Facing NEMA
Department of Environmental Affairs issues directive
FOLLOWING the devastating fire that entirely destroyed its woodchip piles, NCT is facing environmental scrutiny over pollution of Mzingazi Canal, where mass fish deaths have occurred.
NCT general manager Danny Knoesen confirmed that the Department of Environmental Affairs has issued a Section 30 directive in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), demanding the company submits a detailed incident report.
This would include how the canal catastrophe occurred, how it is being managed and what chemical contaminants might have entered the fragile estuary ecosystem via stormwater run-off into the mangrove area.
“I was actually pleased that we were given the directive, which shows that the authorities are taking their mandate seriously,” Knoesen told the ZO on Friday.
“And I can assure you that we will go way beyond the legal requirements in ensuring we do all in our power to restore the canal to prime functionality.
“We already have Spill Tech working in the mangrove area and we have engaged the services of the best available consultancy, Ground Truth, who dealt with the UPL catastrophic toxic chemical spill in Umhlanga.
“Over a number of days, sampling will be done to test trends in water quality. Numerous chemical reports will be made public, indicating not just the cause of the loss of marine life but giving us a base line to determine longterm outcomes and actions.
”As I have said previously, we stand behind our commitment to see it through until the canal system is totally restored, even if it takes years.”
Meanwhile, a scheduled weekend Zululand Yacht Club regatta was called off as a precaution lest water is swallowed, and the public has also been warned not to eat dead fish or to fish in the canal.