adminmanagement and it is therefore important that they get to understand the provisions of the environmental management law and what it expects of the entrepreneurs.
Our major problem is environmental degradation. Rivers, dams and groundwater reserves are polluted.
The air that we breathe is also polluted. Poor waste management systems practiced by some entrepreneurs are contributing to severe environmental deterioration countrywide.
Entrepreneurs are encouraged to develop and implement environmental management plans and policies for their organisations. These guide them in management and protection of the environment.
Entrepreneurs and environmental principles
Entrepreneurs should be guided by the environmental principles as they carry out their activities.
Development must be sustainable; that is socially acceptable, economically viable and environmentally friendly.
They should prevent or minimise negative impacts of their activities on the environment and further safeguard people’s environmental rights.
Any person including an entrepreneur who causes pollution or environmental degradation shall meet the cost of remedying such pollution or environmental degradation and any resultant adverse health effects.
Waste management should be maintained from point of inception to final disposal to prevent and minimise pollution.
All entrepreneurs shall meet the cost of preventing, controlling or minimising further pollution, environmental damage or adverse health effects which their operations and actions have caused.
Entrepreneurs and Environmental Quality Standards
Water Pollution
Every entrepreneur is required by EMA (CAP 20:27) to observe the following measures in an attempt to prevent water pollution.
Don’ts
- Do not discharge or apply any poison or toxic, noxious or obstructing matter, radioactive waste or other pollutants into the aquatic environment.
- Do not permit any person to dump or discharge such matter into aquatic environment in contradiction to the prescribed water pollution control standards.
Dos
- Discharge any effluent pollutants originating from the trade or industrial undertaking only into existing sewage system and a license to discharge should be obtained from the local authority operating or supervising the sewerage system.
- Install appropriate treatment plants to treat the effluent before discharging them into the environment.
- This has to be done prior to being granted a license to discharge effluent into the environment. Minimising effluent pollutants through cleaner production mechanisms.
Penalty for water pollution
Any person or company found guilty of polluting the water is liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years, or attract a fine not exceeding level fourteen, or to both such a fine and such imprisonment.
In addition to the above, the polluter will pay the total cost of removing any poison, toxic, noxious or obstructing matter, radioactive waste or other pollutants, as well as the cost of restoration of the damaged environment.
Air Pollution
Any industrialist, company, developer and person is not allowed to emit any substances which cause substantial air pollution (that is, by the emission of substances in excess of prescribed amount for a particular source) in contradiction of emission standards established under the EMA.
Industrialists are encouraged to practice cleaner production mechanisms, which reduce pollution.
Penalty for air pollution
The air polluter will be liable to imprisonment for a period of not more than five years or to a fine to exceeding level fourteen or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
The air polluter will in addition to any sentence or fine imposed on him/her pay the cost of the removal of pollution, including any cost which may be incurred by any government agency in the restoration of the environment damaged destroyed as a result of the emission.
Noise Pollution
It is prohibited to emit noise in excess of the noise emission prescribed standards.
Any industrialist, developer, operator or person who emits noise in excess of the noise emission standards prescribed in Section 79 of EMA (CAP 20:27) shall be guilty of any offence.
They shall be liable to a fine not exceeding level fourteen or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
Waste Management
It is prohibited to discharge or dispose of any waste, whether generated within or outside Zimbabwe, in such a manner as to cause pollution to the environment or ill health to any person.
If you discharge or dispose of any waste in contravention of any measure or prescribed standard or transport any waste otherwise than in accordance with a valid license issued you shall be liable to imprisonment for a period of not more than five years or attract a fine which does not exceed level fourteen or both such fine and such imprisonment.
You are required to apply for a waste licence if you intend to transport wastes within Zimbabwe, or to operate a waste disposal site or plant or to generate hazardous waste of a prescribed type or quantity from the Environmental Management Board. Minimising waste production, recycle and reuse your waste.
Plastics Regulations
The Environmental Management Agency prohibited the manufacture and use of flimsy plastic packaging with a wall thickness of less than 30 micrometers. The ban follows the gazetting of Statutory Instrument 98 of 2010.
In rural areas, thin plastics are chewed by domestic animals and block the alimentary canal resulting in the death of animals.
Besides being non-biodegradable thin plastics are not reusable, not easily recyclable and they easily give in or tear off to the disadvantage of consumers who are likely to lose their fragile goods.
They lead to double and triple bagging where several plastic bags are needed to sustain groceries adding to litter and the much unwanted waste/ecological footprint.
Environmental Impact Assessment
According to the Environmental Management Act Chapter 20:27, Section 97 prescribes all activities which require an environmental impact assessment before they are implemented.
Such activities found in the First Schedule of the Act include mining and quarrying, forestry, agriculture, transport, energy, water, urban infrastructure, tourism and waste management.
If a project is prescribed in terms of the Act, the developer of that project is required to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment.
If you knowingly implement a project in contravention of EIA requirements, you shall be liable to a fine not exceeding level fourteen or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
It is the hope of the Environmental Management Agency that industrialists find this article informative and very helpful in their day to day activities.
The Agency hopes that industrialists understand the need to protect the environment for purposes of sustainable development. Pollution affects health.
It increases the cost of maintaining services such as provision of clean water resulting in rates increase due to polluted water which requires expensive chemicals to purify.
Online Reporter