EnviroScreen
South African EIA Regulations — 2017

Environmental Screening
Made Simple

A professional desktop tool for EnviroScreen practitioners to rapidly screen proposed development activities against applicable South African environmental legislation — and generate a comprehensive screening report.

GNR 324, 325, 327 — 2017 All 9 Provinces Legal Register DOCX Report NWA · NEMWA · AQA · NHRA · ICMA
Start Screening
Important Disclaimer — Please Read Before Use

This tool is a screening aid only. It is designed to assist qualified environmental practitioners at EnviroScreen in identifying potentially applicable legislation and authorisation requirements at an early stage of project planning. It does not constitute a formal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a legal opinion, or a guarantee that all applicable authorisations have been identified.

Results are based solely on the information entered by the user and on a desktop screening exercise. No site inspections, specialist studies, or verification of site-specific conditions are performed by this tool. All results must be verified by a suitably qualified Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) registered with the relevant professional body (e.g. EAPASA) before any decisions are made or activities commenced.

EnviroScreen (Envirocarb Consulting cc T/A EnviroScreen) accepts no liability for decisions made solely on the basis of this screening report without appropriate professional verification and confirmation from the relevant competent authority.

What This Tool Does — and Does Not Do

Understanding the scope and limitations of this screening tool before you begin.

This Tool DOES…
Screen proposed activities against all listed activities in the 2017 EIA Regulations — Listing Notice 1 (GNR 327), Listing Notice 2 (GNR 325) and Listing Notice 3 (GNR 324).
Determine whether a Basic Assessment (BA) or Scoping & Environmental Impact Assessment (S&EIA) is required, based on the actual regulatory thresholds.
Screen against 10+ additional pieces of legislation — NWA, NEMWA, AQA, NHRA, ICMA, CARA, MPRDA, NFA, NEMBA, SALA and SPLUMA.
Generate a full Legal Register showing the applicability status (Applicable / Potentially Applicable / Not Triggered) of each piece of legislation, with the relevant authorisation, authority and assessment basis.
Recommend specialist studies appropriate to the activity type and environmental sensitivities identified.
Provide competent authority contact details for all 9 provinces and key national authorities (DFFE, DWS, SAHRA, DMRE).
Generate a professional DOCX screening report branded for EnviroScreen, ready to share with clients or attach to files.
Save, revisit and edit previous screenings from the history log.
This Tool Does NOT…
Replace a formal EIA or Basic Assessment Report (BAR). This is a preliminary screening tool only — the full EIA process must still be followed.
Constitute legal advice. Determinations made by this tool do not carry legal weight and must be verified by a qualified professional.
Conduct any site investigation, field survey, or specialist study. All specialist reports must be independently commissioned.
Guarantee completeness of all applicable authorisations. Project-specific circumstances and new legislative amendments may affect the outcome.
Replace consultation with the relevant competent authority. Written confirmation from the authority is required before any activity commences.
Screen against municipal by-laws, building regulations, SPLUMA zoning approvals, or development contribution frameworks — these must be checked separately.
Substitute for the appointment of an EAP. A qualified Environmental Assessment Practitioner must manage the formal EIA process from start to finish.
Consider cumulative impacts, project alternatives, or the full range of project-specific design details — these are addressed in the formal EIA process.

How to Use This Tool

Follow these steps to complete your environmental screening.

1
Register Your Email

Enter your name and email address below to begin. This creates a record of the screening session for EnviroScreen's file management.

2
Enter Project Details

Provide the project name, proponent, location, province, GPS co-ordinates, total area and a brief project description.

3
Select Activity Categories

Tick all activity types that form part of the proposed development — from energy and mining to water infrastructure and coastal works.

4
Enter Size Parameters

Fill in the relevant scale parameters (MW, ha, m³, km, etc.) for your selected activities. These determine which regulatory thresholds are triggered.

5
Identify Sensitive Environments

Select all sensitive features present on or adjacent to the site — watercourses, wetlands, CBAs, coastal zones, heritage resources, etc.

6
Other Legislation Triggers

Indicate water abstraction, waste generation, air emissions, heritage resources, coastal activities and other legislation triggers.

7
Run the Screening

Click "Run Environmental Screening". The tool instantly screens your project against GNR 324, 325, 327 and 10+ other Acts.

8
Review Your Results

View triggered listed activities, the required EIA process, Legal Register, specialist study recommendations and authority contacts.

9
Download the Report

Click "Download DOCX Report" to generate a branded EnviroScreen screening report ready for client delivery or filing.

10
Save & Revisit

Save the screening to the history log. Return at any time to view, edit, regenerate or delete saved screenings from the History page.

What's in the Screening Report?

The downloaded DOCX report is a professional, branded document covering the following sections:

Project Details & Description

Full project information including proponent, location, GPS, area and description as entered.

EIA Regulations Screening — LN1, LN2 & LN3

Tables showing each triggered listed activity with its reference, description, triggers, required process and competent authority.

Full Legal Register (13 Pieces of Legislation)

Applicability status table for all major SA environmental legislation — from NEMA to SPLUMA, with determination basis for each.

Other Legislation Screening

Detailed analysis of triggered NWA, NEMWA, AQA, NHRA, ICMA, CARA, MPRDA and NFA requirements with authorisation details.

Recommended Specialist Studies

List of specialist studies identified based on the activity type and environmental sensitivities of the site.

Authorisation Summary & Recommendations

Clear summary of the required EIA process, timeframe, and key recommendations for next steps.

Competent Authority Contact Details

Full contact details for the relevant provincial authority (all 9 provinces) and national authorities — DFFE, DWS, SAHRA, DMRE.

Disclaimer

Professional disclaimer section ensuring the report is correctly qualified as a preliminary screening exercise.

Legislation Covered in the Legal Register
NEMA + 2017 EIA Regulations NWA 36 of 1998 NEMWA 59 of 2008 AQA 39 of 2004 NHRA 25 of 1999 ICMA 24 of 2008 CARA 43 of 1983 MPRDA 28 of 2002 NFA 84 of 1998 NEMBA 10 of 2004 SALA 70 of 1970 SPLUMA 16 of 2013 GMO Act 15 of 1997

Sign In to Begin

This tool is for EnviroScreen practitioners. Access is by invitation only — accounts are created for you by EnviroScreen; there is no self-registration.

By signing in you acknowledge the disclaimer above: this tool provides a preliminary screening only, and results must be verified by a qualified EAP before any decisions are made.