By Brian Hayward

EASTERN Cape residents are living on hazardous illegal landfills without knowing it, which could be causing life-threatening health problems like cancer and birth defects, experts warn.

The environmental affairs and tourism department has admitted 119 of the country‘s 629 known illegal landfills are in the Eastern Cape.

However, they refuse to pinpoint where these sites are, despite health risks for people living on or near old or disused hazardous landfills.

According to experts, the number of hazardous sites is much higher than the official figure, as many landfills were created before effective environmental legislation was introduced. These were covered up over the years and in growing cities like Nelson Mandela Bay could now be built over for residential use – without anyone being any wiser.

Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk last month told the National Council of Provinces nearly half of South Africa‘s 1 321 known landfill sites were unauthorised and many would have to be “formally closed”.

He said of the 629 unauthorised sites, 58 were hazardous landfill sites “which are not permitted”. This clearly had a significant effect on human health and the environment.

By law, sites must be constructed so as not to allow toxic leachate forming from the decomposing refuse to leak into the soil and water systems.

According to Port Elizabeth Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) conservation officer Morgan Griffiths there were “hundreds” of additional unidentified illegal landfills in the province.

“Almost every group of villages has a pit where rubbish is disposed of and many town dumpsites won‘t have the specialised lining to protect leachate from leaking into rivers and underground water sources,” he said, adding that the sites were undoubtedly hazardous for the communities.

Sources at the department of water affairs and forestry – responsible for handling solid waste disposal until the function was transferred to the DEAT last year – confirmed the number of illegal and unauthorised landfill sites was “far higher” than the official figures released by Van Schalkwyk.

East London‘s Beacon Bay water affairs and forestry deputy director Dale Cobban said a major problem was the lack of monitoring of landfills and the illegal dumping of waste such as animal carcasses by abattoirs or toxic medical waste, she said, adding that “dump-and-runs” by the public and businesses was escalating the problem of illegal sites.

“We tend to think builders‘ rubble and garden waste are not a problem, but they include paints, dangerous metals and insecticides which can cause cancer and even birth defects.”

Another problem, according water affairs officials, was the slow response of the DEAT to their new function monitoring solid waste landfills.

“They (environment and tourism) are responsible for issuing permits, but the head office hasn‘t delegated the tasks down to the provinces yet,” said a water affairs official who wished to remain anonymous.

Despite the warnings, the DEAT refuses to pinpoint the location of the illegal landfills. Spokesman Mava Scott said: “The information . . . is strictly confidential as there is currently a process of engagement with the concerned municipalities.”

The department refused to say when the process would be finalised and with which municipalities they were engaging.

Information from water affairs and forestry shows four landfill sites under the Port Elizabeth water affairs office as illegal. They are in Humansdorp, Graaff- Reinet and Cradock, including a private waste disposal site. Seven sites are to be closed.

The East London office showed nineteen illegal sites, of which nine are to be closed.

haywardb@johncom.co.za
The Herald