Bad odours addressed

As part of an investigation into the offensive odour complaints in Mossel Bay, the Garden Route District Municipality Air Quality Unit and PetroSA convened two-weekly meetings on odours in communities.

GRDM spokesperson Herman Pieters says the latest odours most likely originate from an oily effluent spill in the two stormwater dams on the refinery site.

“These were reported to the authorities and discussed at length followed by a media statement by PetroSA.”

The municipality visited the site on Tuesday, 6 October.

The municipality was joined by Rudzani Makahane, Water Use Officer of the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency.

“The oil spill into the stormwater system was confirmed. Signs of oil residue were visible in both the stormwater ponds and the Blind River,” said Pieters.

He said there was a distinct pungent smell of hydrocarbons present at the ponds. The district municipality is the Air Quality Licensing Authority for PetroSA, and offensive odours form part of air pollution, but the primary origin of the odour is stormwater.

“Thus, the primary source must be addressed in order to mitigate the air quality and offensive odours.”

Pieters says it was proposed that the problem be addressed through a multi-sector approach by all applicable authorities.

The case has also been referred to the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, as well as the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Fisheries. “We will continue to put pressure on the relevant authorities to act in terms of their respective jurisdictions.”