GROUNDWORK's QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Volume 3, No 2
June 2001

Inside this issue:

Letter from the Editor

From the smokestack

Lead Story
Will SA violate new United Nations treaty?

Community News
Lessons to be learnt from South Durban

Air Quality Project
Air Pollution sustains Poverty
Profits that make one sick!

Waste Projects
Medical waste incineration – bad medicine

International
Stockholm and beyond

Southern Africa
Swaziland – Civil society working across boundaries

Focus on …
Desmond D’SA

Briefly …

Suggested Reading

In the pipeline

Rio + 10
The Idiot’s Guide

From the Editor

_{BACK TO TOP}

Dear friends of groundWork

Welcome to our new-look newsletter. We hope you like the changes which we have made both to layout and content.

On the 1^st of this month groundWork celebrated our second birthday. Our work turnover in our first two years has way exceeded our initial hopes and left us with no doubt that there is a need for groundWork and we will be around for many years to come!

The three of us at groundWork (Bobby Peek, Linda Ambler and Gill Addison) have recently been joined by my daughter Erin, now 6 months old, who provides the background sqwauking you hear over the phone!

The year 2001 is the UN Year of the Volunteer. Prompted by this we have decided to have a regular column called “Focus on …” in which we profile outstanding individuals in South Africa who have given freely of their time and resources to work on environmental issues. Our first candidate is Desmond D’SA, and you can read the interview with him on page 16.

Finally all of us at groundWork would like to say a belated thank you to Niru Rajh who recently resigned from Browne Brodie & Fourie, and who was an invaluable help and pillar of strength for us. We wish you and your family much happiness in your new home in Cape Town.

Regards

Linda Ambler

From the smokestack

_{BACK TO TOP}

By groundWork Director, Bobby Peek

In the past few days two workers have died during separate accidents at the ENGEN (South Durban) and NATREF (Sasolburg) refineries.

On Monday 28 May a worker was killed and another critically injured when they were exposed to hydroflouric acid in an accident at the ENGEN plant in South Durban. On 6^th June two workers were burnt to death and another injured in an explosion at the NATREF plant (owned by Sasol and Total). All four were contract workers and thus were not directly or permanently in the employ of the refinery companies.

The two workers killed at NATREF bring to 11 the number of workers to have died since 1999 at a Sasol plant. Over 1100 Sasol employees have also been injured during this period. (Sasol SHE Report, 2000)

One injury is too much, and one death should be treated with the full weight of the law!

groundWork is now calling on the SA government to convene a Commission of Enquiry into the:

v Worker and community safety of the oil, coal and gas refinery plants in South Africa

v Labour practices of the oil refinery industry in South Africa

v Liability of senior refinery managers in the deaths and injury of people on the refinery plants

groundWork is seeking the support of the unions for a Commission of Enquiry.

LEAD STORY:

_{BACK TO TOP}

Will SA violate new POPs treaty?

Plans are still on track for the construction of a hazardous waste incinerator to burn persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Sasolburg, despite South Africa having signed the new UN Convention on POPs.

Photo by Mark Davis of Pesticide Action Network, UK

Last month the South African government joined countries from around the world in signing a new United Nations convention aimed at eliminating certain harmful chemicals, known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). However, there are those within the South African government and private sector who appear to be disregarding this agreement by forging ahead with plans for the construction of a POPs incinerator in Sasolburg.

The United Nations Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants requires signatories to commit to eliminating the source, production and use of identified POPs, as well to actively identify POPs stockpiles and then decontaminate and dispose of these chemicals in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner.

The Stockholm Convention (as it is now referred to) initially focuses on 12 pollutants – referred to as the “dirty dozen” - but additional pollutants will be continuously added to the initial list.

The initial 12 pollutants are: DDT, Mirex, Dieldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, toxaphene, aldrin, and endrin (all pesticides), hexachlorobenzene (HCB – a pesticide and an industrial chemical), dioxins and furans (both useless by-products of certain industrial processes) and PCBs, which are used in electric transformers. All of these chemicals have been linked to very serious impacts on wildlife populations and human health, and several of them are known or probable carcinogens.

