According to AfriForum's Western Cape Provincial Coordinator Stefan Pretorius and George Chairman Tinus Nortje, the municipal landfill site is only partly compliant, meeting only 56% of the national standards.
Last week George Municipal Manager Trevor Botha was sent an inspection report and was informed by AfriForum that "Local authorities can be subject to criminal legal liabilities, and civil liabilities for actions that affect human health, or cause pollution associated with potential financial burdens, particularly in matters related to the closure and rehabilitation of dumps and the remediation of contaminated land."
The inspection formed part of the civil rights organisation's 'Don't mess with our Waste' national campaign, involving more than 100 AfriForum branches across South Africa - many of which were found to be non-compliant with waste regulations. "In general there is a lack of accountability... The permit holder is primarily and ultimately accountable for the landfill, and any effect it may have on the surrounding environment.
Poor waste management practices can have an adverse impact both locally and globally. Waste produced by any urban community can, if left uncontrolled, not only become an aesthetic problem, but also pose serious health risks. This can be aggravated if the waste contains hazardous materials," said the press release.
Pickers on site
Pretorius and Nortjé said on the day of their inspection they noted the fence surrounding the landfill site was in a poor condition, and parts were either missing or falling apart. "We commend the fact that a bulldozer was sorting the waste. However, the wooden houses erected on the landfill site are against regulations. There were clear signs of pickers on the site, which is also prohibited by legislation." Although they noted security guards on site, their effectiveness was questioned. "We did not see effective access control being implemented. There are clear signs of illegal dumping in front of the landfill sight. We propose the strict imposing of fines.
"The most worrisome, is the fact that the landfill site is situated next to the Gwaiing River."
The annual budget for waste removal and street cleaning is R60-million. Between 2 500t and 3 000t of waste is processed per month at the loading station at the dump and the bulk is transported to the PetroSA bulk waste site. During a meeting held at his office on 29 July, Mayor Charles Standers said that immediate steps would be taken to improve the safety and health standards at the landfill site.
The George Municipality has promised to discuss the Afriforum report and questions posed by the George Herald at an early morning meeting scheduled for today (Thursday 23 October) at the Environmental Services Department in Mead Street.
During a fire at the George landfill site on Monday 25 August, there was a surreal air with people arriving with all sorts of materials despite the helicopter dumping tons of water to douse it. Photos: Pauline Lourens
ARTICLE: PAULINE LOURENS, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
