Section 31(L) (1) of National Environmental Management Act, 108 of 1998 (NEMA as amended) states that: an Environmental Management Inspector or Environmental Mineral and Petroleum Inspector, may issue a compliance notice if there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person has not complied-
(a) with a provision of the law for which that inspector has been designated in terms of section 31D; or
(b) with a term or condition of a permit, authorisation or other instrument issued in terms of such law.
In terms of Section 31(N) (2) of National Environmental Management Act, 108 of 1998 (NEMA as amended), if a person fails to comply with a compliance notice, the environmental management inspector or an environmental mineral and petroleum inspector must report the non-compliance to the Minister.
The Minister may-
(a) revoke or vary the relevant permit, authorisation or other instrument which is the subject of the compliance notice; and
(b) take any necessary steps and recover the costs of doing so from the person who failed to comply.