While with one hand the SA government is signing this treaty in front of the international world, with the other hand the SA government is apparently considering contravening this treaty by considering a proposal to incinerate tens of thousands of POPs in Sasolburg, that will result in the further production of POPs in the form of emissions of dioxins and furans.

The main proponent of the project is Sydney Sanders, Director of Peacock Bay Environmental Services. According to Greenpeace, in the late-1980s Sanders was involved in an attempt to illegally import hazardous waste into SA for the purpose of incineration. PBES is in the process of conducting an EIA for the proposed incinerator. Public participation meetings were held earlier this year, and a Draft Scoping Report will be release at the end of this month.

Such a project is in direct contravention of the new UN SA signed last month:

1. The proposed incinerator will emit dioxins and furans, which are 2 of the initial 12 chemicals identified in the treaty for elimination. All signatories of the Stockholm Convention will be required to work towards the eventual elimination of all new sources of dioxins and furans. Such a commitment entails of necessity the phasing out of all incinerators.

2. The proposed method of treating existing POPs stockpiles flies in the face of existing alternative non-incineration technologies for the safe decontamination and disposal of POPs stockpiles. Such technology is already existing in SA. In addition the SA government has recourse to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for financial and scientific assistance in the safe decontamination and disposal of POPs.

Martin Lloyd, Chief Air Pollution Control Officer, who is responsible for the registration and certification of incinerators told groundWork that he was approving of the project as the incinerator was EPA-approved. He seemed to show little concern for what wastes would be fed into the incinerator.

The presence of stockpiled POPs is a serious threat to the environment and health of South Africans, and as such the SA government should take the lead in ensuring the safe treatment and disposal of these POPs. The SA government is abdicating its constitutional responsibilities to its citizens, as well as its international responsibilities by allowing the private sector to take the lead on this project in the pursuit of financial gain at the expense of human health and the environment.

groundWork has written to Minister Moosa and Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi requesting their intervention to halt the project. We have also written to Peacock Bay stating our opposition to the project and our reasons.

For more on the Stockholm Convention see below.

What you can do:

1. Sign up as an Interested and Affected Party for the EIA being conducted for the proposed incinerator. Contact Shan Holmes at shanh@global.co.za or tel: 011-646 4726.

2. Write to Minister Valli Moosa and Director Martin Lloyd (both at D.E.A.T. Private Bag x447, Pretoria, 0001) to express your concerns and opposition to this proposal.

Community News

_{BACK TO TOP}

South Durban – Never say die!

by Bobby Peek

South Durban is a cauldron of environmental action and community organizing. This was recently recognized by Minister Valli Moosa in his 2001 Budget speech when he said this community needed to be given credit for focusing the mind of the Government on the need for cleaner air and for industries to clean up their act. This is not the first time that Minister Moosa has stated that government is acting in South Durban because the community has organised itself. The residents in South Durban must be proud of this achievement, for they have faced great odds in their five–decade struggle for cleaner air.

There is much that other communities can learn from South Durban. The South Durban community have developed a multiple-strategy approach to tackling these issues.

The community groupings in South Durban were still very divided along racial lines up until the mid-1990s. After much work, these various communities united in 1996 to form the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA). Five years on, the Alliance is stronger than ever.

Pressurising politicians, via written correspondences and media reports, to respond to community needs has resulted in several national, provincial and local politicians personally visiting and intervening in South Durban.

The community has also linked with NGO’s nationally, such as groundWork and the LRC, and internationally, in order to access technical skills and knowledge. This is a manifestation of the credo: “Think locally, act globally”.

The fighting spirit of the community has also manifested itself in legal action being taken against authorities and industries, as witnessed in the Sasol gas pipeline project.

The community has also used the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations to question government’s decision-making processes. Recently formal objections were lodged against the government’s decision to allow Total to develop a Tetra-ethyl lead storage area adjacent to the community, this after a similar tanker had a rapture earlier this year.

Mobilising the community is very important, and religious institutions and workers are incorporated into the local campaigns. This has been successful, for the churches have a long history of campaigning against apartheid injustices, and workers suffer the most from pollution.

The community also continues to take to the streets to publicly protest against big industry and government agents complicit in the social deconstruction of South Durban due to poor development practices. Public protest against the Sasol pipeline development and the gassing of children by Sasol industries have all occurred over the last year.

