Hwange Residents Petition EMA Over Thermal Power Plant Pollution
The Greater Hwange Residents Trust and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) workers have petitioned the Matabeleland North provincial Environmental Management Agency (EMA) seeking the release of information regarding the pollution from Hwange Thermal Power Station of Ingagula township, which is located close to the power plant, reported the Southern Eye.
They petitioned EMA through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and handed the petition to the EMA provincial manager Chipo Mpofu-Zuze.
According to human rights lawyers, the Ingagula township is situated close to a recently expanded thermal power station, posing a potential health risk to residents. Reads the petition:
Our clients advise that since the commissioning of the two units, air quality levels in Ingagula township and the surrounding areas have deteriorated and there are growing cases of poor health being caused by air pollution from the emissions of the power generating stations.
Our clients are concerned that the right of the residents to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being in terms of section 73(1)(a) of the Constitution is being violated.
The ZLHR further stated that EMA must ensure that an operation of the size of the expanded power plant (whose installed capacity is 600MW) will not harm the environment and the communities residing in the particular area before it commences. Reads the petition:
In terms of the law, we are aware that for any operations of such magnitude to commence, in any area in Zimbabwe, your office is supposed to be informed and plays a crucial role as a regulatory authority in assessing and determining whether such an operation should commence and to ensure that the operation will not in any way harm the environment and the communities residing in the particular area.
We advise that our clients have the right to environmental information in terms of section 4(b) of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27]. As such, we have been instructed as we hereby do to request that you furnish us within seven days of your receipt of this letter the environmental impact assessment report concluded prior to the completion of Units 7 and 8, the conditions on the permitted emissions in the emissions licence for the power station issued in terms of sections 64 and 65 of the Act.
The ZLHR requested that EMA conduct investigations into the air pollution caused by the power generating station. This is per section 63(1)(b) of the relevant Act.
Additionally, the ZLHR requested that the EMA provide them with the most recent ambient air sampling results for Hwange town, with a specific focus on the Ingagula township and surrounding areas.
EMA has yet to respond to the petition.
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