FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING

Date : 01 December 2020 Due date: 18 December 2020

Examiner: Makhathini, TP Moderator: Dr M Lasich

Assessment of the socio-economic impact of pollution on the livelihoods of

uMhlathuze municipality communities

Background: The Umhlathuze Municipality, located on the Kwa-Zulu Natal North Coast is in
one of the most rapidly developing Industrial Development Zone, currently comprising many
large and small scale industries. These large-scale operations are amongst South Africa’s largest
process industries and operate continuous combustion processes which release significant
quantities of air pollutants into the atmosphere. These pollutants include reduced sulfur gases,
hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur trioxide, carbon dioxide, particulate fluoride and
ammonia. In light of the promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality
Act (AQA) of 2004 and the need to assess ambient air quality, the contribution of air dispersion
modelling to ambient air quality management in the uMhlathuze Municipality was assessed
using SO2 as an indicator pollutant. Moreover, high concentrations of total nitrogen and
phosphate has been detected from the uMhlathuze Pumping Station and Felixton water samples.
All these environmental challenges poses a threat to the health and hence the social economic
impact of the community around the community of uMhlathuze Municipality.

Problem Statement: After several complaints from uMhlathuze municipality community

regarding water, air and land pollution generated by the neighboring companies, you were tasked
by the Process Manager to assess the social-impact of your company’s actions resulting from
your operations’ activities.

Instructions: This is a group assignment, each group must comprise of a maximum of three
members. Each member will have to demonstrate what his/her contribution was in the
formulation of the final report. The demonstration will be through an oral interview. The link for
group registration will be active from 17h00 Tuesday, 01 December till 11h00 Friday, 04
December 2020. Thereafter the link will be deactivated.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13uHB_q0r9PsS9w_H_j0YAveaxCebHicmZhOZMi233
Hg/edit?usp=sharing

This task is intended to make you aware of your role within the engineering field, your
responsibility for consequences stemming from own actions, ethical dilemmas in required
practices, legislation and limitations of authority.
 Rules for the assignment:
1. This assignment will be done in partnership (2 students in one group).
2. Assignment (final report) is due on the 18 December 2020. Penalty for late submission is
10% of final mark off per day.
3. The report must be typed. No hand-written drawings, block diagrams or flow sheets will
be accepted. (Font: Times New Roman, 12 points and 1.5-line spacing). The Turnitin
similarity index must be less than 10%. Failing which, submit a justification if your index
is more that 10% but less than 20%. Above this threshold, you will be penalised using a
sliding scale, as it appears on the ENPC031 Learner Guide

The overall objective of this assessment is to develop professional and technical

communication for engineering peers so as to later satisfy ECSA Graduate Attribute 6.

This task is not assessing the ECSA GA 6 but is assisting the development thereof.

In the process you will develop employability skills like time management, report writing,
team work and the use of technological tools.

GOOD LUCK!!!
 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING

TECHNICAL REPORT ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

Assessment of the socio-economic impact of air pollution on the livelihoods of

Umhlathuze municipality communities

Student Name: Student number: Group no. (A or B)

Examiner’s comment(s):

Criteria Maximum Mark

Mark Obtained
Cover page
 Use of the provided standard cover page

4
Declaration Letter
 Relevant information given in the letter

Table of contents
 Chapters and sections; Location and title of figures, tables and
photographs.
Criteria Maximum Mark
Mark Obtained
Summary 6
 Essential results and conclusion are clearly and precisely presented
 An overview of the socio economic challenges you have identified,
highlight key findings on companies and community you focused on
 Give a brief summary on your role as a chemical engineering technician
 The objectives of the project, how were they realized? Did you stick to
the project scope you presented earlier? – reasons therefore in case there
were change
Introduction 6
 Background: ensure that the problem is contextualized, i.e. state what
the problem is. Relevant background information about the problem
was need to be included. Demographics of the affected communities by
air and water pollution caused by neighboring communities
 Aims of the report: the need / purpose of the report is stated, the scope
of this project is stated, viz what work was done for this report

Socio-economic development 15
 Introduction of this chapter – give context of the community of interest
 Give understanding of South African industries in conjunction to
economic development
 Discuss contentions and ambiguity between these industries
 Discuss how these industries are contributing towards socio economic
development of Umhlathuze Municipality

Assessment of pollution generated by company X 10

 Identification of environmental aspects (dangerous chemicals) according
to company X corresponding to its impact on the community.

The Regulatory Environment 15

 Introduction of this chapter – give social and labor plan
 Give understanding of an environmental management plan for the
industries and communities involved
 Discuss effects of air, water and land pollution (choose only two
aspects) on social cultural issue
 Discuss the economic activities that are currently in place within
communities

Conclusions 3
 Sum up your ideas from the above
 What have you learnt from this task?

References (Sub-minimum: 2) 3
 Provide a list of references using Harvard referencing system
 In text (citation) must be on reference list
 Every figure produced must be reference in-text

General 8
 Proofread your work for spelling. Grammar and punctuations
 All pages numbered
 Use the language that is appropriate to the technical community
 Turnitin similarity index is less than 20%, report attached
 Appendices: present tables and pictures you have referred to in the body
of the report (if any)