The Bucket Brigade has landed!
South Africa, 16 May 2000
A joint team of South Africans and Americans began a historic two-week national oil refinery tour and community empowerment training on air pollution.
The Bucket Brigade Team (l-r): Denny Larson (Commmunities for a Better Environment), Bobby Peek (groundWork), Shipra Bansal (Technical Advisor), Heeten Kalan (SAEPEJ)
After a day of intensive planning and briefing, the team set-off to visit over-burdened communities in highly industrialized South Durban. The first stop, Strelitzia High School, came under a cloud of chlorine gas, resulting in the special medical treatment of close to 100 students and teachers. This incident on the 5th of May made the school ground look like "Bosnia" with all the ambulances according to the headmaster.
The team meets with Strelitzia School headmaster and staff along with environmental journalist, Toni Carnie. Technical research was presented to the school about the serious toxic effects of chlorine exposure that contradicted statements made by the company.
Toxic Tour
groundWork staffer Bobby Peek led the caravan of press and Bucket Brigade experts through a series of polluted sites in poor communities in South Durban.
Umlazi, The second largest township in South Africa is unwelcome host to a series of toxic dumping sites, the last of which after much public pressure. Minister of Water Affairs, Kader Asmal, closed the site in 1997.
Bobby Peek outside the closed Umlazi Hazardous Waste Site
Mondi Paper, one of the world's largest paper mills, has a notorious history of dumping upon local South Durban residents. Recently residents were victorious in closing this toxic ash dump in 1999. The site is currently under rehabilitation.
Mondi toxic ash landfill site
The SAPREF refinery, the largest in Africa, is a profitable joint venture of the huge Shell and BP corporations. Company officials recently admitted under reporting of emissions due to their own miscalculations. Total emissions are at least 41 tons a day. Nearby residents complain of illness due to pollution.
Shell/BP refinery in your backyard!
In 1995, children of Wentworth neighbourhood in South Durban stumbled upon discarded industrial toxic pesticide, Lindane. Two children were hospitalized as a result. The community mobilized and forced Engen and Chemico, the responsible parties, to clean up the playground that was contaminated. The battle was led by the chairperson of the South Durban Community Envrionmental Alliance, Desmond D'SA.
Residential playground to adjacent former lindane toxic contamination.
Desmond D'SA gathering future leaders.
The "million dollar view" of Wentworth and Merebank features the rusting yet profitable stacks and units of the Malaysian Petronas. Children in the neighbouring areas suffer from 3 to 4 times more respiratory problems than children in other neighbourhoods.
Engen Oil Refinery and the neighbourhood
Bucket Brigade demonstrates air sampling at Umlazi
The Bucket Brigade Team will hold their first meetings with top level officials of Engen and SAPREF on Wednesday, 17th May.
Go see what we did at Durban City Hall.
Back to Bucket Brigade Page.
Posted by Toussaint at October 24, 2005 09:14 AM