Odour outrage

May 23, 2008

Zululand OBSERVER

	Odour outrage Five residents reported to the Richards Bay SAPS on Saturday morning to lay a charge against Mondi over an extremely bad odour, which allegedly caused various respiratory illnesses. Logging the complaint were Dudley Andrews, Ryan Lawrence, Shane Johnson, Roelof Camminga and Demian van Loggerenberg Ronelle Ramsamy THE Constitutional right to clean air was invoked by a group of Richards Bay residents who filed an official complaint at the police station on Saturday. This after reports of an extremely bad odour over the town on Friday night and Saturday morning. Over 20 people reportedly logged in complaints to the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA) over the weekend, citing various illnesses as a result of the odour problem. Five residents subsequently went to the Richards Bay SAPS on Saturday morning to lay a charge against paper mill Mondi but were only allowed to log a complaint. Rotten Describing a 'rotten guava or egg' smell, concerned residents reportedly suffered from burning eyes, asthma, tight chests, sinus, nausea, vomiting, headaches and breathing problems. Waking up on Saturday to find his wife battling to breathe on an asthma pump at 4am, Veldenvlei resident Demian Loggerenberg told the Zululand Observer that there was an unbearable stench in the air. 'My eyes were burning and watering and the odour was like a terrible rotting egg. My mum was also in distress and suffering from nausea. ' The only thing I could do was report the matter to the RBCAA. I don't think its something we should accept. We know that industry runs the city but there must be a balance,' said Van Loggerenberg. Suffering from nausea, heavy chest, headaches and a postnasal sinus infection, Roelof Camminga said any industry that could not clean up its act, should shut down. 'If you are polluting the air, your first obligation is to protect the people around you. 'Through the RBCAA, this matter will be taken to the highest authority and Minister Martinus van Schalkwyk. 'We will take this to the highest power in terms of the Constitution, which provides protection for citizens. 'I warned Mondi a week ago that I would go to the police if the pollution continued,' added Camminga. Investigate Responding to the vociferous and angry complaints, Mondi's Richards Bay Operations Manager, Riaan Swart, said he was leading a task team to address the complaints as a matter of urgency. 'Mondi is currently investigating the incident of odour, resulting in complaints from members of the community. ' Mondi has ordered a mobile Total Reduced Sulphur (TRS) monitoring station to improve the monitoring of levels of TRS in the ambient air. 'Mondi's production managers are committed to running their operation in a manner that will have the least impact on communities and avoid emissions wherever possible,' said Swart. In addition, Mondi has committed to spending R50-million over the next two years to put measures in place to resolve the sources of odour at the mill. 'With the first phase of the project to be complete at the end of 2008, Swart said it was expected that all sources of the odour would be resolved by the end of 2009. Investigation The RBCAA is currently awaiting the outcome of investigations by industry members in response to the numerous odour complaints logged with the organisation. 'However, indications at this stage are that Mondi is the likely source. 'The discomfort and health effects reported to the RBCAA are cause for concern and it is hoped that the Authorities will take the necessary action,' said RBCAA's Sandy Camminga.