HONOURABLE Judge Gregory Kruger gave EnviroServ leave to file a supplementary affidavit which dealt with the identity of other possible sources of odours in the area on 26 April last year,
EnviroServ spokesman, Thabiso Taaka, said the company identified the industries in the Outer West region of eThekwini Municipality with the objective of identifying potential sources of Hydrogen Sulphide and sulphur dioxide.
“A survey was undertaken to identify the industries that were issued with waste management licenses. In addition, we identified properties such as residential estates and shopping centres as they do not have water-borne sewer systems, but package treatment plants for waste water. These treatment plants generate hydrogen sulphide,” said Taaka.
Although the supplementary affidavit had been submitted to court, these companies and businesses are not aware that EnviroServ has accused them as a “mystery polluter”.
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Taaka added: “These businesses have been listed as possible contributors due to the fact that they hold waste management licences and contribute to the emission of H2S in the area. EnviroServ has not notified these businesses that they have been referred to in its affidavit.”
Highway Mail is in possession of the list of companies and businesses who have been named as possible pollutants but could not publish the names until they have been notified by law.
Meanwhile the Upper Highway Air NPO, who are also in possession of the above documents, including the Infotox reports, have uncovered some discrepancies in the documents.
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Enviroleaks
The UHA NPOs founding director, Lauren Johnson, said: “It has become clear from our latest updates on our website, that the EnviroServ’s own experts do not support the mystery polluters theory which EnviroServ have in a skatter-gun approach blamed, without any evidence to support, pointing a finger at any of the listed businesses/places. It is also clear that at best, the EnviroServ expert posited a possibility of a co-polluter, but said that the plume from the landfill was affecting the communities complaining.”
To date, UHA have logged 18 894 online odour complaints for January and 20 days of February.
Report the smell
You can report the smell either through the UHA website, www.upperhighwayair.co.za or the Upper Highway Air apps for Android and iOS. Reports can be made for everyone over the age of 14, at every location you smell it and if you are at one place and the smell lasts for a long period of time every hour.
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