UPL expresses concern over ‘delay to reopen beaches’ north of uMngeni River

UNITED Phosphorus Limited (UPL) has expressed its concern over the ‘continued delay in reopening the beaches’.

The eThekwini Municipality has closed beaches north of the uMngeni River (up to the Tongaat River) until the water quality is deemed safe.

This decision was made after the UPL warehouse in Cornubia was set on fire during the KZN unrest in July that led to a chemical spill.

In a statement, UPL said the decision to reopen the beaches is being ‘unnecessarily delayed’. The company added it had written a letter to the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Environment (EDTEA).

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“This follows a meeting last week between UPL’s team of independent specialists and the department’s external reviewer who has been appointed to conduct a peer review of the report that was submitted to the department on September 24. The report presented the results of a chemical analysis of the beaches and sea water at the beginning of September and concluded that all the beaches and ocean, outside a 1km exclusion zone, north, south and east of the mouth, pose an extremely low chemical risk to the public regardless of whether the estuary mouth is open or closed,” the statement reads.

“At this meeting, UPL’s team of independent specialists provided more detail on the chemical analysis and results and also answered all questions posed by the independent reviewer. The team also provided information on the extensive clean-up operations that have been funded by UPL since the attack and which have cost over R250 million to date. UPL is of the opinion that all necessary information has been supplied in order for authorities to determine that the beaches are safe to be reopened.”

The company added it recognises the impact the prolonged closure of the beaches has on tourism as well as other economic sectors, such as the local fishing industry.