Professional registration for Environmental Assessment Practitioners required within 2 years of the appointment of a Registration Authority
Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has signed into law regulations pertaining to the appointment of a registration authority that will be responsible for the registration of environmental assessment practitioners.
According to the Section 24H of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) this means that “No person other than a registered environmental assessment practitioner, may hold primary responsibility for the planning, management, coordination or review of environmental impact assessments and associated EMPrs.”
Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) are defined as: Officials working in government who have the function of reviewing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and associated environmental management programmes, employees of non-governmental organisations reviewing EIAs, and the range of professionals who act as EAPs in practice.
The Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) will submit an application to be appointed by the Minister as a registration authority. Once such a registration authority has been appointed, the Minister will require all Environmental Assessment Practitioners to be registered within a period of 2 years.
The EAPASA was launched on the 7 April 2011, by the former Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi, supported by 802 environmental assessment practitioners. The overriding purpose of EAPASA is to promote the public interest through the advancement of the quality of environmental assessment practice in South Africa by establishing, promoting and maintaining registration of Environmental Assessment Practitioners.
The EAPASA website, www.eapasa.org, can be visited for more information on the requirements for registration of EAPs. Once appointed, the EAPASA website will contain all the relevant information, including a link to the online application process.