Department to review EnviroServ site
THE ENVIRONMENTAL Affairs Department (DEA) says it is not opposed to fining or taking legal action against a multinational company’s Durban-based operation, which has been accused of releasing “toxic air” into the community.
Waste disposal powerhouse EnviroServ’s Shongweni landfill site has had two visits from the DEA in the past month, following complaints since January from residents in Hillcrest, Waterfall, Gillitts and surrounds, who accused the company of releasing toxic odours into the area that allegedly left several residents sick.
“The DEA is currently exploring its options in terms of determining the best way to move forward on this issue. At this stage, the DEA is not excluding enforcement action,” spokesman Albi Modise said.
Modise said EnviroServ had shown “general compliance” in the past at its Shongweni landfill, but the company’s licence would be reviewed.
“The licence will be reviewed in terms of continual improvement of environmental performance of the site and subject to progress with the current set of instructions.”
Modise said a number of instructions had been issued to EnviroServ to deal with the potential sources of odours and the manner in which the site was managed.
“(This includes) temporary suspension of hazardous waste disposal for a period of two weeks while other potentially problematic sources of malodour or noxious emissions are identified; the management of leachate; a stakeholder management plan; toxicological assessment; full site technical assessment to address various engineering aspects; as well as an urgent environmental monitoring committee meeting to formally convene and report to stakeholders and the community,” he said.
The DEA’s full report on the Shongweni landfill will be tabled at an environmental monitoring committee meeting set to take place this week.
Testing by an independent specialist, together with an EnviroServ contractor, found that a leak in a leachate tank had contributed to the stink.
EnviroServ subsequently apologised for any “inconvenience” it had caused, but said it did not believe it was the sole contributor to the odours.
EnviroServ group chief executive Dean Thompson said on Friday that it had been “actively working to improve the situation”.