[Submission L] Why say no to incineration!

[Submission L]Why say no to incineration!

Bobby PeekgroundWork

Friends of the Earth, South Africa

21 November 2007 Ban Incineration! 2

Who is groundWork• Bobby Peek – Director of groundWork.• groundWork is a NGO based in PMB working with

community people resisting environmental injustices such as hazardous waste dumping and incineration.

• We the South African member of Friends of the Earth, the largest environmental federation represented in 70 countries including 10 in Africa.

• Chaired by Meena Raman of Friends of the Earth Malaysia.

• Ms Raman participated on the ANC Mission on Environment to South Africa in 1992.


Death at the Dawn of Democracy!

• Thor Chemicals was forced to stop their incineration operation in Margate, the UK in the late 1980’s.

• The exported the incinerator to Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal.

• The South African government allowed them to import waste as a ‘resource’ / ‘by-product’ for recycling purpose.

• As a result three workers died by 1994 and more than forty have been injured – site is still not cleaned up.

• Commission of Enquiry – found government and the company guilty by commission and or ommission.


Not a new issue!

• In the early 1990’s Sydney Saunders and Peacock Bay proposed to burn hazardous waste in SA – Alexander Bay.

• Importation of waste.• Earthlife Africa strong national campaign.• Proposal rejected by public.


Never give up!• 1999 Sydney Saunders, Peacock Bay appear with American

assistance.• Propose to burn hazardous waste in Sasolburg – speculating on

Sasol’s waste.• Local Sasolburg people, groundWork and the Legal Resource

Centre challenge this.• Free State government hold public hearings.• Global Anti Incineration Alliance secretariat from The Philippines

attends hearings.• Representative of DTI supports proposal.

– Indicate that if SA can make money from the importation of waste into the country it should be considered.

• Free State government deny permission because of health concerns.



World Bank, the IFC, Durban City and Mondi• In 1998 partnership proposed to burn

Durban Municipal Waste– In an purpose built waste incinerator; and– In Mondi Boiler.

• Civil society representatives went to Washington DC, met with IFC officials – who did not know what dioxin’s were

• Met with President of the World Bank• Project stopped


The Cement Industry and Toxic 2010• Proposal to burn tyres and waste started

in mid 1990’s with PPC Jupiter Plant.• Resistance by civil society – never went

ahead.• 1998 – Danish government supported

proposal to burn hazardous waste in cement kiln in Matola, Maputo.

• Global resistance stopped process.


The Cement Industry and a Toxic 2010• First environmental justice organisation in

Mozambique born out of resistance – Livaningo ‘shedding of light’.

• Back again with building boom!• PPC, Holcim and NPC.• Applications in all cement kilns except in one.• Web of processes pushing cement kiln

incineration centred around one person:– Kare Karstensen;– Advising GTZ and Holcim in Geneva; and – Advising the ASP process.


Government knee jerk reaction!• Since 2001 groundWork writing to the Ministry and

Department to consider a legitimate, public process that will be able to inform South Africa’s strategy on managing hazardous waste – rather than just allowing incineration.

• Failed to respond – Cement industry saw loop hole started putting in EIA’s for burning waste in 2005.

• Now developing parallel to this an ‘incineration policy process’.

• Who is advising the South African government?• Kare Karstensen!


Government knee jerk reaction!• DEAT’s own consultants (COWI) indicate that

externalities of burning waste is E 40 (R400) and E21 (R210) is from emmissions – this per tonne.

• If we incinerate 10 million tons of SA waste (half of SA waste) cost annually the cost to society (externalities) is E 400 000 000-00 / ZAR 400 000 000-00.

• Cost of incinerator in Denmark is Euro’s 100 000 000 / 280 000 tons per annum = so to build an incinerator for 10 000 000 tons of waste?

• 3.5 Billion Euros’ for SA


Government fails to act! • Fight to close down Compass Waste Ixopo Incinerator 6

years.• We presented evidence to government and in a legal

setting.• Stacks with holes in it, dumping of ash on community

land and not in hazardous landfill site.• We took ash, and soil samples.• Levels of dioxins were USA EPA reference limits in the

ash and in community soil adjacent to the incinerator.• We gave evidence to government – they did not get back

to us, so the assumption is that the have failed act to remove the ash.


So!

• Please ban incineration!• Do a full and public assessment all waste

streams in South Africa, i.e. what waste do we have, how much and its constituents.

• This was my last request to the NEAF.• Then decide how we manage waste by

having good information!

Health Care Waste: Do not ignore!

Lindiwe ManqeleuMthombo-Wesizwe

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Environment and Tourism


Who is Lindiwe Manqele?

• Director of uMthombo-Wesizwe• Director and member of executive.

committee of NAFU – KZN.• Nurse by professions.• Worked in private and state institutions.




What are the problems?• Awareness and training• Segregation• Internal HCW

management equipment• Tendering and

contracting• Safety and Health• Storage

• Transportation• Record-keeping and

Reporting• Treatment facilities• Disposal of residues• Enforcement, permitting

and monitoring• Inadequate capacity of

public agencies





Lack of Municipal Services at a rural Clinic outside Pietermaritzburg



Numerous newspaper clippings have in recent years been appearing in various regions

concerning health care waste being stored in residential areas

“An attempt by The Star newspaper to help track down a family member led to the

gruesome discovery of corpses stacked in industrial fridges in a residential area, while 80 tons of medical waste was removed from

a house in Johannesburg….” (“Corpses and medical waste discarded in

Gauteng residential area,” The Star,

August 10, 2000)


“Residents of Discovery are irate over the storage of the waste in

their neighbourhood by the ExecuMed Company….”

(“Workers clear medical waste house of horrors” The Star, August 8, 2000)


“Amputated body parts, blood and other fluids, placentas, foetuses, and used syringes and scalpels are going missing and could end up in general

waste-landfill sites around the country…”

(“Missing Medical Waste Poses Toxic Threat” The Star, 2000)


“Tygerberg Hospital in the Cape treated 48 children with AZT after some were pricked with needles and others ate potentially lethal pills they found in a

field in Elsie’s River”(“AZT For 48 Kids In Medical Waste Scare” Cape

Argus, September 16, 1999)






Financial savings

• When hospital staff is trained to manage health care waste correctly.

• Edendale and Ngwelezane Hospital.• March 2001, R74 593.28 (highest).• March 2002, R39 941.74 (lowest).


Legislative needs identified

• Regulations for registration of generators, transporters and treatment disposal facilities.

• Introduce a permitting system.• Control import and export of waste.• Authorities to prescribe reporting and record

keeping.• Information and awareness needs.• Develop proper management protocols on

resources (dumping expired equipment and medication).


What we can do immediately!

• Ban incineration in Waste Management Bill.• In KwaZulu-Natal only alternative technologies

are used for treating health care waste – incinerator free!

• Build a public/political awareness.• Include medical / health care waste into the

Waste Management Bill.• Visit some of the hospitals and health care

waste treatment facilities.

Lindiwe Manqele

082 700 2219

Documents

[Submission L] Why say no to incineration!