A long-standing Alrode business has called for urgent regulatory intervention, claiming that severe dust pollution from the neighbouring chrome storage and distribution site is harming operations, affecting staff health and posing safety risks.

Henri Robert of Sign Wonder says the situation at a property in Liebenberg Street has become unsustainable.

“The current situation is not only causing serious financial harm to our operations but is also presenting significant environmental, health, and safety risks to the surrounding area. I feel compelled to raise these issues for your urgent attention and action,” he said.

From substation proposal to chrome depot

Robert explained that the company relocated to 7 Liebenberg Street in August 2019, describing the area at the time as quiet and dust-free; ideal for vehicle branding work that requires clean surfaces.

During 2020/2021, businesses in the area were approached to support what was presented as an Eskom substation development on the adjacent vacant property.

The proposal was shared by Tshanduko Environmental Engineering PTY (LTD) on behalf of Alrode Gas to Power PTY (LTD) and related to an Eskom substation project.

@albertonrecordFollow-up inspections are scheduled as authorities assess whether environmental controls at the facility meet required standards. Full story on albertonrecord.co.za

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Robert said he signed in support of the proposal, believing it would help address load shedding challenges.

However, towards the end of 2023, activity began on the site that appeared unrelated to a substation development.

“Large trucks began arriving daily, delivering what appears to be a type of sand containing shiny and metallic-looking particles. To date, no construction or infrastructure development has taken place. Instead, the site seems to be operating as an informal depot for this material,” he said.

According to Robert, the property is now operating as a chrome storage and distribution facility.

Health, quality and safety concerns

Robert outlined several concerns:

• Air quality and health:

He claims that excessive dust from the premises spreads into the surrounding area daily. “Our staff is experiencing increased respiratory issues, including persistent coughing, which we believe is directly linked to this airborne dust,” he said.

• Quality of work:

Dust settling on vehicles compromises branding work. Despite cleaning vehicles beforehand, he says dust quickly resettles, resulting in dissatisfied customers and reputational damage.

• Traffic and road safety:

Robert alleges that trucks frequently travel at high speeds and ignore a stop sign near his business, creating a danger for pedestrians and employees.

Attempts to address the issue directly with the depot manager have yielded limited results.

While workers have occasionally swept sections of the road, Robert says this has been ineffective.

“Sweeping a nearly one-kilometre stretch of road is inadequate given the volume and frequency of truck activity,” he said, adding that promises of a water sweeper have not yet materialised.

Depot manager responds

Terrence, the depot manager of the chrome storage and distribution site, disputes claims that the operation is unlawful or improperly authorised.

“I’ve got all the email correspondence with the city to say we’re not disturbing anyone. Initially, our boss was supposed to sell the land to someone who planned to build a power station, but the deal fell through. With the job we are currently doing at the site, we don’t need permission from the businesses around here. Permission was only needed for the substation,” he said.

“This is an industrial area, and we are allowed to do the kind of work that we do. There is no limitation on the cargo. The city gave us recommendations as to what we need to do to control the dust,” Terrence added.

City investigation underway

On February 13, Arthur Ramoshaba, an environmental health practitioner in the Air Quality section, confirmed that the complaint has been investigated and remains ongoing.

“The complaint has been investigated and remains ongoing. Last inspection was conducted on February 5. The next site inspection will be around March – April by the Air Quality Section as a follow-up. Formal instructions and recommendations have already been issued to the facility,” he said.

Recommendations from the recent site inspection indicate that:

• A sweeper machine should be purchased to assist with dust collection and mitigation.

• Cumulative storage capacity of the chrome material must be reduced.

• The facility’s revised Dust Management Plan should include outside areas.

The Alberton Record submitted an enquiry to the City of Ekurhuleni regarding the chrome storage site and whether the city is aware of its operation.

Unanswered questions about the substation

The Record also directed an enquiry to Tshanduko Environmental Engineering, asking what had happened to the proposed Eskom substation project that had initially been shared with affected businesses.

At the time of publication, no response had been received.

Robert maintains that had he known the site would be used for chrome storage or similar material handling, he would not have supported the proposal.

“I am concerned that this operation may be non-compliant or operating unlawfully from an environmental perspective. This situation is no longer sustainable, and immediate regulatory intervention is required,” he said.
Further updates will be provided as responses are received from the relevant parties.