050-i. Advisory review: EIA for hazardous waste facility - Mozambique

The NCEA reviewed the EIA for a hazardous waste handling facility. It recommended to remedy a number of shortcomings in the EIA before taking a decision on the proposed activities.

Advisory reports and other documents

Significant details

The environmental ministry of Mozambique (MICOA) has taken the initiative to establish a hazardous waste handling facility in Beluluane district. A site selection procedure was carried out prior to and separate from the EIA for this project. Various aspects of the facility (the waste collection and transport system and the operational plan) are not part of the EIA.

Since MICOA is the proponent as well as the competent autority for EIA review and license granting, it requested the NCEA to perform an independent review of the draft EIA report. The NCEA composed a working group with expertise in various relevant disciplines (ecology, rehabilitation, facility design, hazardous waste, collection and transport, hydrology, etc.) and paid a site visit. It used the Terms of Reference (ToR), Mozambican legislative framework, South African EIA practices, and NCEA EIA practices as a review framework.

In its advisory review of the draft EIA, the NCEA makes several observations and recommendations. Recommended issues to be remedied before decision-making include:

• the possibility of occurrence of a fault or dike on the selected site;
• the risks of positioning the facility upstream the water intake of Maputo city;
• additional or updated information on water and groundwater quality and water quality monitoring, waste management strategies, wastes to be disposed of, soil characteristics on the selected site, road alignment alternatives, road design and site management.

Parties involved

Members of the working group

Technical secretary: Reinoud Post

Proponent and Component Authority

Further details

Country: Mozambique

Last modified: 10 May 2019