Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork
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Chapter 3: The politics of wasteIt has a high rate of unemployment but most of those who do have work depend on<strong>the</strong> plant both for <strong>the</strong>ir jobs and <strong>the</strong>ir housing. In <strong>the</strong> larger centres of Port Shepstoneand New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, people say <strong>the</strong> kilns employ few locals. In largeand small centres, people told groundWork that cement kiln dust – which includesparticulate emissions from combustion – covers everything from field and gardencrops to washing. In <strong>the</strong> small town of Slurry outside Mafikeng, people harvest rainwater from <strong>the</strong>ir dust covered roofs because <strong>the</strong>y do not have piped water. The impactof traditional cement kiln pollution on people’s health is undoubtedly severe but notmonitored by government. Adding waste to <strong>the</strong> coal now used as fuel will compound<strong>the</strong> problem. Government reportedly intends tighter emission standards for alternativefuel kilns – but seemingly has no intention of tightening “lenient” standards forconventional fuel kilns. 48 This leaves communities with a choice of more or less visiblepollutants – assuming that <strong>the</strong>y’ll be given <strong>the</strong> choice.Box 11: Persistent Organic PollutantsThe Stockholm Convention is <strong>the</strong> global treaty designed to protect human health and<strong>the</strong> environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs). It originally dealt with <strong>the</strong> 12chemicals known as <strong>the</strong> ‘Dirty Dozen’ although o<strong>the</strong>r chemicals are being added to <strong>the</strong> list.POPs are toxic and persistent in <strong>the</strong> environment. They bio-accumulate along <strong>the</strong> foodchain and can be carried on <strong>the</strong> wind over long distances. The dirty dozen includes nineorganochlorine pesticides, <strong>the</strong> industrial chemical PCB, and dioxins and furans.The pesticides are used to poison agricultural pests, termites and ants. In South Africa,<strong>the</strong> Department of Health claims that <strong>the</strong> pesticide DDT is <strong>the</strong> only way to controlmalaria carrying mosquitoes but has not, according to Wells and Leonard [2006], seriouslyinvestigated alternatives used effectively elsewhere. PCBs are used in electrical equipment.Dioxins and furans are formed in combustion processes, and most notably in incineratorexhaust gases.People who work or live near POPs sources are at risk of acute exposure. The mostimportant chronic exposure to POPs is through eating contaminated fish, meat and dairyproducts. Exposure through <strong>the</strong> food supply leads to cancer, endocrine and immune systemdisruption, hormonal disruption, reproductive disorders, neurological and behaviourdisorders, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects and respiratory illness. POPs are passed to <strong>the</strong>next generation via exposure in <strong>the</strong> womb as well as through breast milk. Children ofmo<strong>the</strong>rs who have eaten POPs-contaminated food can suffer from neuro-behavioural anddevelopmental problems.Source: http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/library/ipendocuments/popstrainingmodule.pdf48 See ‘<strong>Nation</strong>al policy development process for high temperature waste incineration and AFR co-processing incement production: Final comments and response report, August 2007 – July 2008, Response to Port Shepstonecommunity meeting, p.58.<strong>Wasting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Nation</strong> - groundWork - 67 -