South African environment authorities sued over Arcelor pollution: Report

Environmental activists have sued the South African environment minister and the national air-quality officer and a regional unit of ArcelorMittal South Africa for failing to take action against the company over its air pollution, according to a report by Bloomberg.

According to a statement sent through email on Tuesday, the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance and groundWork filed the lawsuitat the South African High Court. They assert that the government has not taken any action to reduce emissions from ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited’s largest steel plant, located in Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg.

The lawsuit is similar to one that was filed against the government in 2022 and won by activists including groundWork because of air pollution from coal-fired plants run by Eskom Holdings SOC Limited and Sasol Limited.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Judge Colleen Collis of the South African High Court concluded in that in the 2022 case,the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy was required by the Constitution to adopt and enforce laws to promote cleaner air.

Presently, the activists claim that Arcelor’s South African branch has failed to reduce air pollution for years, even after installing technology to control emissions. The parties filing the action assert that the government acted leniently and lowered emission restrictions for the company.

“The minister, instead of bringing industries into compliance, continues to allow for weaker limits,” Bloomberg quoted the activists as saying in the court papers. “This erodes the rights of the people living in the area, who are breathing dangerous levels of pollution.”

The southern and eastern regions of Johannesburg have the highest concentration of coal-burning enterprises, contribution to severe air pollution. Coal being the primary fuel for manufacturing petrochemicals, steel, and ferroalloys, provides more than 80 per cent of South Africa’s electricity, has also played a role in the economic development of the continent’s most industrialised country.

A request for comment was not answered by the environment agency or ArcelorMittal South Africa.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE