South Africa’s Green Scorpions Launch Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Campaigns
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South Africa’s highly specialized environmental police force, the Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), popularly known as the “Green Scorpions,” has been particularly busy in the last few months with two national environmental compliance and enforcement drives.

A countrywide environmental enforcement drive began on 15 March 2007, the first day of a series of planned quarterly enforcement days. EMIs across the country executed scheduled enforcement activities, conducting on-site compliance inspections of plants suspected of violating environmental laws, monitoring for criminal activity along coasts, and educating the public to increase awareness of environmental crimes and the community’s role in protecting the environment.

On 29 May 2007, South Africa launched “Operation Ferro,” a national campaign for environmental compliance in the iron, steel, and ferroalloy industries, prioritized because their processes can cause significant pollution if not managed properly. The campaign began with a comprehensive inspection of Mittal Steel’s Vereeniging plant, and will continue over the next few years with the inspection of approximately 40 sites in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape. All air pollution permits are also currently under review for these industries.

On 22 June 2007, the Green Scorpions closed down a medical waste plant after months of negotiations with the owner proved unsuccessful. The site was littered with expired medicine, needles, blood, amputated limbs, bandages, human remains, and other medical equipment. The inspections revealed that poor storage and improper storm water management resulted in blood-contaminated water leaking into the soil and possibly contaminating the groundwater. The incinerator was overloaded and operated 24 hours a day, resulting in emissions of thick black smoke. The facility will remain closed until it is in compliance with all health requirements.

The Environmental Management Inspectorate is a network of environmental enforcement officials from different government departments (national, provincial and municipal). EMIs monitor compliance with and enforcement of environmental legislation. South Africa currently has a network of approximately 890 EMIs either designated or awaiting designation, the largest environmental police force in its history.