By Noelene Barbeau
While Richards Bay residents were waiting anxiously for the final environmental report into the setting up of a steel smelter just a stone's throw from upmarket suburbs, an environmentalist said the town's strategic plan had failed.
Tata Steel, a subsidiary of India's Tata Group, has proposed a smelter site in Alton North, a light industrial area just 2km away from Brackenham, a residential area, and the Central Business District.
What has raised alarm in the neighbourhood is that the proposed smelter would emit chromium VI, a toxic chemical that can cause cancer.
Similarly, Merebank in the South Durban basin, is a residential area surrounded by heavy industries. Chromium VI recently contaminated groundwater in parts of the suburb.
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This finding was made during a routine excavation by municipal workers, just outside Lanxess/Bayer - the only company in South Africa that once manufactured chrome. The asbestos water pipes there were replaced as a precautionary measure.
"We accept that development is needed, but a compromise like this shouldn't be allowed. Heavy industries are too close to where people live and work. Areas west of the harbour are more suitable for industry development," said Professor Mark Jury, Chairman of the Zululand Environmental Alliance (Zeal).
Jury said his alliance would prefer to have Tata Steel on a proper site. "The planning here is just not working well, with the municipality still using the old-fashioned thinking of placing industry in the middle of everything... we need to re-think this situation."
Tata's Overseas Project Chief, Somdeb Banerjee, said the risk of chromium VI pollution was "very low" because of the closed-top technology of the proposed smelter. Dr Tonie Heyneke, uMhlathuze (Richards Bay) Municipality's Municipal Manager, said that Tata Steel had assured the municipality that the manufacturing process used was "better than those used in South Africa".
Environmental impact assessment studies of the Tata Steel site are near completion and are be expected to be ready for a final decision by the department of agriculture and environmental affairs in October.
Tata Steel submitted a plan in 2001 to build the R600-million plant next door to Mondi Business Paper.
The pulp and paper mill objected because of the wind-blown dust and chromium VI that would pollute its bleached white paper products.
According to Heyneke, paper mill Pulp United agreed earlier this year to swop sites with Tata Steel.
Environmental impact assessments had already been conducted on the first site, and another study had to start from scratch at the new proposed site in Alton North.
"The municipality approved this development in 2001, and agreements of sale and delivery are already in place. We are just waiting for the environmental assessment approval, which looks set to go through in the second week of October," said Heyneke.
Public meetings were held throughout the decision-making process to gauge residents' opinions.
Jeremy Smith, Chairman of the Richards Bay Ratepayers' and Residents' Association, said residents welcomed any responsible development in Richards Bay.
"However... we would have to look at accumulated levels of chromium VI over a period of 10 years, for example, for us to determine health risks to residents," he said.
Tata Steel's smelter project would create 1 000 jobs during construction and 129 permanent jobs. A public meeting is scheduled for September 15.
- This article was originally published on page 5 of Tribune on September 11, 2005
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