Community Awareness and Emergency Response Charter signed in Modderfontein

Industry representatives and community stakeholders came together for the signing of the Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) Charter in Modderfontein.

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Done on July 7, the singing was conducted on the grounds of the historical Franz Hoenig Haus.

With the Modderfontein CAER committee, businesses who signed the charter included AECI Mining, AECI Industrial Chemicals, Ecolab, NCP Chlorchem, Zero Appliances and Solenis.

The representatives signed a revised charter re-committing themselves to maintain continuous communications.

Communities within a seven-kilometre radius of industries are represented on the CAER committee by local councillors and volunteers.

They meet every two months with their counterparts.

Former chairperson of the Modderfontein committee, Robbie Vermont, said the charter commits the businesses to adhere to the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Responsible Care philosophy.

This philosophy has been adopted by chemical industries in several First World countries.

Vermont said the establishment of CAER Committees at AECI’s various operations around the country was a direct result of the company subscribing to the ‘Responsible Care Initiative’.

Responsible Care was first introduced in Canada in 1985.

It was adopted in South Africa by the Chemical and Allied Industries Association early in 1995.

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The charter covers a wide range of issues varying from safety, health and the environment.

Principles include:

• Responsiveness to public concerns.

• Commitment to demonstrate continuous improvement.

• Openness to external scrutiny.

History of the Modderfontein Charter

Modderfontein’s CAER campaign started in 1995 after AECI Operations Services announced that two public meetings were held in Modderfontein to promote community knowledge of its Responsible Care commitment.

In the August of that year, a CAER Committee was established in Modderfontein, Richards Bay and Somerset West.

In November 1995 the first formal agreement in Gauteng between an industry and its neighbouring communities to establish a partnership in safety, health and environmental matters was signed at Modderfontein.

Key signatories were: Cllr Joan Hunter, Chairman of the National Association of Clean Air and AECI Group Managing Director Mike Smith.

Vermont said Hunter was elected chairperson of the CAER Committee based on her experience on local environmental issues.

“She had extensive practical committee experience through having been a town councillor at Kempton Park for 15 years and a Member of Parliament for two.”

“The signing of community and company agreed charters ensure that these principles continue to be in the forefront of the CAER committee concerns,” highlighted Vermont.

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Under Hunter’s leadership, the committee met every two months and conducted site visits and inspections.

Vermont said the committee attempted to address and solve concerns of local communities regarding industrial activities on the site.

He chaired the committee from 2008 before retiring in 2020.

He said over the past few years the scope of the CARE committee has enlarged with more companies included in the charter.

“The spirit of these charters, based on mutual good faith, is the key to their success and any contravention of this could seriously damage their credibility,” said Vermont.

He said it is in the interest of all parties to ensure that these charters are successful.

The current chairperson Greg Staw said the Modderfontein CAER committee is not a greenwashing committee.

“From what I have read it was once the industry versus the community and now that has fallen away,” said Shaw.

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He said in the short time he has been involved in has been amazing to see the industries and factories share their information.

“It takes a whole lot of stress away from the communities believing we are up against the factories, so I want to say thank you.”

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