evidence is now coming to light that Sonae are adding particulates to the air quality of Kirkby.The article below is reproduced with permission.
ROCKY DRIFT - Fears that toxic emissions are systematically damaging the air quality for people living and working in this area, have been confirmed in a new report. Formaldehyde fumes - which at excessive levels can cause cancer - were found to be up to five times higher than normally permitted.
The findings are part of a comprehensive environmental impact assessment which was commissioned a year ago as part of Sonae Novobord`s proposed expansion of its compressed board production plant.
Locally affected people feel vindicated that the report is so revealing. Ms Sharon Eigenhuis who lives on the adjacent Bundu country estate said, "The results are not a surprise." She and her husband are trained chemists and
Mr Eigenhuis has previously suffered a "red mottled rash" on exposed skin parts. Other critics feel that the company has been trying to "get away with it" until now by refusing to release data and by not installing the appropriate removal processes.
Dr Simon Evered, speaking for Wessa Lowveld says, "Sonae Novobord has had complaints for years and declined to react to them. They extract formaldehyde from the point where it is released in the factory, so it is safe to work right next to the press, but then they duct it out of a short stack and this report shows the result."
In the EIA report section referring to formaldehyde monitoring, Environmental and Health Risk Consultants (Pty) Ltd (EHRCON) states that "measured formaldehyde concen-trations were on average five times higher than the expected background value" and "average formaldehyde concentrations exceeded the short term limit of 0,1mg/m³ at four of the 10 boundary points."
Evered, a doctor of chemistry claims, "These results are alarmingly high, given the analysis of permissible limits. Sonae should be reacting strongly to reduce the impacts, given the toxicity of formaldehyde.
The company has been remiss in not having an environmental management plan that includes routine monitoring of formaldehyde emissions and fallout in the neighbouring areas. There should be regular monitoring by an independent, reputable and approved specialist." Other experts have gone a stage further. One claims that the levels used by EHRCON are occupational legal limits and adjusted calculations could have made the acceptable limits much lower.
But the question of what is the acceptable limit, still hangs in the air. Wessa says the authorities have not seen fit to set a standard for formaldehyde. For example, South African standards are apparently lower than international or US standards. And many other factors come into play such as resin quality, wind strength and time left in the atmosphere.
Responsibility for enforcing air quality standards currently lies with the national office of the department of environmental affairs and tourism (DEAT), although at some point it will be transferred to Ehlanzeni District Council.
DEAT`s Mr Mazwi Lushaba said that emission levels had to comply with Sonae Novobord`s certification. If there were evidence that levels were being exceeded, his department would make comparisons and ensure that measures were taken.
The company admits that there are issues regarding the formaldehyde particles and acknowledges the report`s results. "I would point out that these tests were carried out a year ago and since then we have improved our equipment with new scrubbers and are introducing a higher quality resin into the process," explained chief operating officer Mr Craig MacMurray.
"We are working hard to meet acceptable limits although there is nothing in the legis-lation which states the exact requirements." MacMurray claimed that the company would "hopefully eliminate" the problem but that it was a matter of working through the processes. He refused to be drawn on the introduction of equipment known as WEST - a wet electrostatic precipitator - which other countries have installed. Environmental consultants have organised a public open day for the presentation of the complete EIA report at Bundu Lodge on Thursday September 20 from 11:00 to 18:00 for interested and affected parties.
Mr Uno Neveling of Environmental and Health Risk Consulting Ltd, who carried out the air quality tests, will not be attending the meeting to answer questions. He confirmed to Lowvelder that he had not been invited.
Sonae Novobord is part of the multinational conglomerate Sonae Indústria, a Portuguese group manufacturing wood-based products, including particle board, MDF (medium density fibreboard), hardboard, OSB (oriented strand board), high pressure decorative laminates and chemical products (formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based resins).
The findings are part of a comprehensive environmental impact assessment which was commissioned a year ago as part of Sonae Novobord`s proposed expansion of its compressed board production plant.
Locally affected people feel vindicated that the report is so revealing. Ms Sharon Eigenhuis who lives on the adjacent Bundu country estate said, "The results are not a surprise." She and her husband are trained chemists and
Mr Eigenhuis has previously suffered a "red mottled rash" on exposed skin parts. Other critics feel that the company has been trying to "get away with it" until now by refusing to release data and by not installing the appropriate removal processes.
Dr Simon Evered, speaking for Wessa Lowveld says, "Sonae Novobord has had complaints for years and declined to react to them. They extract formaldehyde from the point where it is released in the factory, so it is safe to work right next to the press, but then they duct it out of a short stack and this report shows the result."
In the EIA report section referring to formaldehyde monitoring, Environmental and Health Risk Consultants (Pty) Ltd (EHRCON) states that "measured formaldehyde concen-trations were on average five times higher than the expected background value" and "average formaldehyde concentrations exceeded the short term limit of 0,1mg/m³ at four of the 10 boundary points."
Evered, a doctor of chemistry claims, "These results are alarmingly high, given the analysis of permissible limits. Sonae should be reacting strongly to reduce the impacts, given the toxicity of formaldehyde.
The company has been remiss in not having an environmental management plan that includes routine monitoring of formaldehyde emissions and fallout in the neighbouring areas. There should be regular monitoring by an independent, reputable and approved specialist." Other experts have gone a stage further. One claims that the levels used by EHRCON are occupational legal limits and adjusted calculations could have made the acceptable limits much lower.
But the question of what is the acceptable limit, still hangs in the air. Wessa says the authorities have not seen fit to set a standard for formaldehyde. For example, South African standards are apparently lower than international or US standards. And many other factors come into play such as resin quality, wind strength and time left in the atmosphere.
Responsibility for enforcing air quality standards currently lies with the national office of the department of environmental affairs and tourism (DEAT), although at some point it will be transferred to Ehlanzeni District Council.
DEAT`s Mr Mazwi Lushaba said that emission levels had to comply with Sonae Novobord`s certification. If there were evidence that levels were being exceeded, his department would make comparisons and ensure that measures were taken.
The company admits that there are issues regarding the formaldehyde particles and acknowledges the report`s results. "I would point out that these tests were carried out a year ago and since then we have improved our equipment with new scrubbers and are introducing a higher quality resin into the process," explained chief operating officer Mr Craig MacMurray.
"We are working hard to meet acceptable limits although there is nothing in the legis-lation which states the exact requirements." MacMurray claimed that the company would "hopefully eliminate" the problem but that it was a matter of working through the processes. He refused to be drawn on the introduction of equipment known as WEST - a wet electrostatic precipitator - which other countries have installed. Environmental consultants have organised a public open day for the presentation of the complete EIA report at Bundu Lodge on Thursday September 20 from 11:00 to 18:00 for interested and affected parties.
Mr Uno Neveling of Environmental and Health Risk Consulting Ltd, who carried out the air quality tests, will not be attending the meeting to answer questions. He confirmed to Lowvelder that he had not been invited.
Sonae Novobord is part of the multinational conglomerate Sonae Indústria, a Portuguese group manufacturing wood-based products, including particle board, MDF (medium density fibreboard), hardboard, OSB (oriented strand board), high pressure decorative laminates and chemical products (formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based resins).