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The struggle for clean air in South Durban

The struggle for clean air in South Durban. Presentation to Parliament February 2004 By SDCEA South Durban Community Environmental Alliance. Community under siege – high levels of cancer and respiratory disease. Leukaemia and respiratory illnesses

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The struggle for clean air in South Durban

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  1. The struggle for clean air in South Durban Presentation to Parliament February 2004 By SDCEA South Durban Community Environmental Alliance SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  2. Community under siege – high levels of cancer and respiratory disease • Leukaemia and respiratory illnesses • Health Study at Settlers Primary School in Merebank • acute effects of benzene and toluene poisoning • leukaemia rate was 24 times higher SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  3. HOTSPOTS! Highest number of complaints from around Engen refinery - also named biggest polluter by Settler's Study SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  4. Recent Incidents • January 2004 – SAPREF Pipeline leak into Durban Harbour (Marine Fuel Oil) • December 2003 – SAPREF Pipeline leak into Durban Harbour (Marine Fuel Oil) • October 2003 – SAPREF Pipeline Leak into Durban Harbour (Diesel) • July 2003 – Illovo Pipeline leak into Umlaas Canal • March 2003 – ENGEN Pipeline Leak into Stanvac Canal (Marine Fuel Oil) SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  5. Comments • Exceptional exceedences at Southworks but the wind direction is more to the east than normal pointing at Engen as the source • Exceptional exceedences at Settlers but the wind direction is further to the west than normal pointing at Mondi as the source

  6. Problems with Flaring • No in-stack monitoring! • Laws never enforced • Planned shuts and start ups are not included in overall emission calculations • In Denmark there are only four flares per year – in South Durban there are often seven per week at each refinery • Failure of refineries in responding • Communities breathing particulates • Refineries claim to be on a learning curve yet they’ve been operating for 50 years • Refineries design and capability • Flares as a safety system SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  7. Problems with Pipelines • Ruptures and Leaks • Replacement of pipelines • Pipeline legislation • Disclosure of information • No compensation to victims of pipeline leaks • Lack of transparency and bullying • Role of parastatal • Emissions from valves & pump stations ignored SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  8. Problems with local authority • Weak or unenforceable legislation • Insignificant penalties • No legislated standards, only ‘guidelines’ • Corporate capture • Preoccupation with nuisance issues • VERY poor response time to pollution incidents • Ineffective control strategies • Log system for complaints faulty SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  9. Problems with Refineries • Outdated refining processes and ageing equipment and plant • Profits before preventative technologies • Refineries effectively self regulating • Vacuum exists at National Inspectorate (DEAT) level • Understating emissions • Corrosive effects of humidity, salinity and high water table on plant equipment • No in stack monitoring SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  10. No information for community! • National Key Points Act (1963) being unlawfully • Negative Implications for Good Neighbour relations • Information = power • Apartheid law • Human Health Risk Assessments withheld • Unco-operative local authority • Poor past record of information sharing SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  11. Entrenched resistance to Clean Air initiatives • Industry Resistance to phase-out dirty fuels. • Examples • No scrubbers • New Coal burning appliances • Tim Knight Report (June 2002) • Inadequate or absent scrubbers • Dumping of toxic ash waste • Secondary seals • Several tanks overfilling and ruptures • Pricing of SASOL gas SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  12. Problems with Production Increases • Assessment of Basin pollution load • 10 000 Job loses • No emergency plans SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  13. Problem of Incinerators • International phase out • Stockholm Convention • Umlazi toxic ash landfill site • Resources for dioxin testing! • Dioxin and furan = CANCER SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  14. Other Pollution Issues • Boilers are venting steam at night • Tank cleaning operations - emissions and noise • Stack/soot blowing • High levels of VOC’s • Noise from industry operations SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  15. The Role of Provincial Department • DAEA supportive of industrial expansion • Are not made accountable for their decisions – Foskor / Sasol / Sapref • Do not interact with affected or receiving community • No interaction or co-ordination between different provincial departments and to the national departments • Environmental Impact Assessments • Under resourced and prone to political interference • No enforcement of the law – BIG PROBLEM! • Continuous gassing communities by industry • Correspondence and complaints are not answered SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  16. Community Responses • Bucket brigade • records of decision • Input to policy • Multi-Point Plan Toxic tours • Partnerships • Support of scientists and public interest GIS map with data from 1998 • Comparative Study of Refineries in South Durban and Denmark Toxic Tour! SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  17. Community Recommendations • Suspect and ageing tanks and pipelines to be immediately replaced • Expansion of industry to be curtailed • International standards, best practice Engen floating roof collapses in late 2002 because of outdated design and poorly maintainence SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  18. Community Recommendations • burden of proof to be on polluter • Best available technology • no ad hoc EIA’s • Peer review of emission assessments and modelling • The regulator must be allowed to act free of political intervention. SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  19. What the South Durban Communities would like to see in the AQMB REVSION 4 • Strong Sanctions for polluting the air • Nothing specific in Bill • Strong enforcement is desperately needed • National standards • Stringent standards SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

  20. “When we breathe the air of freedom we do not wish to choke on hidden fumes” Judge Albie Sachs SDCEA Presentation to Parliament - Feb, 2004

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