Cape Town - Kuils River residents are appealing for answers as well as for their cries related to pollution and grand negligence to be heard.
The source of their noise, air and water pollution is believed to be the site of the Cape Town Iron and Steel Works (Cisco), a scrap-based steel-making company.
Some residents have for years tried to seek answers from the City and Cisco on the uncontrolled emissions containing numerous heavy metals, including lead.
In 2012, Cisco was sold to a Turkish company – DHT Holdings Africa – and the plant restarted in October 2017. Over 420 complaints in two years were officially logged over noise, fugitive emissions, dust fallout, fumes, smell and smoke, with residents experiencing coughing, sneezing, headaches, nose bleeds, and insomnia.
DHT Holdings Africa ceased operating the facility in September/October 2019 and went into business rescue in 2020 and did not operate until February 2022, with limited activity. The new shareholders have commenced a process of recommissioning of the facility.
No buffer zone exists between Cisco, located next to food manufacturing companies Famous Brands and Zion Food Distributors, as well as in close proximity to residential areas.
The Cisco site was established in the 1960s with the land historically used for agricultural purposes.
Resident Sidney van der Colff said before its shutdown in 2019, he would cough up blood and perpetually had a blocked nose. His daughter had been experiencing the same.
Resident Earl Pollman said within days of the recent start up in February he started seeing changes in his pool water.
“In 2017, I actually had physical steel particles in my pool water. We put a magnet in the water and it just pulled up all the steel particles all over.”
Resident Stacy de Wet said her child was on nebuliser most nights in 2019 and would often wake up with blood-stained sheets.
“The fumes would hang so thick. It would look like there’s a fire somewhere but it’s just chemicals and burning metal smells.”
The last emission monitoring took place in November 2018.
According to the City’s Tygerberg Draft Technical Report of March 2021, no further residential development and related development should be considered within close proximity of Cisco.
However, Mayco member for community services and health Patricia van der Ross said that over the years the area was developed.
The report also stated that no activity or use which includes the one site storage of hazardous substances should be permitted unless a risk management and prevention plan had been submitted and council-approved.
Residents believe between 500 and 1 000 tons of dirt bags on the site could potentially contain harmful contents and should be sealed in drums and not left exposed in bulk storage bags.
The residents conducted their own investigations using dust buckets placed outside the homes of residents nearby the site, which was then tested. The community also lifted soil samples around the facility, which showed the presence of the heavy metals.
“It is not yet operating at full capacity, but the plant is incrementally ramping up production. It is expected to achieve stable operations during May/June of 2022,” said Van der Ross.
Cisco could not be reached for comment.