Finally, community action also means that you have to learn how to negotiate, and this the community in South Durban has also learnt well.

Community action is multi-faceted and no one action will solve the problems. Communities around the country can learn from South Durban. Just ask Minister Moosa!

AIR QUALITY PROJECT

_{BACK TO TOP}

Air Pollution Sustains Poverty

By Ardiel Soeker

The simple act of analyzing the air we breathe has become a contentious issue in places like South Durban, Sasolburg, Secunda and Table View in Cape Town. This is where the five biggest oil refineries in South Africa are situated. In the past their practices have gone unchecked by government and other stakeholders. Independent air pollution monitoring was unknown.

The Bucket Brigade is a community based air pollution monitoring system. It has the potential to empower communities to monitor air pollution and thereby contribute to improving living conditions. The Bucket Brigade system also provides a basis for lobbying around legislative and operational policy changes by companies and government.

Sasolburg
Zamdela is a township across the road from two refineries: Sasol 1 and Natref. Along most of the perimeter of Sasolburg secondary industries are found which are linked to Sasol both in terms of product and ownership. The people of Zamdela’s lives are intimately connected with Sasol. It is where most people work. Sasol is the air that the Zamdela community breathes. In short, the town’s power dynamics discourage community participation and few are prepared to challenge Sasol. The threat of losing a job as well as other struggles such as access to housing, detract from the struggle for cleaner air. Air quality is not top of the list of priorities, for the people, for the authorities and for Sasol.

Secunda

Similarly, Embalehle in Secunda is a community that has strong links with the Sasol 2 and 3 refineries, the biggest refineries in South Africa. The prevailing wind blows the polluted air emanating from these two refineries in the direction of Embalehle. Even on a bright sunny day a thick cloud of pollution can hide the existence of the town.

Table View
Table View and surrounds has historically been a white residential area. There has been sustained interaction between community representatives and the Caltex Refinery over the past four decades. Recently, a key development has been that Table View Residents’ Association reported Caltex to the Human Rights Commission. With the development of new, low income neighbourhoods in the Table View area, groundWork’s emphasis has been to inform and foster the new residents’ understanding of the issues. Here, in the more urbanized neighbourhood, the power relationships between Caltex and the residents does not threaten mobilisation in the same way as in Zamdela and Embalehle.

groundWork’s role as a development organisation is to build on the existing initiatives within a community. To achieve an active, alert community our first steps have to be in deepening people’s sense of the injustice, equipping them with information and choosing the appropriate activities to attract and hold participation.

groundWork has taken different entry approaches in various communities:

In Zamdela we used the Bucket Brigade as an entry into the community. Air samples were taken with the assistance of community members. The analysis was reported to community members, the Mayor of Sasolburg and Sasol management. We also circulated the analysis to newspapers. The next steps will be to build effective links with all sectors (health, education, women’s groups, unions, sport structures etc), maintain pressure on polluting industries through air sampling, and formalize the community monitoring system.

In Secunda our entry was more low profile. We held introductory discussions with environmental and civic bodies in Embalehle on the role and mission of groundWork. Sasol management was invited and was present at these meetings. Our next step will be to respond to the requests to workshop the Bucket Brigade community monitoring system and take air samples for analyses.

In the Caltex refinery area groundWork’s recent interventions have been to expand existing activities to incorporate the new communities. Information sharing discussions were held between representatives and members of civic, youth and other civil society organisations operating in the communities surrounding Caltex.

Unlike other aspects of our bad living conditions, the air we breathe is invisible. So there is no constant reminder each time we breathe, that the air is bad – in the way that a street without a drain presents a constant reminder in pools of stagnant water. This is exacerbated by the fact that most people are generally unaware that the air in another town (further from a oil refinery) smells differently since they have only ever been in their hometown. The refineries add salt to the wound by reinforcing the perception that there is nothing harmful in the air.

It is natural for people to respond to issues that are visible, that have direct and immediate consequences or problems that have easily achievable solutions. Most people do not see the link between illness and the air pollution in their town and its source. For example, in Secunda most people believe that residents themselves are the cause of pollution due to the domestic use of coal. A simple comparison of the amount of coal burnt by Sasol as opposed to the community reveals the opposite is true. Many are negative about any success because the corporate giants that control oil refineries appear invincible.

