Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has backed off her controversial move to double the amount of harmful sulphur dioxide that industry can pump into the air – but only temporarily, according to a Fin24 report. She announced yesterday (see POLICY WATCH section, below) she had withdrawn an earlier provision, gazetted in October, that allowed coal-fired power stations, refineries and other industries with coal boilers to double the amount of sulphur dioxide (SO2) they were allowed to emit. Mokonyane, who was facing a legal challenge in the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) from the environmental justice organisation, groundWork, over the matter, said she had withdrawn the provision ‘due to objections and complaints received’ about her inadequate public consultation on doubling of this minimum emission standard. groundWork had filed papers in the High Court against Mokonyane and President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the government had broken the law by not publishing its intention to change the emission standards, in order to allow the public to comment on the proposed change. Mokonyane is now going the correct legal route, notes the report. Although she still intends to double the amount of SO2 pollution allowed, she has published her intention to do so, and given the public 30 days to comment on the proposal. Under the proposal, industries will be allowed to emit up to 1 000mg of SO2 per normal cubic metre, instead of only 500mg. These minimum emission standards will come into force in April 2020. Mokonyane argues that this is still a significant reduction from the current emission standard for SO2 of 3 500mg.