Community of Chartwell up in arms with chrome processing company operating in the area
CHARTWELL– Laher said there was no agreement that was reached by community members and the company.
The management of D.G Steel has yielded to Chartwell residents’ pressure and resolved to stop its operations of chrome washing in the area by the end of August this year.
This after residents of Chartwell raised concerns that the company was operating in the area without proper approval from the relevant government department and the community. Faizel Laher, one of the concerned residents of Chartwell, accused the company of failing to comply with environmental requirements and operating without approval.
“Our area is an agricultural holding and falls outside of the urban boundary,” he said. “The operation of the chrome processing company in this area will pose environmental threats because chrome ore is toxic. The company is operating in the area illegally and this will have a negative impact on the environment. “We told them to leave the area but they refused. Their big trucks make noise and damage the road that we use to access our homes.”
D.G Steel legal advisor Sandesh Naidoo disputed the claims by Laher that the company was operating in the area without approval from government and accused some community members of turning against them after they have engaged residents on the matter. “The company came to operate here because it could not operate at its plant in Centurion due to lockdown regulations,” he said.
“We decided to temporally operate on this property that is owned by the company so that our employees don’t lose their jobs. We were granted a green light to operate in the area by the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Environment and Infrastructure Services Development.”
He added that they had met with the community and explained to them that the company would operate in the area for only three months, and community members had agreed. “The company has, however, taken a decision to leave the area by the end of this month and start the process of land rehabilitation. We don’t want to operate in a place if the community is not happy with what we are doing.”
Laher, however, claimed there was no agreement that was reached by community members and the company.
Communications and stakeholder deputy director in the office of the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services Development, Stan Itshegetseng, said, “The company approached our air quality regulation team to check if they will require a licence in terms of the Air Quality Management Act. “Justice Netshandane, the assistant director in air quality permitting, confirmed in writing that the company will not require an air quality licence in terms of the act as their operations were going to be using water.”
He added that the letter confirmed that there would not be any air pollution issues to worry about. “This then meant they needed to approach the Department of Water and Sanitation for a water use licence application. They didn’t do that, so now the Green Scorpions [The Environmental Management Inspectorate] are looking into the issue.”
Nozipho Hlabangana, the director of corporate communication in the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development in the province said, “The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has not received an application from DG Steel (Pty) Ltd to operate in the area.”