The challenge for groundWork is to work consistently and creatively to conscientise people so that they may act for a clean and healthy environment. The organisation is vigorous in taking up this challenge.

WASTE PROJECTS

_{BACK TO TOP}

Medical Waste Incineration: Bad Medicine

by Llewellyn Leonard

groundWork intern Llewellyn Leonard enjoyed his first trip overseas as well as his first experience of the international environmental justice community, thanks to the sponsorship of Health Care Without Harm

It was after days of preparation, collecting relevant material and securing documents on incinerators in South Africa, that I was finally seated in a room filled with anti-incinerator activists from across the United States. Other anti-incinerator activists had come from as far as the Philippines and Porte Rico to discuss and exchange wisdom on how to shut down a medical waste incinerator. The anti-incinerator activists had gathered at the University of Cosmetology in North Carolina for the Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) skills share.

It was motivating to see a room filled with such dedicated people who were passionately concerned about employing the principles of sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life of people as well as the environment, and not motivated by securing economic gains for themselves as is industry. For myself, I though that it would be a fantastic training experience to learn and unpack as much as possible about the issues surrounding incineration and medical waste.

The first day at the skills share was spent identifying problems around incinerator campaigns and looking at alternative technologies that are available. The second session focused on organizing and solving incinerator campaign problems. It became clear from the experiences related by many activists that they were becoming successful in shutting down incinerators in their areas.

One of the striking features noted at the skills share was that activists were not alone in their fights against incinerators. As different people related their experiences and problems faced, others present assisted by sharing solutions to the problems. This, I felt, was one of the advantages of attending and holding such a skill share in that it helps to motivate and sustain the individual in his/her fights against incineration.

What really was flabbergasting was finding out how some states were actually helping incinerators to continue operating in an unsustainable manner. In Michigan (Grand Rapids), an incinerator was said to have gone through two consent orders but could not pass the mercury test. The state however, passed the incinerator by raising the permissible mercury emission standards. In St Louis, a similar stack test was also conducted on an incinerator and the mercury test failed. Although metal emissions were said to be high and mercury levels exceeded the required standard, the state however granted permission for the test to be conducted again. It angered me to hear that in St Louis, the incinerator was located in an area that was of a low-income group.

I knew that such environmental racism did occur in South Africa but was shocked to hear of it’s manifestation in America, a country which I considered to be free of such connotations.

As I, Neil Tangri of the US NGO Essential Action and Manny Calonzo of the Philippines NGO Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, drove back to Washington, I reflected back on the skills share and it brought a new insight into why we as non-government organizations do what we do, and that is to contribute to the struggle for humanity. This is important because it helps to instill the need for wise management of resources no matter what the consequences so that the needs of people are met without destroying the natural resource base upon which we depend for our existence. For South Africa, this would be in line with our constitution which states that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well being.

After the HCWH skills share, I traveled to New York to attend various other events and meet some environmental justice activists so as to contribute to my knowledge surrounding medical waste issues. The first event that I had the privilege of attending was the New York City Toxins and Children Program: How to Protect Your Family From Environmental Threats To Health. Although the presentations did not necessarily deal with medical waste or incineration, the presentation by Colleen Keegan, HCWH, proved to be a contributory session. It was good to see the community in NY accepting the proposals being put forward by HCWH with regard to mercury reduction in both hospitals and homes. Also discussed was the need for environmentally sound purchasing, re-useables instead of disposables, red bag reduction education as well as waste segregation.

At New York’s Beth Israel Hospital, Janet Brown, the medical waste manager, showed me how medical waste management was conducted at the hospital. It was of no surprise to me to learn that Beth Israel Hospital was a leader in the medical waste handling by the waste management system they had in place. It was interesting to see how a perfect system of waste segregation was carried out. Special orange bags in the hospital meant that only waste that needed to be autoclaved needed to be disposed there. Other bags and bins had stickers on them with instructions indicating whether they needed to be red bagged or placed in a clear bag. Also, and most importantly, the hospital staff needed to continually attend compulsory awareness programs as part of their training.

