DURBAN - A legal battle rages on between waste management company EnviroServ and the civil group Upper Highway Air (UHA) over the operations at the controversial Shongweni landfill site.
UHA will be back at the Durban High Court on Wednesday, seeking an interdict prohibiting the receiving, treating and disposing of any waste at the landfill.
In the founding affidavit, UHA director Lauren Johnson reiterated the shared allegation that emissions from the landfill have not only caused “widespread nuisance complaints, but affected communities are suffering from serious associated health impacts, psychological and physiological”.
EnviroServ has disputed this saying their specialist report on the human health risks arising from the site “found the primary air contaminant contributing to odour in the Upper Highway area is present at levels not linked with major health issues”.
EnviroServ says the contaminant is hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and their recent investigation, conducted by Infotox, has revealed that somewhere in the area there was a site releasing sulfur dioxide (SO2) but it could not be the landfill.
“This is because SO2 is not formed at the landfill as there are no combustion activities,” said EnviroServ group technical specialist Dr Johan Schoonraad.
Sulfur dioxide health effects include asthma attacks and other airway problems.
“We are confident the report has captured everything related to the landfill which could be of potential health concern to the community.
“EnviroServ remains fully committed to our corrective measures which will be implemented by the end of August,” said EnviroServ chief executive Dean Thompson.
Johnson said they had difficulty believing the said report because EnviroServ has repeatedly denied them access to raw data on the activities conducted at the landfill, on the fear that the information could be used against the company in the pending legal action.
Meanwhile, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of complaints – more than 60 000 – lodged by community members who report to the UHA every time the odour hits their noses.
In January there were 11 753, in February 12 875, last month saw 20 243 people complaining but April was already sitting at more than 17 093 on Saturday.
“I’ve heard some people saying there is no problem and white people are just complaining because they have nothing better to do with their time but that’s not true, black people are suffering too. I’m suffering and that’s why I won’t keep quiet anymore,” said Bhekani Nzuza from Shongweni.
The father-of-three said it would be sad if people lost their jobs if the landfill closed down but his main concern was the long term impact on his children’s health.
“I’ve been waking up with a headache and sore throat for the past six months or so, but I didn’t know what was happening until I heard about people with similar symptoms. My kids have itchy noses and eye infections – it’s like everyone is sick all the time, all of a sudden,” he said.
Like most Upper Highway residents, Nzuza said moving to another area was not an option.