South Africa\u2019s government has asked for leave to appeal parts of a High Court ruling that ordered it to act against air pollution caused by Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd and Sasol Ltd in a key industrial zone.<\/p>\n
Environmental Affairs minister Barbara Creecy, in an affidavit filed with the court, questioned the ruling\u2019s interpretation of a section of the Air Quality Control Act that she has a duty, rather than discretion, to prescribe rules to implement and enforce anti-pollution regulations.<\/p>\n
In her ruling, Judge Colleen Collis said Creecy had \u201cunreasonably delayed\u201d passing the regulations.<\/p>\n
The so-called Deadly Air case, brought to court in 2019 by groundWork, an environmental-rights organization, and Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action was seen as a key test of the government\u2019s resolve to deal with some of the world\u2019s worst air pollution.<\/p>\n
The Highveld Priority Area, which includes much of northeastern Mpumalanga province and part of the central Gauteng region, is the site of 12 coal-fired Eskom power plants, and an oil refinery and coal-to-fuel plant owned by Sasol. A Greenpeace study conducted in 2018 showed Mpumalanga had the worst nitrogen-dioxide emissions from power plants of any area globally.<\/p>\n
Together Eskom and Sasol emit more than half of South Africa\u2019s greenhouse gases. The country is the 13th biggest source of the climate-warning emissions, according to Global Carbon Atlas. Eskom produces more than 80% of South Africa\u2019s power from coal-fired plants.<\/p>\n
The plants also emit sulfur dioxide, mercury and fine particulate matter that cause illnesses ranging from asthma to lung cancer and contribute to birth defects, strokes and heart attacks.<\/p>\n