I felt that considering what had been presented by Colleen and what I had witnessed at the hospital in New York, it would be important for South Africa to learn from the examples set elsewhere in the world. This would not necessarily mean that similar models needed to be adopted here, but lessons from such practices need to be learnt. Local governments in their efforts to implement a medical waste management policy need firstly to reduce waste by its source, implement proper segregation mechanisms and dispose of waste in any ecologically sustainable manner that minimizes harm to the community or environment. It is in this manner by thinking globally and acting locally, that a successful management strategy can be implemented.

I would like to thank Health Care Without Harm for making this trip possible.

INTERNATIONAL

_{BACK TO TOP}

Stockholm and beyond

Ardiel Soeker, representing groundWork, flew to Stockholm last month, the venue for the signing ceremony of the POPs Convention, at the invitation of the International POPs Elimination Network.

(Photo: Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi signing
the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants )

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, signed by 92 countries on the 22^nd May 2001, is the culmination of years of negotiations and lobbying by non-governmental organisations, affected communities and government representatives. South Africa’s Deputy Minister for Environmental Affairs, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, signed the treaty on behalf of the South African government.

groundWork formed part of this process through representation on the NGO International POP’s Elimination Network (IPEN). IPEN was formed to lobby for the creation of a POPs treaty. Now that the treaty has been finalized, IPEN members from around the world gathered in Stockholm to witness the grand signing ceremony, as well as to strategise around the future role of IPEN.

I was very impressed when the Swedish Minister of Environment arrived by bicycle to address our IPEN meeting! My general impression of the Swedish government was that it was much closer in thinking and accessible then our government back home. While in Stockholm I was also privileged to have dinner with the Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi and eat reindeer!

Sweden, as the host country for the signing ceremony of the declaration provided the perfect motivation for country delegates. The Swedish government announced a series of legal targets and deadlines to ensure that Sweden becomes the “world’s most environmentally sustainable nation”. Measures include a 70% rise in government funding for environmental protection, and drastic reductions in sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emissions. This development has even greater impact because Sweden now holds the revolving six months Presidency of the European Union.

More about the Stockholm Convention:

The Convention identifies 12 pollutants (“the dirty dozen”) for elimination as an initial step towards addressing the health and environmental impacts of industrialization. The 12 pollutants are DDT, Mirex, Dieldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, toxaphene, aldrin, and endrin (all pesticides), hexachlorobenzene (HCB – a pesticide and an industrial chemical), dioxins and furans (both useless by-products of certain industrial processes) and PCBs.

Persistent Organic Pollutants are toxic chemicals that are created by man, resist natural breakdown processes and accumulate in our bodies. They are able to travel long distances by wind and water currents and via the food chain.

In South Africa the use of incineration and open burning to dispose of medical waste, municipal waste and hazardous waste results in the creation of dioxins and furans. DDT, an organochlorine pesticide, is used in South Africa and other less industrialized countries as part of mosquito control programmes. PCB’s are found in electrical equipment and is also produced in various incineration and chemical processes.

The South African government, by signing the Stockholm Declaration, commits itself to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants. It commits itself to reduce or eliminate the release of POPs chemicals from intentional production, as well as eliminating and reducing POPs chemical releases from stockpiles and landfills.

SA will also be required to develop implementation plans to achieve the objectives of the declaration. Through the Global Environmental Facility South Africa and other signatories will have access to financial and scientific support to develop and implement reduction and elimination plans.

For more information on IPEN or the Stockholm POPs Convention contact:

• International POPs Elimination Network: Karen Perry at kperry@igc.org or www.psr.org/pops

• UNEP

• The SA government POPs focal point: Mr Buti Mathebula on 012-310 3446 or bes_bm@ozone.pwv.gov.za

SOUTHERN AFRICA

_{BACK TO TOP}

Swaziland –Civil society working across boundaries

by Bobby Peek

Last month, groundWork Director Bobby Peek flew into Swaziland at the invitation of an environmental organization based in Swaziland called Yonge Nawe.

The beauty of Swaziland and its people is threatened by the reality that it lacks a waste system that will provide its citizens not only with a good service, but protection from the dangers of poorly managed waste systems, and not expose them to dioxins, furans and other chemicals that can adversely impact upon people’s health.

When I landed in Swaziland on 9^th May for a two-day visit, I discovered that my baggage had not made the flight with me. I realised that one has to be innovative and not panic when faced with a “crisis” in Swaziland. People in Swaziland have an amazing ability of calmly tackling the environmental problems.

On the invitation of Yonge Nawe, groundWork was requested to visit Swaziland, and hold a campaign development workshop over a two-day period. The Yonge Nawe board was relieved by the reality that the problems that Swaziland are grappling with, is something not uncommon. The board’s resolve was strengthened to launch the Yonge Nawe “medical waste campaign” after I shared experiences from around the world with them on medical waste and incineration.

The problem facing Swaziland is articulated in the recently produced Swaziland National Solid Waste Management Status Quo Analysis Report which states that poor management systems have led to infectious medical waste being dumped on waste sites where people scavenge, burnt in open pits or burnt in poorly operated incinerators or hospital furnaces that where not designed for incineration.

To understand the practicalities on the ground, Yonge Nawe and I visited a local hospital, the hospital’s incinerator and the area where the medical waste was being dumped. During this visit it was evident that poor waste management practices in the hospital were leading to unused medical consumables, in this case unopened packets of syringes, being dumped. With the state of health care in Swaziland, as in the rest of Africa, under financial stresses and strains, this was evidence that good waste management practices can result in savings. This clear example highlighted the need for the hospital to work with Yonge Nawe, and the administrator welcomed this suggestion.

My last few hours in Swaziland were spent on a local dumpsite. This was an eye-opener for me as, although this site was not a formal, licensed, it was clear that sorting and recycling is big in Swaziland. The various waste types were neatly arranged in heaps - bottles, plastic, material, cardboard, metal and other materials - a low-tech success to a big waste problem. For this, the Swazi people are to be commended.

With the willingness to work together, and eagerness to create a recycled market, and with the inner resolve not to operate in a crisis-mode, Swaziland can teach a lot of other Southern African countries the protocols for a successful waste management system.

Subsequent to the groundWork visit, Yonge Nawe has internationalised their campaign by joining the Global Anti-Incineration Alliance (GAIA) and the Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) networks that campaign for the banning of incineration world wide, and now in Swaziland.

FOCUS ON…

Desmond D’SA

_{BACK TO TOP}

Desmond D’SA is the Chairperson of both the Wentworth Development Forum and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, and is credited by many for uniting the South Durban community in tackling the high air pollution levels experienced in this area.

Des (45) was born in Cato Manor and spent the first 15 years of his life there, until the residents of Cato Manor were forcibly removed under the Group Areas Act. Des and his family were moved from their productive smallholding in Cato Manor to a tiny flat in Wentworth, South of Durban. Des vividly describes the painful social and emotional upheaval caused by these forced removals.

Wentworth was an artificially created neighbourhood made up of people forcibly removed from all over Durban, and thus there was little sense of “community”. In the 1980s gangsterism became rife in Wentworth. Des and others together founded the Wentworth Crisis Committee which sought to bring peace between the over 20 gangs. The Committee organized soccer matches, concerts and fun days for the gang members and gangsterism became all but a nightmare of the past.

In 1994 Des was a founding member of the Wentworth Development Forum (WDF), which was originally formed to address housing issues. Des remains to this day the chair of the WDF. While working on housing issues he became increasingly aware of the high prevalence of asthma, dermatisis and cancer, within the community. He became increasingly convinced that this had something to do with the pollution in the area.

In April 1995 some children found a drum in a vacated factory and rolled it into the adjacent playground where the children continued to play with it. This drum contained lindane, an organophosphate. Two children ingested the lindane and had to be hospitalized. This incident further opened Des’ eyes to the hazards posed by the many industries in the area.

Two weeks before the lindane incident, Mandela visited South Durban for the official opening of a wax plant. The community used Mandela’s visit as an opportunity to publicise their concerns and held a protest march against the industrial pollution.

