PRESS RELEASE - 25 August 2004
BILL TO PROTECT HEALTH COULD RESULT IN THE INCINERATION
OF HAZARDOUS WASTE
Today (Wednesday) 25 August, the Select Committee on Land
and Environmental Affairs will be discussing the amendments
to the Air Quality Management Bill. groundWork is calling
upon the Select Committee to apply their minds and consider
excluding section 26-28.
The proposed amendments to the Bill are a result of civil
society organisations requesting the Portfolio Committee in
February 2004 to hold back the Bill and request the DEAT to
amend the Bill. DEAT, however, without consultation has included
additional clauses (26-28) on "controlled fuels".
This section makes allowance for the incineration of hazardous
waste.
Government does not have a policy on hazardous waste being
used as fuels or a policy on the process of combusting. Since
2002 groundWork has repeatedly made written requests to DEAT
to be involved in the debate to develop policy on the incineration
of waste and tyres, as well as alternative fuels. To date
there has been no response from government on this issue.
There is a strong body of scientific evidence indicating
the negative impact on health due to waste incineration. The
contamination from incinerators can release as many as 190
toxic chemicals into the air and is not restricted to a specific
locality. The Metsimaholo (Sasolburg) Municipal Council and
the Free State Provincial government vetoed a proposal to
incinerate hazardous waste in Sasolburg.
Our concern must be understood in a positive light. While
we agree with approach of government to regulate all fuels
in the context of air quality, we cannot agree to the apparent
inclusion of hazardous waste as this has taken place unilaterally
and without any form of consultation. If we have misunderstood
the situation and government intends to engage in a proper
consultation process around the use of hazardous and other
waste as fuel, we would welcome a categorical statement to
this effect from government that would set out a process to
be followed and provide appropriate opportunity for the participation
of all stakeholders.
We thus, call on government to:
1. Exclude section 26-28 until a policy is defined on this
issue;
2. Specifically state that hazardous waste from industrial
process is clearly omitted; or
3. That "substances" is further defined in section
1 (1) to exclude hazardous waste and tyres from industrial
processes.
For further information please contact Bobby Peek at 082-464-1383;
033-342-5662
Ferrial Adam
Research, Media and Corporate Accountability
groundWork, Friends of the Earth, South Africa
P.O. Box 2375, Pietermaritzburg, 3200, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 33 342 5662
Fax: +27 (0) 33 342 5665
Cell: +27 (0) 84 484 3387
E-mail: ferrial@groundwork.org.za or team@groundwork.org.za
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