Picketing for environmental and health accountability

THE environmental activists of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) made their grievances heard armed with a memorandum during a picket outside the offices of the department of health in Durban on Friday, 6 September.

This demonstration follows an incident where heavy toxic chemical emissions released into the air from Safripol Plant, into the community of Wentworth on Friday 16 August 2019, compromising the health of community members unfavourably situated on the fence line of the industrial company. According to SDCEA, the harmful gases entered the communities of Wentworth along Woodville road, Major Calvert Street, Hime Street, Assegai, Austerville roads as well as parts of Merebank.

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“Over 400 residents had experienced burning of eyes and mouth, nausea, bleeding noses, difficulty breathing, and skin irritation, rashes on the skin, vomiting, headaches and dizziness. As the chemical incident unfolded what was apparent is that there was no leadership from the eThekwini Health Department to implement an emergency or evacuation plan to safeguard the public from a major chemical incident,” said SDCEA Coordinator Desmond D’sa.

The alliance reported that made numerous attempts to contact the eThekwini air pollution offices with no answer on the day of the incident and further tried to reach personnel from the department on their personal phones.

“As time progressed no health officials were present as the incident unfolded, except for us seeing the fire brigade and metro police at the gates of Safripol. Of particular concern was that Santosh Hansraj an official from the Department of Environmental Health based in Clairwood, responsible for health was not available, and therefore he did not come out. However, Peter Roberts did come to the scene after 5pm and inspected the Safripol site. We subsequently learned that six cubic metres of Dowtherm, (a chemical made up of diphenyl oxide, biphenyl; diphenyl) was released on Friday 16 August 2019, at 3.10pm which traversed all over the area. This is an industrial chemical that is known to cause respiratory health and skin irritation impacts,” he said.

Many people including children who required immediate treatment after coming in contact with the gas were sent to Bluff medical centre and others were sent to St Augustine’s hospital for further treatment and some hospitalised. Others were turned away due to the company not being able to pay upfront for those requiring treatment.

Desmond said that no spokesperson from Safripol, health officials, police officer nor the fire brigade came to address the community at the time while they were experiencing health impacts and exposed to the gas. “However we did note that the workers from the Safripol plant as well as the neighbouring company were evacuated.”

According to Desmond, Safripol officials only came out the following day (Saturday, 17 August) to address the community and that afternoon an occupational clinic was brought to the community.

The environmental alliance has consistently warned the city official’s that an emergency plan is urgently required in South Durban. The community’s experience of exposure to harmful chemicals has been alarmingly common and reoccurring. “We want to know why all health officials who have been given the mandate to protect our health have been absent. They continue to refuse to acknowledge this incident and consult with the community. Why did no health officials come to assess the pollution at the time? Why did they not take any air samples at the time of the incident when they were notified nor during the period thereafter when the smell was still prevalent in some places? Why are our health officials not performing their mandated work?” Desmond questioned.

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About 35 community members together with members of SDCEA were in attendance at the picket where they sought external assistance from the department of health. An official representative came to sign the memorandum. The same memorandum was also signed by an official from Safripol when they later went to the company.

PR of Safripol Plant, Michelle Cave responded: “On Friday, 16 August 2019, Safripol’s PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) resin facility, experienced an unexpected incident that impacted the residents in the neighbouring community in Jacobs. Contractors were carrying out maintenance on one of the heat transfer systems that afternoon, which resulted in a vapour leak and an associated steam cloud. This cloud gave the impression of smoke from a fire, alarming the residents who were concerned about their safety.

“As a gesture of goodwill and to alleviate the residents’ apprehension about their wellbeing, Safripol commissioned a mobile health clinic to be stationed in the community for more than a week. Furthermore, Safripol arranged free transportation for residents to be taken to the local hospital if need be. Safripol’s management team followed all emergency safety protocol and cooperated with all legal regulators, including the Department of Labour, Department of Environmental Affairs, Department of Health and the local municipality.

“The plant’s general manager, Anton Booysen personally addressed the local community and together with the company’s leadership team put corrective measures in place to safeguard the plant, the residents and the effects of the cloud. A forensic investigator has also been assigned to determine the cause of this incident. It is an unfortunate historical quandary that the community is in close proximity to the Durban factory. Equally unfortunate is the fact that this incident occurred. At this stage, there isn’t evidence to indicate any intentional action or human failure by the operators and contractors. Moreover, this particular equipment is still new and was previously tested for flaws. There was some defect that is now being inspected. Safety, accountability and trust form part of Safripol’s culture,” she said.