Full operations to resume at Shongweni landfill
The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has lifted the suspension of Enviroserv's landfill in the Upper Highway area.
THE Upper Highway community is in an uproar after learning the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, lifted EnviroServ’s suspension, allowing it to soon resume full operations.
Lauren Johnson, who represents the non-profit organisation, Upper Highway Air, said she was surprised by the Minister’s decision to uplift the suspension of EnviroServ’s waste management licence and highlighted Creecy’s contradictory statements.
“There has been a containment of odours, yet the breaches, which are still occurring over June and July 2019, are few and of short duration. According to the DEA’s own data, there were 71 breaches over this period,” said Johnson.
“The Minister also, in contradiction, contends (that), although there has been containment of odours, a permanent flare should be installed to reduce emissions and EnviroServ’s waste management license conditions ought to be reviewed in order to include measures to ensure remediation and prevention.”
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EnviroServ’s Group CEO, Dean Thompson, said the company has fully complied with all instructions from the relevant national and local authorities and has the support of the community monitoring committee.
“These developments resulted in the lifting of the compliance notice, two relaxations of the suspension notice and a granting of a long-term trade permit. The recent upliftment of the suspension notice allows us to rebuild the sustainability of our KwaZulu-Natal operation. We will continue to comply with the permissions granted,” said Thompson.
The Department of Environmental Affairs failed to respond to questions regarding the lift of the suspension as well as its Minister’s alleged contradictory statements regarding the local landfill.
The Highway Mail asked its readers for their thoughts on the lift of the suspension at EnviroServ’s landfill site:
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