The City of Cape Town is reviewing its current air pollution by-law to make it stricter and more effective – and to help attain the City’s vision of becoming ’the city with the cleanest air in Africa’.

In South Africa, section 24 of our Constitution gives us the right to clean air, and the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (2004) makes air quality the responsibility of local government, through air quality management plans, by-laws and other policies.

Cape Town’s Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) intends to not only clean up our air, but to also reduce the health effects of poor air quality on the citizens of Cape Town, especially during periods of Brown Haze.

The City’s first Air Quality by-law came into effect in March 2003. It declared the entire municipal area an air pollution control zone, tightened up on smoke emission limits from industries and turbo-charged diesel vehicles, and added a nuisance section to control air pollution-related emissions such as dust, fumes, vapours, grit and smoke from any premises.

It enabled the City to declare smokeless zones, restrict the use of certain fuels and issue spot summonses. This was followed up by the Air Quality Management Plan (2005) and a pilot intervention project in Khayelitsha (2007) (the Khayelitsha Air Pollution Strategy).

The existing Air Pollution Control By-law is now being amended, because it needs to be brought in line with the Air Quality Management Act and it was felt it was not hitting hard enough at those who are responsible for much of our air pollution.

An intensive public participation process has began, which will include a public hearing and workshops at various venues with provincial and national government, non-governmental and community-based organisations, business and industry.

The City’s proposed draft by-law, will consider the following:

• Illegal burning of tyres and copper wire
• Dust emissions from unpaved surfaces and construction activities
• Stricter control of diesel vehicle emissions

It will also attempt to provide a legal mandate for the City to set emission standards.

In addition, several other control mechanisms have been incorporated, which include:

• Appointing environmental management inspectors at local government level (so-called "green scorpions")
• Ensuring compliance, enforcement and licensing of listed activities
• Enhancing financial structures to enable the collection of license fees

Air pollution is a key factor in the city's overall health. Polluted air poses not only a serious health risk to residents but also mars the image of our city with its great natural beauty.

The greatest air pollution danger in Cape Town is particulate matter, from dust, wood-burning and diesel.

For more details of the public participation programme, watch your local press or register to receive the City’s weekly news on www.capetown.gov.za

To find out “real-time information” about the air quality where you live or work, visit Cape Town’s Air Quality website on www.capetown.gov.za/airqual

What is clean air?

Clean air is made up of nitrogen (78,1%), oxygen (20,9%), carbon dioxide (0,03%), inert gases such as argon (0,9%) and water vapour, as well as particulates (specks of dust, ash, sand and pollen). Other gases such as neon, helium, hydrogen, ozone, carbon monoxide, methane and sulphur dioxide exist in tiny amounts in the air. Polluted air, however, contains quantities of gases and particulates that can make humans or animals ill or unwell; interfere with or damage natural eco-systems; or damage useful materials (such as plants or metals).

What causes air pollution?

Any of our activities that involve combustion (heating or burning) create air pollutants.

These activities include:

• Driving or flying (the combustion engine burns fossil fuels)
• Manufacturing (refineries, steel mills, smelters, cement manufacturing, paper manufacturing, brickworks, etc)
• Generating electricity (using coal)
• Incineration (burning of household or industrial waste, cremation)
• Cooking (using electricity, coal, paraffin, wood or gas)
• Heating (using electricity, coal, wood or gas)
• Mining (burning waste or fuel)
• Setting off veld, forest or grass fires (volcanoes and pollen are also sources of pollution).