Clean Air Contract Renewed

Richard’s Bay contract a vote of confidence in ECOSERV service

Aerial photo of Richards Bay

ECOSERV’s annual contract to run the ambient air quality monitoring system for the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA) has been renewed for an extended period.

“We have extended the annual contract to a three-year contract with a service level, incentive-type arrangement,” says Peter Leah, MANCO chairman. “ECOSERV has provided a good service to us and the project manager, Venetia Mitchell, is doing an excellent job. RBCAA is fortunate to have ECOSERV and the quality of their people managing our project.”

The ECOSERV team is made up of Venetia, Lisa Guastella and Nihal Sing, assisted by Sthembiso Ngidi, Dustin Naicker, Dudu Mjoli and Quentin Hurt. They run all five of RBCAA’s monitoring stations and ensure equipment is in working order and remains current in so far as prescheduled maintenance and calibrations are concerned.

“The RBCAA is recognized as having one of the most successful, most accurate and best maintained ambient monitoring systems in SA,” says Peter. “The data is ISO 17025 accredited for SO₂ and accreditation for PM₁₀ particulate monitoring is targeted for 2005.”

ECOSERV is required to meet a data collection target at a minimum of 80% data capture per parameter per station per month and ensures raw data is always available to their client. Under the new contract and service level agreement, the aim is to achieve a minimum 96% data capture.

Other responsibilities include producing daily reports on daily maximum SO₂ concentrations at each monitoring station and on prevailing meteorological conditions, weekly operational reports on quality and equipment performance, and monthly and annual reports of all the data. In addition, ECOSERV produces the minutes of monthly MANCO meetings and performs HAWK modeling requirements of any SO₂ exceedances.

“The RBCAA has been in existence since 1997 and one of its achievements has been in bringing into light and into question the air quality in the area,” says Peter. “With the findings of the RBCAA, most companies are having a more thorough look at their emissions and what they can do to reduce them.”

RBCAA is a non-profit Section 21 company that is primarily industry-funded. Being a “polluter pays” organization, those companies who emit the most SO₂ and particulates to the atmosphere, pay a higher proportion of the total cost of operation of the RBCAA.

ECOSERV keeps an updated log of all air pollution complaints lodged with the RBCAA.
“The complaints register works very efficiently and the response to the public via the polluters is good and continues to improve,” says Peter.

ECOSERV has held the RBCAA contract since 1997 when the RBCAA was established. Venetia is very pleased with the new three-year contract. “MANCO has indicated a high level of confidence in our service. We now have a sharper set of objectives and it is a whole new ballgame to what it was a few years ago.”

Venetia is impressed with the good relationship between the stakeholders in the Richards Bay area. “Everyone works together – from the local municipality, to industry, ratepayers and consultants. There is a unique relationship between all parties.”

Click here to view ECOSERV's SANAS accreditation certificate