TRICHARDT – Scrap yards around Trichardt recently came under the scope of the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
The municipal by-law enforcement unit, and members from the fire brigade, town planning and building control, environment and the traffic department inspected scrap yards in the area Thursday, 24 October.
These scrap metal dealers were all in contravention of numerous by-laws and were sited to rectify the violations within a given period or they will be closed down.
Govan Mbeki Municipality’s fire chief, Ms Shelly Shabalala, said scrap yards are high risk areas, especially with vehicles leaking oil and petrol.
Her department looked for the necessary fire safety measures, such as making fire breaks and leaving open strips between vehicles that are wide enough for a fire truck to move through.
The environmentalists looked at the impact the respective scrap yards have on the environment, ground water and their compliance to the Environmental Management Waste Act.
