The days of establishing primary industries that pollute the
environment are numbered in the Richards Bay area.
This northern KwaZulu- Natal town is one of the fastest growing economic
hubs in South Africa, but unfortunately the influx of heavy industry over
the last decade or so has also made it one of the most polluted.
This looks set to change. A recently completed draft environmental
assessment of resource opportunities and constraints in the area suggests
that the town`s new drawcards should be cleaner industry and tourism.
The report is the first phase of a R650 000 strategic environmental
assessment undertaken by the CSIR, commissioned by the Richards Bay local
council.
The deadline for submitting comments on the draft document is tomorrow and
the next step will be to develop a strategic environmental management plan
that is intended to have far-reaching consequences for the future
development of the town.
John Reynolds, public participation officer for the local council, said the
report raised the need for downstream, beneficiation-type industries and
emphasised a move away from primary industries.
"This will hopefully meet the concerns of environmental groups, which, while
accepting the need for economic development, feel the costs associated with
primary industries are not justified," he said.
Richards Bay is reaching the limit it can contain of high-pollution,
water-thirsty industries. Other pressing concerns mentioned in the report
include job creation and the need to retain income for the local economy.
Dr Syd Kelly, chief executive of the Spatial Development Initiative (SDI)
investment centre, said it was important for the town to meet international
ISO 1401 environmental standards if it was to market itself and its products
internationally.
"When attracting industries, we have to have safe areas for investors to
house their staff. Its not just incentives and interest rates that are
important, people want to live in a clean and safe place," he said.
The report suggests the area should move towards secondary, labour-intensive
industries which capitalise on the existing primary industries. Existing
primary industries include Alusaf, Richards Bay Minerals and Indian Ocean
Fertilisers.
Another factor working for a change in the type of industries in the area
was a lack of water. The report pointed out there was only sufficient water
supply until 2040 and, as a result, water-thirsty industries should be
discouraged.
The report also outlined proposed areas for air polluting activities and, on
the face of it, restricts these mostly to medium and low emissions, with
very limited space for high pollution.
The Richards Bay SDI has selected a range of possible projects based on the
town`s current industrial strengths.
Capital expenditure for projects in aluminium, sugar, heavy minerals, iron
and steel, chemicals and fertilisers and forestry products is estimated at
$2,6 billion. Job creation would be at around 5 467 new jobs.
The report highlights five significant "information gaps" which it says
should be dealt with urgently.
These are a comprehensive human health study, an economic survey and
analysis, a cumulative effect on air quality study, the linking and updating
of the 1993 CSIR conservation analysis and the Richards Bay Metro Open Space
System and, lastly, the settling of the Ecological Reserve for the Mhlatuse
Catchment.
The Clean Air Association and the local council are trying to launch a human
health study using a credible institution like the Medical Research Council,
but getting funding is a problem.
A study closely linked to the human health study is the cumulative air
emissions study, which the local government is anxious to start, said
Reynolds.
Several environmental assessments have been carried out for industries and
all of them point to the need for a cumulative study, without which it is
difficult to make a judgment. But again, financing the studies is a problem.
The report also highlighted the need to link Richards Bay`s socioeconomic
development to that of neighbouring Empangeni and nearby tribal authorities.
This was in keeping with similar findings by the SDI and the requirements of
the demarcation board.