Law totally disregarded at dump site

MARLOTH PARK – Residents of the village who live in the area adjacent to the rubbish dump, are up in arms about the illegal burning of waste at the dumping site.

According to them, the ghastly smell of plastic being burnt is sometimes over-whelming and it envelops their houses at times. It is not only the smoke and toxic fumes that are a crisis, but also the debris and ash blowing around and landing on roofs and decks of many homes in the area.
Mr Frode Haugen, a Norwegian citizen, bought a property in Rinkhals Avenue in 2004. This street is quite close to the dumping site.
“I have observed what is thrown into the furnace on the site. Even aerosol cans and batteries are burnt and we often hear bangs coming from items exploding from the heat. Running sinuses, sore throats, headaches and breathing issues in particular create health challenges, especially for asthmatics and people with circulatory problems.”

He added that he had had enough of this situation and had decided to take this matter further.
Haugen is a chemical engineer from Norway and he says that he is happy to return to this homeland soon, so that he can escape the stench, flies, filth and debris in the air and inhaling smoke most of the day.
During Lowvelder’s own investigation it became apparent that the location of the dumping site was unlawful and irregular as it was situated in the middle of an urban area.

The newspaper also established that this particular one had been decommissioned a few years ago already. Nkomazi Local Municipality (NLM) was responsible for closing this site and relocating it.
A new location had been identified in the Steenbok area south of the N4 in the direction of Tonga. Lowvelder couldn’t find any licence for either the old or new site – not at NLM or at the department of environmental affairs.
A former health inspector confirmed Lowvelder’s suspicions that such a site would be condemned by any health inspector.
The man, who wanted to remain anony-mous, said after a certificate had been issued condemning a dumping site, residents would be able to take legal steps against the assigned municipality. He also said because of the high health and environmental hazards linked to rubbish burning, there were high demands on equipment, methods and control. Looking at photos of the furnace at the Marloth Park dump site, he said it was definitely not designed to handle general rubbish burning as there was no airflow or temperature control, no filters, the chimney was too short and no checks or follow-up notices of inspections.

The Marloth Park Property Owners Association (MPPOA), the ratepayers association in the town, told Lowvelder that the dumping site had been on the agenda with the municipality for quite some time, but it was still waiting for something to
be done. MMPOA was formed so that residents and property owners could speak as one voice.
Marloth Park does not have its own municipal offices, like Komatipoort and other towns that also fall under NLM.
The history of problems experienced with water supply, waste management, electricity supply and other issues has been building up over many years.
Members of MPPOA have stepped forward as volunteers to handle the dumping site.
Ms Allison Fitzgerald and Mr Dean Jones, both property owners in the town, told Lowvelder that they were also learning from their mistakes, but somebody had to step in to do something about all the rubbish in the streets of Marloth Park. They were paying for a lot of things out of their own pockets and from donations received.
They now manage a whole squad of people to recycle the waste and it is only about 20 per cent of it that cannot be recycled that ends up in the furnace. Although residents are grateful for Fitgerald and Jones who stepped forward to manage the dumping site, they are blaming the municipality for their problems.
The Marlothi Nature Conservancy has been registered with the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, but it seems as if this status doesn’t guarantee pristine waste management.
Mr Alf Felgate is the chairman of the conservancy. He told Lowvelder there seemed to be an impression that the residents of Marloth Park were rich and that the municipality expected them to look after themselves.
“The municipality might be feeling that it owes its supporters in poorer communities more than it owes Marloth Park, but it is not fair of NLM to think so. A lot of property owners here are ex-professionals and they are becoming frustrated because they are used to being heard,” Felgate added.
Haugen has returned to Norway and he is leaving with a threat that he will take legal steps in future if the situation is not cleared up before he his return.
Lowvelder contacted three different municipal officials at NLM for comment, but no response was forthcoming at the time of going to print.