Environmental Justice
Action in Southern Africa
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Environmental Justice
Action in Southern Africa |
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shell international's legacy of pollution and damage The Royal Dutch Shell Group (The Shell Group) is a huge multi national
corporation with annual gross sales of more than $175 billion, more that most
countries gross domestic product (GDP). It is one of the worlds top oil
companies (ranked either No. 1 or No. 2) and the seventh largest chemical
company. In recent years, the Shell Group has
attempted to improve its environment standing in the world. In 1995 the company
committed itself to sustainable development. It supports the International
Labour Organisation’s Declaration of Principles and Rights at Work and is an
active player in the UN Global Compact. It’s business principles now include a
commitment to sustainable development and human rights. This fact sheet looks at
Shell’s track record in Africa and in particular, South Africa. 1.
Shell International
The Shell Group is one of the biggest
multi-national energy corporations in the world operating in more than 145
countries and employs in excess of 115 000 people. The Shell Group was formed in 1907. It is comprised of The Royal Dutch
Petroleum Company based in the Hague and the Shell Transport and Trading Company
based in London. The Shell Group’s business is based upon the exploration, extraction,
transportation and refining of fossil fuels - oil and gas. It supplies petrol
and lubricants to its 43 000 service stations around the world and produces a
wide range of chemical products. 2.
Shell in South Africa
The Shell Group owns 50% of the largest oil
refinery in Southern Africa called the South African Petroleum Refinery
(SAPREF). British Petroleum (BP) owns the other 50%. The Shell Group is jointly responsible for the management and operation
of SAPREF. SAPREF started operations in the 1960’s after getting the go ahead from
the South African Apartheid government. SAPREF is situated in the South Durban Basin next to the Engen refinery,
Durban International Airport and Monde Paper Mil. It is surrounded by
residential areas with a population of approximately 250 000 inhabitants. SAPREF has the capacity to refine 180 000 barrels of crude a day and
employs about 580 people and more than 600 contractors. SAPREF operations consist of the refinery, seven underground pipelines
which run from the refinery through residential areas, the Island View tank
terminal which consists of storage tanks and an off shore single buoy mooring,
off the Durban coast, where crude oil is off loaded from tankers and pumped to
the refinery. SAPREF producers petrol, diesel, kerosene, lubricating oils, jet fuel,
LPG, paraffin-based solvents, bitumen, marine fuel oil and chemical feed stocks. 3.
Shell’s Pollution in South Africa The south Durban basin consists of 5 industrial
belts and is home to about 120 industries. SAPREF and the Engen Refinery occupy
one of these belts. Residential areas are located between and adjacent to the
industrial belts. It is one of the biggest industrial pollution hotspot in South
Africa. Investigative studies by a local journalist have shown that the rate of
leukaemia in South Durban may be up to 24 times higher than in other parts of
South Africa. A study by the University of Natal medical school found that
children in the suburbs south of Durban “are up to four times likely to suffer
from chest complaints than children from other areas of the city” of Durban. The Shell Groups management and operational
record of SAPREF has been poor as born out by the numerous accidents and
incidents that have occurred over the past five years at SAPREF.
4. Campaigns and Community Action around Shell Communities in south Durban have a long history
of environmental activism against polluting industries. The South Durban
Environmental Alliance, formed in 1996, coordinates and leads community action
and negotiations with industry. The Alliance’s main concerns include the
excessive pollution emanating from industry, access to information from
government and industry, the poor record of industrial operation and management,
lack of a strong and enforceable regulatory framework for industry and a lack of
effective monitoring of industrial activities by government. SDCEA’s actions to address these concerns
include a number of strategies. Mobilising community action through public
meetings, demonstrations, the Media and campaigns is a central strategy of the
Alliance. Through these actions SDCEA has consistently called on Shell to
introduce pollution reduction plans and to upgrade its facility. Networking with
communities both nationally and internationally, has added a new dimension to
this strategy. On the 23rd April 2003, SDCEA together with
groundwork, The United Front to Oust Oil Depots, from the Philippines; Friends
of the Earth Nigeria, The Community In-power and Development Association, Port
Arthur, Texas, Concerned Citizens of Norco, Louisiana, USA, Environmental Health
Fund, USA, The Refinery Reform Campaign - Global Community Monitor, USA, Friends
of the Earth UK, Milieudefensie from the Netherlands, and the South African
Exchange Programme on Environmental Justice challenged Shell’s international
management at their AGM in London and the Hague. Communities groups questioned
Shell about their pollution and operational track record and demanded that
Shell’s international management address local concerns. Case Study: The largest
petrol spill in South African history In July 2001, residence living in the Bluff, a community in the Durban
south Basin, complained about a
strong petrol smell emanating from storm water drains in the area. A leak was
then discovered in an underground SAPREF pipeline which transports 10 million
litres of petrol a day through residential areas. The leak is close to a wetland
called - the Bluff Nature Reserve along Tara Road in the Bluff. The leak, from a
4 millimeter hole in the pipeline, was the result of external rusting of the
pipeline due to exposure to moisture. SAPREF, after initially claiming that only 500 000 to 750 000 liters of
petrol leaked from the hole, readjusted their estimate to between 1 million to
1,5 million litres of petrol that leaked. SAPREF
has thus far recovered more than a million litres of petrol form the soil.
