Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
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Chapter 4: The toxic cradle of productionimpurities. Iron fumes, carbon dioxide and large amounts of carbon monoxide arereleased when <strong>the</strong> furnaces are charged and tapped. Water is used to scrub gases ofdust and fumes.In 2004, Vanderbijlpark’s BOFs produced solid waste consisting of 12,000 tonnes ofiron dust, 45,000 tonnes of desulphurisation slag and 504,000 tonnes of furnace slag,all of which was dumped. O<strong>the</strong>r solid wastes – 36,000 tonnes of mud, 8,000 tonnesof grit and 36,000 tonnes of furnace slag – were re-used internally.In <strong>the</strong> EAF, an electric arc sprung between two giant electrodes provides most of <strong>the</strong>energy to melt <strong>the</strong> scrap and iron feed. Oxygen lances are also used in this process. EAFsproduce low-carbon steels and ferroalloys used in <strong>the</strong> production of ferromanganese,ferrovanadium and ferrochrome. As in <strong>the</strong> BOFs, fluxing materials carry off impurities.EAFs “cause a ra<strong>the</strong>r high discharge of dust to <strong>the</strong> atmosphere” and wash water picksup very high levels of suspended solids [Kemmer 1971: 10].In 2004, <strong>the</strong> EAFs produced 16,000 tonnes of dust which was dumped, and 100,000tonnes of furnace slag which was reportedly re-used internally. The clouds of red dustthat are regularly seen rising through roofs at <strong>the</strong> plant are from this unit.The steel tapped from <strong>the</strong>se furnaces is rolled or cast into intermediate and final formsat <strong>the</strong> hot or cold roll mills. In <strong>the</strong> rolling mills, water picks up oils and lubricants. Thesteel forms are <strong>the</strong>n ‘pickled’ – treated in acid baths with sulphuric or hydrochloricacid – to remove rust from <strong>the</strong> surface. The waste – ‘spent pickle liquor’ – is stronglyacidic and contaminated with suspended scales. The steel forms are <strong>the</strong>n coated orgalvanised with zinc or o<strong>the</strong>r substances at high temperatures, releasing fumes andheavy metals.Slag heaps are <strong>the</strong> most visible solid waste from iron and steel plants. As slag resultsfrom removing contaminants from <strong>the</strong> production process, <strong>the</strong>se contaminants areagain leached or blown from <strong>the</strong> heap. The scale of slag production allows o<strong>the</strong>r wastesto be covered up. In 2005, activists observed Mittal staff burying what appeared tobe bag-house waste in <strong>the</strong> slagheap. The bags filter particulates from <strong>the</strong> air exhaust.Altoge<strong>the</strong>r, a toxic brew of more than 100 chemicals is known to be emitted by steelmills. Recent research in Canada has shown that this cocktail not only affects all lifeforms around <strong>the</strong> mills, but goes down to <strong>the</strong> genetic level with hereditary DNA<strong>Wasting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Nation</strong> - groundWork - 101 -