AS affected residents of Hillcrest, we as a family remain concerned but optimistic that the odour problem at EnviroServ will be resolved.
Although we applaud the Upper Highway Air NPO for the time and the enormous effort taken in trying to sort out this concerning problem, we have now distanced ourselves from the uncalled for nasty name-calling by some, especially on Facebook, directed at employees of EnviroServ, who we know are making every effort to sort out the odour problem.
If the Upper Highway Air NPO were successful in seeing EnviroServ close its doors at Shongweni, where would our hazardous waste be disposed of?
Was it not EnviroServ who took the contaminated soil from the Transnet oil pipeline leak in Greenvale Village in Hillcrest, the Transnet oil pipeline leak in Alverstone and the more recent Transnet oil pipeline leak off the southern portion of Stockville Road?
A huge amount of landfill waste is indirectly created by us as humans in our ongoing materialistic drive as a society for a better lifestyle.
We give no/little thought to the residual waste (paints, varnishes, solvents, oils, plastics, etc) generated by our need for new houses, furniture, cars, plastic children’s furniture etc.
Last week’s huge fire at the 20-hectare Transnet warehouse in the Bayhead area reinforces this.
Not only did vast quantities of toxic smoke pour into the atmosphere for days, a massive amount of residual waste created by the fire now has to be disposed of.
Recently, a chemical fire in an outbuilding in Botha’s Hill led yet again to the need for resulting toxic waste to be disposed of.
Along with the above, a vast amount of unrelated long accumulated garbage of every description is to be found strewn about behind some of these buildings, and thrown over fences into the valley below.
A truly sad sight and an assault on the natural environment.
To those who do not take the trouble to recycle their plastic, glass, tins and paper you are supporting the very need for land fill sites.
Instead, please make every effort to support the Keep Hillcrest Beautiful recycling centre next to the Hillcrest Municipal offices in Delamore Road (no orange bags needed).
Collectively we all bear responsibility for the need for landfill sites but should, by recycling, make every effort to minimise the quantities that finally end up there.
Jacqui Hicks
Hillcrest
