Appeal against closure of landfill site
EnviroServ claims Environmental Affairs Department is in breach of agreement
Custodians of the controversial Shongweni landfill site – which has had surrounding residents up in arms over a noxious smell emanating from the dump – have filed an appeal against it’s closure.
TMG Digital reported yesterday the department of environmental affairs said it was suspending the operating licence for the EnviroServ dump site due to “significant sources of odour” that the company has failed to deal with.
The site handles 14 000 tons of refuse a month including industrial chemicals‚ condemned foods‚ contaminated soils and general household wastefromabout1 000clients.
According to EnviroServ Group CEO Dean Thompson‚ the company has filed an appeal against the Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA) notice of suspension of its waste management licence.
“We believe the suspension notice was premature and in breach of an agreement concluded with the DEA that final reports from our experts would be presented on April 10 2017 for further consideration‚” Thompson said.
“These expert reports demonstrate that the suspension notice is based on numerous incorrect technical and scientific conclusions‚ and form the backbone of our defence to both the civil and criminal charges which have been brought against the company.”
Thompson said that experts commissioned by EnviroServ‚ said the Shongweni landfill must continue to receive specific waste streams in order to see a continued rise in the site’s pH levels‚ which the company now has evidence is at the core of the odour problem.
“Suspension of the site’s licence would only serve to exacerbate this. We maintain the Shongweni landfill site is compliant in all regards‚ and have concrete evidence that it is not the only contributor to the odour problem in the area. We have every confidence that our various scientific studies‚ which will be presented in due course‚ will prove this.”
Thompson appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday representing EnviroServ on charges of contravening environmental legislation.