In 1997 various community groups from the various suburbs in South Durban came together to form the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA). The Alliance has succeeded in uniting residents from the Bluff (traditionally a conservative white suburb), Wentworth (Coloured), Umlazi (Black), Isipingo and Merebank (Indian) in a common goal to clean up the air in South Durban. Des has been the Chair of the Alliance since its inception.

Des is full of praise for his colleagues on the Alliance’s committee (“an excellent bunch of guys”). Likewise his fellow committee members of SDCEA are full of praise for Des. Says Mark Colvin:

“I have worked with Des for the last 6 or 7 years on environmental matters in South Durban. In spite ofthe numerous other commitments to various community causes that Des has, he has been one of the most dedicated and consistent members of SDCEA. Des spends more time in the office than any other SDCEA member, he seldom misses meetings and never takes his eyes off the prize: a better and healthier environment for the South Durban community. He may be a thorn in the side for the local polluting industries but he has been instrumental in getting the government and industry to put millions of rands into researching and improving the environment in our area"

In speaking to Des it is clear that his passion is the community. Nothing gives him greater joy than to see the people of Wentworth, once so divided, unite and stand dignified against the injustices that have shaped their lives.

Says Des: “I want to make a difference. I am going to work even harder. I have no space for hatred and bitterness. Hatred and bitterness hold you back. Negativity doesn’t help anything.” And with this he rushes off to yet another meeting with industry to negotiate on behalf of his community.

Des is married to Beatrice and has three children and a 10-month old grandchild.

IN BRIEF ….

_{BACK TO TOP}

WORLD GREENS CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES

Multi-National Corporations to be held accountable for injustices!
In April 2001, the Goldman Foundation flew Bobby Peek to Canberra, Australia, to address an international workshop on Rio+10. He presented a paper entitled “Strategies for the Green movement towards Earth summit 2002.” After this workshop he attended the first global conference of Green Parties from around the world. It was an emotional event, with people bonding due to one common cause - a passion to do away with social and environmental injustice. It was fitting that one of the focus areas was the human rights abuses caused by the multi-national corporations (MNC’s).

A resolution was taken at the conference that the Greens would “enforce an international Green Tribunal to start addressing oil issues” and “work towards developing international, national and local structural mechanisms to hold MNC accountable and responsible for their destructive actions in most African and South Asian countries” (world-wide eventually). The above resolution ties in with groundWork’s “Corporate Accountability” theme for next year’s Rio + 10 Summit in SA. For more info see www.global.greens.org.au

BAYGON LINKED TO LEUKEMIA

Studies undertaken in France have identified a link between chemicals found in the pesticide Baygon and an increased incidence of childhood leukemia. Baygon is a common pesticide in South African homes.

US REFINERY FINED US$20 MILLION

A US Oil refinery company, Koch Petroleum, was recently fined US$20 million after it pleaded guilty to falsely reporting emissions of benzene from its refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. The company was charged with violating the Clean Air Act as well as for conspiracy and making false statements on benzene emissions. Benzene is a known carcinogen, linked to leukemia. Half of the US$20 million will be paid in fines and the other half will go towards improving the environment in Corpus Christi.

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE TOXIC TRADE

The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) passed a resolution at its last sitting in April that it would investigate the adverse affects of the transfer of hazardous waste and polluting technologies from developed to developing countries.

Burning Animal carcasses in the UK create dioxins

The UK government has admitted that the burning of animal carcasses as a control measure for the foot and mouth disease (FMD) has created dioxins. Dioxins are one of the 12 chemicals (the dirty dozen) targeted for elimination in the new United Nations treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants. A study on dioxins by the United States government’s environmental protection agency found that dioxins may be responsible for up to 20% of cancers in the USA, i.e. one in every 5 cancers could be attributable to dioxins.

CONTAMINATED COW’s MILK

The largest incinerator in KwaZulu-Natal is located in Ixopo, which is the heart of dairy country. There have been several scares internationally about dairy products and beef being contaminated by dioxins from incinerators. There is every reason to believe that dairy products originating from the Ixopo area are highly contaminated with cancer-causing dioxins. The principle route of exposure to dioxins is believed to be through consuming dairy products.

