Parliament Portfolio Committees welcome SCA judgment on pollution at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station - EWN

Three Parliament Portfolio Committees have welcomed a briefing on the Supreme Court of Appeal’s judgment on pollution at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station.

The committees include Electricity and Energy, Water and Sanitation and Forestry.

The court found that Eskom had failed to fully comply with conditions attached to its environmental authorisations and water-use licences.

It also found that the relevant state authorities had not taken reasonable and effective steps to ensure compliance.

Eskom told Parliament that 25 of 41 corrective actions have been completed with improvements reported in surface-water quality.

But committees said that this does not yet prove that the environmental damage has been fully addressed.

They remain concerned about groundwater contamination, pollution-control dams, stormwater management  and the risk of dam overflows during heavy rainfall.

The departments of Water and Sanitation and the environmental department have also acknowledged gaps in enforcement and coordination.

The departments are required to complete a comprehensive assessment and report within 75 days of the court’s directive while Eskom must submit a detailed action plan and progress reports.

The committees said that they will reconvene in the fourth term to assess whether the remedial measures are delivering measurable environmental recovery while also safeguarding electricity supply.