More medical waste dumps found

2009-12-02 21:05

Johannesburg - The Green Scorpions on Wednesday found another two sites of buried medical waste in the Welkom area in the Free State.

They were found buried on the Jonkerus Farm, 25 km outside the town, and on the Welkom Showgrounds, said chief director for regulatory services in the environmental affairs department, also known as the Green Scorpions, Sonnyboy Bapela.

"It's a crime scene now."

Each waste site was about 10 metres wide. The site on the Showgrounds was at least two metres deep.

Investigators have so far found syringes, scalpels, used bandages, discarded medications as well as amputated limbs, placentas and foetuses.

Wind caused waste to fly around

In a statement the Department of Environmental Affairs warned that the waste "poses a health and bio-hazard risk to the people that may come into contact with it, as well as a risk that significant harm may be caused to the environment."

Further excavation was made impossible due to windy conditions.

"Because of the wind, the medical waste started to fly around."

Investigators have re-buried the waste until a suitable solution for disposal, either a certified landfill or incinerator, could be found.

"It will not be wise to leave it open."

Bapela said the owners of the properties would be served with legal notices before the waste could be moved. Bapela said he could not yet identify who was responsible for dumping the waste illegally.

"We still have to identify the owner who brought the waste there."

R10m fine, 10 years in jail

The improper dumping of medical waste can result in criminal charges. This includes a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of R10m or both, according to the department.

Bapela said the information on the new sites came from journalists who had interviewed Gavin Brasher, owner of Maximus Bricks, where the first illegal medical waste site was found on Friday.

"The owner of the brickyard indicated other sites where waste is buried," said Bapela.

The Sunday Times reported that 300 tons of medical waste had been found on Brasher's property.

It had been dumped there by South Africa's second-largest waste management company, Wasteman. It included bandages, body parts and used syringes.

Company's properties searched

The departments said investigators had searched Wasteman's headquarters in Johannesburg, as well as a company incinerator in Klerksdorp and a treatment facility in Durban.

According to the Times, the Wasteman Group and its affiliate Phambili Wasteman had multi-million rand contracts with over 150 private and government hospitals and clinics.

Wasteman's chief executive Vincent Charnley temporarily quit as head of the Institute of Waste Management for Southern Africa. On Monday his company was suspended from the organisation.

Operations at Maximus Bricks had ceased, and security guards had been posted at all three sites for reasons of public safety, the department said.
 

- SAPA