‘Government lowers air pollution standards amid COVID-19 pandemic’ 31 March 2020

South Africa and the rest of the world is at war with the COVID-19 pandemic — it’s no secret. What’s worse is that while citizens uphold a three-week lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, new air pollution standards have been gazetted. Before you celebrate, it’s not exactly the air pollution standards we want. In fact, it’s way worse.  According to the Centre for Environmental Rights, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Barbara Creecy has gazetted sulphur dioxide (S0₂) air pollution standards (minimum emission standards or MES) that are twice as weak as the previous standards — not great while battling a global pandemic like COVID-19. Instead of Eskom, Sasol, and other facilities with coal boilers, having to meet the original standard, they will now only be required to comply with MES doubly as weak. 

…Research presented by the Life After Coal Campaign to the minister and the department has shown that 3 300 premature deaths would be caused by doubling the air pollution standard just for Eskom’s coal-fired power stations.  According to the research, it would increase the risk of respiratory infections, strokes, and diabetes — things we don’t need amid a global pandemic like COVID-19. 

…According to non-profit environmental justice service and developmental organisation groundWork director Bobby Peek the government is effectively legalising deaths.  “Air pollution from coal mining and power already kills thousands of people every year. Instead of enforcing compliance with our already-weak standards, the government has effectively legalised these deaths. “The department says that it did not want to undermine the viability of key industries. The question is how viable these industries can be when this amendment means that their