Iscor man's suspension lifted

2001-12-01 12:44

Elise Tempelhoff

Vanderbijlpark - Iscor on Friday dropped all charges against Dr Pieter van Eeden, the company's pollution technologist who was suspended for leaking information on the extent of the pollution, and requested that he be back at work on Monday.

An Iscor manager phoned Van Eeden on Friday and told him his suspension had been lifted, his disciplinary hearing cancelled and he should please be at work on Monday.

Iscor declined to give reasons for the move. Van Eeden said he was surprised to receive a phone call that morning. He was also not given reasons for the company's move.

He said he would report for work on Monday and gage management's attitude towards him. "I would welcome it if they asked my co-operation in solving the pollution problem. Not that it can be done overnight. Whatever happens, I will continue the battle against pollution."

'Speculation'

Iscor spokesperson Phaldie Kalam denied the company was responsible for the pollution in the vicinity of its plant. In a press release issued on Friday, he said the case was currently being addressed in the high court and he was convinced that the court would support Iscor's point of view.

Iscor regarded any accusations at this stage as speculation. According to Kalam, Iscor had already submitted the reports in question to international toxicologists, who would, he believed also confirm the company's point.

He appealed to all parties to be patient until an independent judge could make his ruling during the second half of next year.

Forty years' neglect

Van Eeden again confirmed that Iscor had for 40 years been aware of polluting the environment, and said the company was either ignoring the problem or neglected addressing it.

He said he was inundated with phone calls on Friday. Some people congratulated him on having the courage to speak out. A prayer group was started in Richards Bay because "such an honest man lost his job".

Van Eeden was suspended by Iscor last Tuesday after he was caught giving reports on Iscor's pollution problem to legal representatives of residents of smallholdings who are currently waging a legal battle against Iscor about, among others, their polluted borehole water.

He apparently leaked the reports because he wanted to make a contribution to solving the problem but was prevented from continuing with his research by Iscor. The reports allegedly contained "damning evidence" about pollution.

Subjected to polygraph

After having been subjected to a lie detector test by Iscor, Van Eeden also admitted taking a report on the state of groundwater in the area from the desk of his department head. Iscor accused him of theft and suspended him.

In the meantime, MWU Solidarity on Friday appealed to Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Ronnie Kasrils and Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa to urgently launch an investigation into the pollution in the vicinity of the plant.

MWU Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann said it Iscor obviously ignored the rights of the people and possibly also contravened of the Water Act.

Water Affairs and Forestry Deputy Director Marius Keet on Friday said the department had been putting pressure on Iscor to address the problem of pollution for many years. Iscor's application for a water licence in 1999, however, met most of the department's requirements.

The department and Iscor were currently working on a plan. By the year 2005, no wastewater would be flowing from the plant.

- Beeld