'Can't wash away pollution'
2004-05-13 09:31
Durban - Two of three major polluters in south Durban - Mondi Paper and the Engen Oil Refinery - on Wednesday again ran foul of the already irate south Durban community.
Against the background of a long history of tensions between the community and industry in the heavily polluted basin, companies and the South Durban Community and Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) clashed over development plans and a pollution incident.
About 300 protesters gathered outside Mondi's gates to demand a halt to its latest R300m Blue Sky expansion project, which includes the introduction of a large multi-fuel boiler that will burn the company's waste to fuel its plant.
Afterwards, Engen handed angry community members car wash vouchers after the refinery spewed "white powder" on cars and houses.
"If what these people are doing was not criminal, this would be amusing. Most of the people in this area don't even have cars. You can't just wash away the pollution," said SDCEA chairperson Des D'Sa.
The refinery's acting general manager, Willem Oosthuizen, confirmed that white powder was released from a smokestack at the refinery, but said it posed no health risk. He said Engen would do "everything in its power to clean up as soon as possible". The refinery is negotiating with the City health department to evaluate the full effect of the dust.
D'Sa said he hoped Wednesday's protest showed Mondi in particular, and other polluters in the area, that the stakes have been upped.
Wednesday's protesters included representatives from 10 schools in an area where 52% of primary school children are reported to have asthma and upper respiratory problems and the community is said to have a leukaemia rate 24 times higher than the national average.
"They will see that even pupils in this area are not going to sit back any more. How much more can poor people take?" he said.
SDCEA's main objections to Mondi's expansion plans include increased noise and traffic levels in the area, and allegations that although Mondi claims the incinerator will reduce sulphur dioxide levels by 12% and overall emissions from the plant by 66%, carcinogenic emissions such as dioxins will increase.
D'Sa said the creation of an incinerator at Mondi would open the flood gates for further incinerator developments in south Durban. Already, there is a proposal to burn hazardous waste at the NPC Cement plant in Port Shepstone.