Fortune Steels’ practices continue to raise concern
Hundreds, if not thousands of people live and work around the area and are affected by the daily odour of spewing gasses (and toxins) emanating from the smelter.
Fortune Steels’ practices continue to raise concern among local residents and surrounding factories
NIGEL – Since firing up its furnaces in January 2017, the steel smelter situated in Johnson Road, Pretoriusstad has been in the media spotlight for various reasons and on different occasions.
HERAUT has also been inundated with complaints from the public and employees from surrounding factories where specific concerns such as air pollution (smoke emissions), unsafe parking and obstruction of the road by heavy duty delivery trucks and spillage of hazardous material on the road surface are constantly pointed out. In the centre of the whole debacle is Fortune Steels, a foreign owned steel melting company.
Hundreds, if not thousands of people live and work around the area and are affected by the daily odour of spewing gasses (and toxins) emanating from the smelter. Yet according to Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE), Fortune Steels was issued with a Provisional Atmospheric Emission Licence in July 2018, in terms of the Listed Activity No 4.2 Combustion Installation and 4.21 Metal Recovery requirements.
In response to HERAUT’s enquiry at the time, the CoE said that the results of a stack emission survey proved “the company is compliant to set standards in terms of the licence conditions.” This only after Fortune Steels was informed by the quality/noise control officer of CoE to address emission issues by upgrading its abatement system. Upgrade or no upgrade, smoke and gas continue to pollute the air and now the smelter seems to be contributing to the detriment of the environment and road infrastructure.
“How did this happen – the metal smelter in Nigel? What a disaster this company is in task of doing. Their trucks are eroding our roads and the factory has a potential of spewing toxins in the air,” a local resident recently expressed himself.
HERAUT has over the past two years repeatedly reported on the issue of supplier trucks carrying and transporting tons of metal to the steel smelter, which not only obstruct regular traffic flow in Johnson Road, but also cause pieces of scrap metal to be discarded from the truck loads. As a result, motorists constantly experience punctures and tyre damage, which is having a detrimental effect on all road users having to endure endless financial losses having to repair punctures or replace tyres.
When HERAUT enquired with the CoE with regard to Fortune Steels being in contravention of the National Road Traffic Act (Ekurhuleni Municipality Bylaws) and Traffic regulations, an undertaking was given that the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) will intensify the issuing of fines for all vehicles that are found to be in contravention of the traffic laws – particularly laws pertaining to carrying of material that spill onto the road.
Hundreds of fines may have been issued since then, yet the problem has now escalated to the point where truck drivers (up to 20 trucks have been counted at a time) established their own ‘overnight truck stop’ on the corner of Station and Bickley Road. During downpours, the so-called truck stop turns into a mud puddle and more recently the appearance of potholes has added to motorists’ concern.
In reaction, the manager of Fortune Steels – Gaurav Bansal undertook in writing to “clear the road surfaces of all metal spillages through sweeping twice a day.”
He further undertook to urge suppliers to use cargo nets on their trucks, but to no avail as many delivery trucks still continue to arrive with their uncovered, overloaded metal cargo and the spillage of scrap metal remains a critical issue.
During previous discussions with the relevant stakeholders, including ward councillor Wollaston Labuschagne, the CoE undertook to consider the erection of road signs that would warn motorists of such hazards and furthermore an undertaking was given that the CoE will conduct inspections to ensure that Fortune Steels is in compliance with the City’s by-laws.
“The CoE has dispatched a team comprising of EMPD officials and environmental health practitioners to Fortune Steels to assess the situation. The EMPD is also continuing to enforce and attend to heavy motor vehicles/trucks conveying goods without nets to cover possible spillages,” Gadebe said.
In light of the CoE’s response over the last two years, it seems that intervention from government should rather be sought to find a feasible solution that will benefit all parties involved.
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