27
February 2004, Manila, Philippines.
Environmental and civil society groups from 38 countries
throw their support behind the escalating campaign
of South Durban communities to block Mondi Paper's
application for a waste incinerator.
In a global appeal
signed by more than 160 groups and citizens from
38 countries, they petitioned the KwaZulu-Natal
Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs
not to grant a record of decision for the said application.
They urged the Department to reject Mondi's proposal
and act in favor of the people's environmental and
health rights as embodied in Section 24 of the Constitution
of the Republic of South Africa.
Speaking on behalf
of the petitioners, Von Hernandez, Co- Coordinator
of the Manila-based Global Alliance for Incinerator
Alternatives (GAIA) said: "We support the South
Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA),
groundWork and other concerned groups in objecting
to Mondi's application, which only adds to the growing
litany of toxic assaults already being suffered
by the communities, especially the women, youth
and children." SDCEA and groundWork are among
the GAIA members in South Africa.
The petitioners
summed up their reasons for opposing Mondi's incinerator
proposal as follows:
* The Mondi incinerator
will only worsen the quantity and toxicity of pollutants
in the environment and go against the citizens'
efforts to clean up the air and the surroundings,
i.e., campaign to phase out dirty fuels and technologies.
* The Mondi incinerator
will only exacerbate the already high incidents
of cancers and respiratory illnesses among residents
due to their constant exposure to chemical and
industrial pollutants.
* The Mondi incinerator
will pose critical regulatory and enforcement problems,
considering the government's lack of capacity to
monitor emissions, test releases and enforce operational
regulations.;
* The Mondi incinerator
will generate by-product persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) such as dioxins and furans, undermining South
Africa's commitment under the Stockholm Convention
on POPs.
Added Hernandez:
"The impending entry into force of the Stockholm
Convention on POPS should discourage the construction
of waste incinerators in South Africa or elsewhere
for that matter."
To view the global
petition sent by GAIA to Ms. Sarah Allan of the
KwaZulu-Natal DAE, please log on to http://www.no-burn.org
For further information, please contact:
In Durban:
Karen Read, sdcea2@mweb.co.za,
+031-4611991 (phone),
