The objective was to phase out the remaining mining activities and to prevent new uses of products containing asbestos.
A socio-economic impact study was undertaken to understand the possible implications of this objective. The conclusion of the study was that the phasing out of asbestos and asbestos containing products would be beneficial to the country. Based on these findings, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) received a mandate from Cabinet to draft regulations to enforce this objective.
The first draft of these regulations was published for comment in November 2005. Extensive comments were received from many parties. Having considered all the inputs made, significant amendments were made to the regulations and the regulations were re-gazetted in September 2007 for further comment. The comments were again considered and now the final regulations will be gazetted for implementation on Friday 28 March2008.
The main objectives of the regulations are as follows:
* To prohibit the use, processing or manufacturing, of any asbestos or asbestos containing product unless it can be proven that no suitable alternative exists,in which case a phase out plan may be approved.
* To prohibit the import or export of any asbestos or asbestos containing product provided that the importation is purely for transit through the country. Any person transporting asbestos or asbestos containing material through the country will be required to register with the Department and provide certain information on an annual basis.
* To prohibit the import of any asbestos or asbestos containing waste material other than from a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the sole purpose of safe disposal locally, subject to the submission of certain information annually.
* The use of asbestos or asbestos containing material for research purposes will be allowed if the research is not being undertaken to produce another asbestos containing product. The researcher will need to notify the department of their research and will have to provide a report on the amount of asbestos used and the outcome of the research on an annual basis. The Minister may review the permission on an annual basis.A grace period of 120 days will be allowed to allow any person or merchant who is currently dealing in asbestos or asbestos containing materials to clear their stocks.
Should a manufacturer or merchant who currently sells one of a limited range of “identified products”which are asbestos containing products for which there is no immediate alternative, wish to continue making or selling the product beyond the grace period, they will be required to register with the department within 120 days.
They will then be required to submit a phase out plan for approval by the minister within one year of the promulgation of the regulations. This plan must identify the reason for continuing to use the product and must identify a time frame and activities for the phase out of the “identified products.”
These regulations do not prohibit the continued use of asbestos containing materials (such as asbestos cement roof sheets or ceilings) that are already in place as the department is satisfied that there is no undue risk to the occupants of houses that are fitted with these materials. Over time, however, they should be replaced with asbestos-free materials.
It is important to remember that exposure to asbestos in the workplace, including, mining, industrial,commercial, retail and public workplaces, including maintenance of building materials is still controlled by the Asbestos Regulations 2001 published by the Department of Labour. These require employers to draw up a register of all asbestos containing materials, conducts a risk assessment, educate and inform employees, protect employees from exposure to asbestos and conduct regular dust and health surveillance.
In publishing these regulations, South Africajoins more than 50 other countries that have put the health of its peoplefirst.
Background information
The term “asbestos” is applied to a group of naturally occurring fibrous metal silicate materials. In general the term applies to six minerals specifically: crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite. “Asbestos”means any mixture containing any of these materials and “asbestos containing material” means any mixture, product, component or material to which asbestos has been added.
To view Regulations and otherdocuments, go to http://www.environment.gov.za/HotIssues/2007/asbestos/asbestos.html.
Media enquiries:
Mava Scott
Cell: 082 411 9821
E-mail: mscott@...Issued by: Department of EnvironmentalAffairs and Tourism
27 March 2008
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, (http://www.environment.gov.za/)http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2008/08032813451004.htm
It's official: Asbestos to be banned in SA
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=335617
Pretoria, South Africa
27 March 2008 06:20
Final regulations for the banning of asbestos will come into effect on Friday,
Schalkwyk said.
Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Van Schalkwyk said the regulations would prohibit the use, processing, manufacturing, and import and export of any asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
Exemptions would only be granted in very specific circumstances and where this was the case, they would be strictly controlled.
Penalties for the continued use of asbestos would included a fine which would not exceed R100 000 and/or imprisonment of under ten years.
Draft regulations were first gazetted in November 2005 for public comment and again in September 2007.
South Africa mined crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile asbestos extensively from the late 1800s until 2001.
Van Schalkwyk said the country had been continuing to phase out asbestos since 2003 and therefore the impact on the economy would not be huge.
These regulations will be gazetted on Friday and South Africa will join more than 50 other countries that have banned asbestos.
Once promulgated, a grace period of 120 days would be allowed to give any person or merchant currently dealing in asbestos or ACMs to clear their stock.
He said the regulations would not prohibit the continued use of asbestos-containing materials that were already in place such as asbestos-cement roof sheets or ceilings as the department was satisfied that there was 'no undue risk'.
'Over time, however, they should be replaced with asbestos-free materials, we believe that will be a natural process.'
Currently asbestos is used in some gas tanks, in electrical switch gear on some trains, brake-blocks in the mining industry and gas kits in the manufacturing industry.
He said requests by Zimbabwe and Canada to be exempt from the prohibition had been denied.
He said South Africa would no longer import asbestos or ACMs from Zimbabwe.
However under strict conditions and if registered with the department, South Africa would allow products to pass through its borders while in transit.
Building company Everite said on Thursday that it supported the government's ban on imports from Zimbabwe. - Sapa
SOURCE: OCC-ENV-MED-L Digest for Monday, March 31, 2008
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