IN THE PIPELINE

_{BACK TO TOP}

21 – 30^th August 2001 – groundWork will be hosting a visit of two international medical waste experts. The purpose of this visit is to share with government and hospital officials responsible methods of minimizing the quantity and impacts of medical waste, as well as to set up pilot greening projects in a few selected hospitals. For more information contact Llewellyn Leonard in the gW office.

28^th August - 1^st September 2001, Durban – NGO Conference preceding the UN Conference on Racism, which takes place from 2 – 7 September at the ICC in Durban.

14-15 September 2001 – KZN Waste Management multi-stakeholder meeting. Contact Timothy Fasheun at the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs on 033-355 9621.

September 2001 (Dates to be confirmed) – A three-day national waste summit organized by DEAT will be held in the Northern Province. For more information watch the DEAT website (www.environment.gov.za) or contact Mr Shane Mothaloga on 012-310 3731 or smothaloga@ozone.pwv.gov.za

SUGGESTED READING

_{BACK TO TOP}

Incineration and Human Health – State of knowledge of the Impacts of Incineration on Human Health by Pat Costner et al, published by Greenpeace, May 2001 (A4, 81 pages)

This is an outstanding book and is highly recommended. The book consolidates over 300 studies and research papers that have focused on the impacts of incineration on human health. The book looks both at studies conducted on incinerator workers, as well as on population living adjacent to incinerators. The evidence is shocking.

Incinerator workers are more likely to die from lung cancer, gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer and heart disease than average members of the population. In addition they are more likely to suffer from chloracne, decreased liver function and increased allergy. People living in the vicinity of incinerators have an increased chance of dying from lung cancer and liver cancer. In addition they are more likely to suffer from soft tissue sarcoma, respiratory problems, lung disease, bronchitis, cancer of the larynx, spina bifida, congenital malformations among new borns and altered sex ratio of new borns.

The report identifies more than 190 chemicals that are released from incinerators.

The report also addresses the misconception that incinerators reduce wastes. It argues that the combined outputs of all air emissions, ash, and wastewater exceed the initial waste inputs. More importantly these outputs are more often far more toxic then the original waste fed into the incinerator.

This report can be downloaded from the Greenpeace web page (www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/) or it can be ordered from the Greenpeace office in the UK.

Rio + 10

_{BACK TO TOP}

The Idiots Guide

Next year South Africa will be hosting the second Earth Summit, also known as Rio + 10, also known as the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).

In 1992 in the South American city of Rio de Janeiro, heads of state and diplomats from over 170 governments gathered for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. It was a groundbreaking summit which has shaped international environmental policy ever since. This conference is now more commonly referred to as the Rio Earth Summit, or more simply as “Rio”. In environmental circles conversation is frequently littered with phrases such as “since Rio” or “as a result of Rio...”

So what was the Rio Earth Summit about?

The Rio Summit produced several guiding principles, documents and international institutions. These included:

• The Rio principles (including the precautionary principle)

• Agenda 21 – a program to assist governments in pursuing sustainable development

• Convention on climate change (known as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change)

• Commission on Sustainable Development

• Convention on Biological Diversity

Some 22 000 NGO representatives attended the Rio Earth Summit. Even more are expected for next year’s Summit in SA.

What is planned for Rio + 10?

The Summit will be held in Sandton, Johannesburg from 2 – 9 September 2002. Parallel to this meeting of governments there will be a Global NGO Forum hosted by the SA NGO Coalition.

Will review progress made with international commitment to sustainable development since Rio. It is hoped that with SA hosting the Summit, African issues poverty and inequality will be given priority.

The SA government has established a Section 21 company called the Johannesburg Earth Summit 2000 Co, to manage preparations for the event.

Subject to the availability of funding, groundWork will be holding a conference on Corporate Accountability during the week prior to the Summit. The groundWork conference will focus on the role of multinational companies in perpetrating environmental injustices.

Watch this space!

For more information contact:
Bryan Ashe, the Interim Coordinator of the NGO Forum of WSSD, at 011- 403 6056 or admin@earthsumit2002.org.za

Moss Mashishi, CEO of the Johannesburg Earth Summit 2000 Co.

Or contact groundWork for copies of the report “Towards Earth Summit 2002 – South African Civil Society and Rio + 10”, published by Earthlife Africa.