The City has received over 2 000 public comments and submissions in the public participation process for marine outfalls and wastewater treatment permits.
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During the 60-day public participation period, which ended on November 21, the City’s website received 2 063 submissions.
This came after Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) Barbara Creecy reversed a permit granted to the City earlier this year, saying the previous public participation process was ‘inadequate, outdated, and should be redone.’
‘The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate appreciates the active citizenry of all those who submitted written comments through the City’s ‘Have Your Say’ platforms, about the marine outfalls discharge permits and wastewater treatment works in Mitchells Plain, Simon’s Town, Miller’s Point, Oudekraal and Llandudno,’ the City said in a statement.
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Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said: ‘Thank you to all residents and stakeholders who responded to the call for comment and participated in these important discussions through the appropriate channels.’
The City is now compiling the feedback it has received in order to respond to the permit applications for the Hout Bay, Green Point, and Camps Bay marine outfalls, as well as the wastewater treatment works.
‘Both the public comments and the City’s responses will be submitted to DFFE for its decision on the applications,’ said Badroodien.
Last month, ActionSA Provincial Chairperson Michelle Wasserman wrote to Creecy to protest the issuance of permits that she claimed authorised the continued discharge of untreated sewage into Cape Town’s Marine Protected Areas at Camps Bay, Green Point, and Hout Bay.
They requested that Creecy issue permits requiring the City to ‘treat the effluent released via the outfall pipelines at Camps Bay, Green Point, and Hout Bay to a tertiary treatment level, which must be operational within three years,’ as well as that Creecy establish a permit advisory forum comprised of independent experts who have access to all necessary information and report directly to the minister on the City’s compliance with permit conditions.
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Also read:
ActionSA calls for stricter conditions at CoCT’s marine outfall
Picture: Arno Smit / Unsplash