Objectives

The primary objective is to establish a complete environmental and statutory approval pathway for the refurbishment and repurposing of the Milnerton Tank Farm from crude oil storage to finished petroleum product storage. The project aims to resolve uncertainties surrounding historical environmental authorisations, identify all applicable legal requirements, and secure the necessary permits to enable lawful implementation without increasing the facility's physical footprint or storage capacity.

Scope of Work

The appointed Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) will provide comprehensive environmental, regulatory, and statutory advisory services, including:

• Conducting environmental due diligence, reviewing historical records, and assessing contamination or outstanding liabilities.
• Determining the exact regulatory approval pathway, including whether an amendment, basic assessment, scoping and EIA, or other statutory process applies.
• Managing specialist studies such as Major Hazard Installation (MHI) reviews, Atmospheric Emission Licence (AEL) assessments, and land use planning evaluations.
• Developing and implementing a compliant Public Participation Process to engage Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs), local communities, government departments, and emergency services.
• Liaising with national, provincial, and local authorities to obtain pre-application guidance, prepare and submit all regulatory applications, and manage correspondence through to final approval.
• Creating environmental management and compliance frameworks covering the design, refurbishment, construction, and operational phases.
• Providing ongoing project support, including reporting to governance committees and confirming full regulatory clearance before project commencement.

Technical Requirements

The EAP must demonstrate capability in:

• Navigating complex environmental legislation and tiered assessment processes to determine applicability for the proposed change in dangerous goods classification.
• Interpreting historical environmental liabilities and evaluating whether existing authorisations permit the transition to finished petroleum product storage.
• Coordinating multidisciplinary specialist studies and integrating technical findings into robust regulatory submissions.
• Designing and executing public participation frameworks aligned with statutory environmental impact assessment regulations.
• Developing adaptive environmental management plans that address compliance monitoring, mitigation tracking, and audit readiness across all project phases.
• Maintaining precise documentation, audit trails, and regulatory correspondence for transparent decision-making and authority reviews.

Skills Requirements

Candidates must possess:

• Proven experience as a recognised Environmental Assessment Practitioner managing large-scale industrial, energy, or petroleum infrastructure projects.
• Expertise in environmental due diligence, contamination assessment, and historical liability resolution.
• Strong working knowledge of statutory approval pathways, including environmental impact assessments, atmospheric emission licensing, and major hazard installation compliance.
• Demonstrated success in stakeholder engagement, public participation facilitation, and regulatory negotiation.
• Project management capabilities to sequence approvals, manage critical paths, and coordinate cross-functional technical teams.
• Excellent technical writing, report compilation, and presentation skills for regulatory submissions and executive governance reporting.

Explanation of Key Terms

• EAP (Environmental Assessment Practitioner): A qualified professional mandated to manage environmental impact assessments, coordinate specialist studies, and secure regulatory approvals for development projects.
• MHI (Major Hazard Installation): A facility storing or processing hazardous substances above legally defined thresholds, requiring stringent safety protocols, emergency preparedness, and specialised environmental controls.
• AEL (Atmospheric Emission Licence): A regulatory permit that sets limits on air pollutant discharges from industrial operations to protect air quality and public health.
• S&EIA (Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment): A rigorous, two-stage assessment process used for higher-risk projects to identify significant environmental effects, define study boundaries, and prescribe comprehensive mitigation measures.
• Basic Assessment: A streamlined environmental evaluation process applied to lower-risk projects, focusing on direct impacts and feasible mitigation without extensive scoping.
• I&APs (Interested and Affected Parties): Individuals, communities, organisations, or government bodies with a legitimate interest in or potential exposure to project outcomes, requiring formal consultation under environmental law.