Environmental groups challenge decision to approve Karpowership

A number of civil society organisations are challenging the decision to give Karpowership another opportunity to amend their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for Richards Bay.

The organizations lodged a joint appeal at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Karpowership has now been given another opportunity to present its Environmental Impact Assessment reports for authorisation.

Melissa Groenink-Groves, an attorney at Natural Justice says that proper procedures were not followed when this decision was made.

“We are challenging Karpowership not only on the basis of dire environmental climate and economic risks to all South Africans but to also uphold the rule of law and the integrity of the environmental impact assessment processes which are required to identify all environmental, social and economic risks associated with the project. We believe that the manner in which Karpowership has been afforded yet another opportunity to amend its EIA report is procedural unfair. It undermines and abuses the regulated EIA process. We have to safeguard these processes for the protection of impacted communities closest to the communities closest to the project.”

Environmental groups up in arms over Karpowership approval: