R2.4m diesel spill poses major health risk
Non-profit organisation, groundWork, claims the diesel spillage could have been prevented.
WHILE South Africa’s rail, port and pipeline company, Transnet, is still trying to establish the cause of the R2.4m diesel spillage in Hillcrest, the director of a non-profit environmental justice service and development organisation says the pipeline was past its date of retirement.
Bobby Peek from groundWork, said Transnet failed to develop a new pipeline.
“If they had conducted surveys and if their monitoring and maintenance plan was credible, this would not have happened. The metal is also old and new metal technology would not have allowed this to occur,” he explained.
According to Peek, it will take years for the area to be totally rehabilitated. “In south Durban it took at least a decade after the 2001 Shell pipeline leak.”
In regards to the danger the spillage has caused, Peek said, “Residents are exposed and were exposed to high levels of benzene, toluene and Xylene, which are found in diesel. These are cancer-causing substances which could also lead to acute respiratory problems.”
Peek said one of the ways to prevent such incidents from occurring is to move away from fossil fuels. He added pipeline leaks happen all over the world on a daily basis.
Instead of building new lanes on roads, for example, authorities should consider developing a railway system that makes South Africa less reliant on diesel for trucks and cars.
