UPDATE: Dolphin Coast landfill is safe, say waste company and Coastwatch

Waste from the controversial Shongweni landfill site was not being dug up and sent to the Dolphin Coast Landfill Management (DCLM) site, the landfill management company has stressed.

DCLM has reacted to public alarm following the perception that waste previously disposed of at the Enviroserv site had been relocated to the landfill site at New Guelderland.

DCLM director James Ndebele said the perception that leachate and waste from Shongweni was being disposed of at the DCLM site was incorrect.

Waste streams accepted for disposal at DCLM’s Site are subjected to DCLM’s stringent testing processes prior to acceptance, and therefore pose no health risk to North Coast residents, he said.

“One cannot draw a parallel between the various issues and difficulties experienced by Enviroserv’s Shongweni landfill, and DCLM’s landfill site.

“DCLM unequivocally confirms that the leachate or historical waste currently placed at Enviroserv’s Shongweni landfill site is not being relocated to, nor disposed of at DCLM’s landfill site,” he said.

Ndebele said DCLM was treating and accepting “certain waste streams generated by a select few clients which were previously disposing at Shongweni”.

The waste was being treated in accordance with national and provincial regulations and underwent rigorous procedures and analysis that would ensure that it would not pose a nuisance.

“It is not the intention of DCLM to transfer any problematic issues from one site to another, nor does DCLM wish to monopolize the current situation in the waste management market for any financial gain but rather to provide an effective and efficient waste management service which is conducted in an environmentally safe and responsible manner whilst safeguarding the health and safety of DCLM’s staff and the surrounding community,” Ndebele said.

In addition, the DCLM site has been given a clean bill of health by the chairperson of the Dolphin Coast Conservancy and Coastwatch representative, Di Jones.

Also read: Dolphin Coast home to largest landfill in the southern hemisphere

Jones was involved the planning process for the site and said this week that the DCLM site had much stricter rules than Shongweni regarding the disposal of hazardous waste.

“Instead of being alarmed of having a landfill in our area which accepts hazardous waste – as well as all our regular household waste – I think we should be thankful to have a landfill that lives up to the best standards in the world,” Jones said.

She added that she attends regular meetings of the landfill monitoring committee and had been told by the regulators from Pretoria that the New Guelderland site was one of the best landfills in the country.

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