TUESDAY, 3.00PM
A LONG-AWAITED report on contamination by three million kilograms of toxic mercury waste stored in KwaZulu-Natal by Thor Chemicals, has blamed ‘a disturbingly careless” attitude by the company, and negligence by the National Party government.
Leakage from the stored mercury has contaminated ground water in the area, according to the report of the commission, headed by UCT law professor Dennis Davis. The report said the evidence revealed a lack of co-ordination between government departments, as well as “inexplicable inefficiency and unexplained omission”.
It also said that Thor continued to receive waste even though it knew it would not be able to process it, showing a disturbingly careless attitude to environmental concerns.
Davis said the commission had recommended that the remaining waste be incinerated under strictly-controlled conditions, as soon as possible. The longer the delay, the more hazardous the waste would become.
Davis was appointed in 1995 by former environment minister Dawie De Villiers. The commission came under attack from environmentalists for the secrecy clause in its terms of reference.
Backgrounders from our archive:
Asmal calls for Thor probe (March ’95)
davis responds to “secrecy” complaints (March ’95)
PUBLIC OPINION