Remediation is expected to continue until 2004. With regard to health risks, SAPREF informed residents that they may
periodically experience burning eyes, coughing, dizziness and nausea as a result
of the petrol vapours. SAPREF
conducted no medical tests on residents. Remedial work to extract the petrol
from the soil resulted in high concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene
and xylene in the air. Benzene exposure is linked to leukemia. Two months after
the spill, 5 families living closest to the spill were temporarily relocated by
SAPREF. On the 27th August 2001, one month after the Tara Road
incident, SAPREF reported another leak in their fuel oil pipeline between
Badulla Drive and Grays Inn Road, Durban South. The fuel oil pipeline was shut
down for inspection which revealed 98 defects involving 70% or more decrease of
wall thickness, 42 defects involving between 60% to 70% decrease of wall
thickness and 98 defects of 50% to 60% decrease of wall thickness. SAPREF then
repaired patched of the pipeline over a length of 11 km. 2 km of pipeline was
replaced completely. Six months later on the 14th January 2002, tests
revealed new oil spills on the same pipeline. SAPREF’s research into it’s other 6 pipelines, reveal 8 defects
involving 70% or more deterioration of pipeline wall thickness, 4 defects
involving between 60% to 70% deterioration of wall thickness and 19 defects of
between 50% to 60% deterioration of wall thickness. Requests to replace the entire pipeline have not been granted. 5. Shell in Nigeria The Niger River Delta, a 70 000 square kilometer region on the south
western coast of Nigeria, West Africa is an important life sustaining natural
resource. It contains Africa’s largest wetland and one of the Africa’s
largest coastal mangrove forests. Nigerians has cultivated it’s rich soil
producing rice, sugar cane, cassava, palm oil, yams and beans to feed families
and communities for decades. It has more varieties of fresh water fish species
than anywhere in West Africa. The Niger Delta also contains an estimated proven oil reserves of 22,5
billion of the worlds best quality crude oil. In addition to this, the Niger
Delta also has natural gas, estimated at 124 trillion cubic feet, making it the
worlds 9th largest source. The Royal Dutch Shell was the first oil company to be involved in
Nigeria. In 1937, it had exclusive exploration and prospecting rights. In 1956,
Shell first discovered oil and two years later it was producing oil from it’s
Oloibiri well in Nigeria. After independence, the Nigerian Government
transferred ownership of mineral rights to the Nigerian Government. Today, the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, thorough joint ventures with oil
companies manages oil development in Nogeria. However, oil companies like Shell
manage the day to day operations of oil extraction and development. The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria is the largest
producer, producing 900 000 barrels per day. Oil Production has been at the centre of the continuing civil conflict in
Nigeria since independence in 1960. In
the past Nigeria produced enough food to feed it’s people as well as to
export. Today it’s economy is dependant on oil production. The agricultural
sector is unable to produce enough food, forcing Nigeria to import food to feed
it’s people. With it’s reliance on oil, so too grew its civil instability,
corruption and economic exploitation. There are documented evidence of spill, leaks, and well blow outs that
occurred throuout the region for the past 30 years. According to the US Energy
Information Centre, more than 4000 oil spills have have been recorded in
Nigeria’s Niger Delta over the
past four decades.
The Case of Ken Sara Wiwa: Ken Sara Wiwa was a community leader of the Ogoni people of eastern
Nigeria. In 1990, Ken Sara Wiwa founded the Movement for the Survival of the
Ogoni People. The Movement adopted an Ogoni Bill of Rights demanding political
autonomy and accused Shell of participating in the genocide og the Ogoni people.
in October 1990, a peacefull protest took place outside Shells Umuechem
facility in Port Harcourt. Police killed 80 unarmed demonstrators and
destroyed 495 homes. The demonstration was organised by the Umuachem youth who
called for electricity, water, roads and other compensation due to oil pollution
of crops and water supplies. In April 1993, Ogoni farmers protested in front of earth moving
equiptment used to lay pipelines for Shell across Ogoni farm land. The Nigerian
military was summoned to the demonstration. One demonstrator was killed and
another injured. In June 1993, a pipeline leak at a Shell flow station resulted in crude
oil being spilled over Ogoni farm land
into water sources in Korokoro. The leak continued for forty days without any
response from Shell. Throuout this time Ken Sara Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders
were detained several times. The Nigerian Government also set up a special task
force to deal with the Ogoni crisis. In May 1994, four Ogoni leaders were murdered by a group of youths who
accused them of being government collaborators.
Ken Sara Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders were arrested in connection with
the murders, despite lack of evidence. The arrests and Government violence led
to major protests by the Ogoni people. While in prison Ken Sara Wiwa received the Right Livelihood Award, the
alternative Nobel Peace Prize. On the 31st October 1995, Ken Sara Wiwa was sentenced to death
by the Nigerian Tribunal. On the 10th November he and eight others
were hanged, despite international appeals. 6. Recommendations Despite the Shell Group’s public commitment to sustainable development
and human rights, communities are yet to benefit. The overriding recommendation
that communities have put to the Shell Group is that they should put people’s
health and the environment first, before profits.
7.
Links Following are other reports which have been published in the past year which have further information on Shell's operations in South Africa and abroad: 1.
Failing
the Challenge - The Other Shell Report 2002 can be downloaded here 2.
“Leaking Pipelines – Shell in South Africa” can be
downloaded from www.foenl.org 3.
Comparison of Refineries in Denmark & South Durban in an
Environmental & Societal Context: A 2002 Snapshot; South Durban
Community Environmental Alliance can be downloaded here. 4.
Ground-zero in the Carbon Economy: People on the petrochemical
fence-line; South African People and Environments in the Global Market can
be downloaded here. 5.
The groundWork Report 2002, Corporate Accountability in South
Africa can be downloaded here.
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