Iscor pollution tests 'hidden'

2003-08-15 07:58

Elise Tempelhoff

Vanderbijlpark - Staff at the Iscor plant near here were given instructions to destroy all evidence of possible contamination by the industy of runoff and groundwater.

A group of consultants compiling a so-called master plan for rehabilitating the environment were the only ones allowed to have copies of the documents.

So says a "top secret" e-mail marked "highly confidential" sent last year by master-plan team leader Dr Ockie Fourie to some team members and Iscor management. Beeld is in possession of the e-mail.

Fourie's e-mail says because of the "sensitive nature" of the laboratory test results and other information, he was instructed to ensure all documents and evidence were destroyed at the plant.

The e-mail says he received the instruction during a meeting of top Iscor management.

All correspondence and minutes of meetings when information about the master plan was distributed should also be destroyed, according to the e-mail.

"Information should rather be communicated verbally."

Security reasons cited

Printouts and computer disks containing results of laboratory tests should be destroyed.

Only Fourie and some of his team members were allowed to have copies of the evidence, such as lab-test results, says the e-mail.

Fourie, who began researching the master plan in 2000, says the laboratory where water tests were done could not keep any data of results.

The results should "preferably" be given to him "by hand".

Iscor corporate affairs chief Phaldie Kalam said in a statement on Thursday the industry had made the decision for security reasons.

All confidential documents at the plant were removed and "centralised" with a consultant.

Various confidential documents were stolen from the plant last year, said Kalam. Iscor management, therefore, had taken a responsible decision in this regard.

Marius Keet, deputy director of water affairs, which is involved in awarding Iscor's water licence, expressed his shock and surprise at the "questionable document".

He said: "I want written answers from Iscor about this. Why does it now look as though all information about the master plan had to be removed or destroyed?"

Kalam said Iscor had done what any other industry would do under the same circumstances - limit the distribution of confidential information.

Borehole water poisoned

Keet added there would now be increased pressure on Iscor to rehabilitate the environment.

In 2000, he put pressure on Iscor to buy out more than 100 smallholding owners near the plant.

This had come after a contaminated underground stream "clearly" emanating from Iscor had poisoned the borehole water of the inhabitants.

According to a shortened version of the master plan recently submitted to members of the community, it would cost the industry R1.6bn in the next 20 years to rehabilitate the environment.

Fourie and his team earned more than R5m for compiling the master plan.

- Beeld