LETTER: UPL is doing all it can to clean up toxic spill
Company provides regular updates on progress to mitigate the impact of the spill and to rehabilitate the surrounding area
15 March 2022 - 13:42
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Dozens of skips line the banks of Ohlanga River, storing hazardous waste that leaked out of UPL's chemical warehouse in Cornubia, north of Durban. Picture: THEO JAPHTA
It has been eight months since the arson attack on UPL’s leased Cornubia warehouse. The extent of work that has been undertaken since then to contain and address the impact of the spill has been extensive and continues (“Forum wants more transparency from chemical giant after toxic spill”, March 2).
To date UPL has appointed and funded the work of various independent experts, which has cost more than R400m. It has spared no expense to deal with the impact of the arson attack, notwithstanding it having been a victim of the widespread violence and looting that broke out across Durban at the time.
UPL’s team of experts have regularly produced reports on the clean-up efforts and progress made. All final reports have been submitted to the various government authorities and have also been made available on the online information repository, and thus available to all stakeholders.
In addition, UPL has been making regular presentations to the authorities and other stakeholders, and that will continue. This included the team meeting members of the interim multi-stakeholder forum (MSF) on February 23 on a day-long site inspection, where they also shared details of the clean-up operations.
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for economic development, tourism & environmental affairs is still establishing an MSF for the UPL/Cornubia incident. To that end he established the interim MSF convened by Prof Jeremy Ridl.
Draft terms of reference developed by Prof Ridl on behalf of the MEC have subsequently been published, which state that the sole and only mandate of the interim MSF is to oversee the appointment of the final committee and to finalise its terms of reference.
The interim committee has no mandate beyond that, and the final committee has not yet been appointed, nor have the terms of reference been finalised. Despite this, UPL has engaged with the interim MSF transparently and in good faith, so the allegations made in the article regarding its unwillingness to engage with its members are simply untrue and unfounded, particularly in light of the recent site visit.
UPL remains committed to working with all stakeholders to mitigate the impact of the spill and to rehabilitate the surrounding area.
Japhet Ncube, Spokesperson, UPL SA
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: UPL is doing all it can to clean up toxic spill
Company provides regular updates on progress to mitigate the impact of the spill and to rehabilitate the surrounding area
It has been eight months since the arson attack on UPL’s leased Cornubia warehouse. The extent of work that has been undertaken since then to contain and address the impact of the spill has been extensive and continues (“Forum wants more transparency from chemical giant after toxic spill”, March 2).
To date UPL has appointed and funded the work of various independent experts, which has cost more than R400m. It has spared no expense to deal with the impact of the arson attack, notwithstanding it having been a victim of the widespread violence and looting that broke out across Durban at the time.
UPL’s team of experts have regularly produced reports on the clean-up efforts and progress made. All final reports have been submitted to the various government authorities and have also been made available on the online information repository, and thus available to all stakeholders.
In addition, UPL has been making regular presentations to the authorities and other stakeholders, and that will continue. This included the team meeting members of the interim multi-stakeholder forum (MSF) on February 23 on a day-long site inspection, where they also shared details of the clean-up operations.
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for economic development, tourism & environmental affairs is still establishing an MSF for the UPL/Cornubia incident. To that end he established the interim MSF convened by Prof Jeremy Ridl.
Draft terms of reference developed by Prof Ridl on behalf of the MEC have subsequently been published, which state that the sole and only mandate of the interim MSF is to oversee the appointment of the final committee and to finalise its terms of reference.
The interim committee has no mandate beyond that, and the final committee has not yet been appointed, nor have the terms of reference been finalised. Despite this, UPL has engaged with the interim MSF transparently and in good faith, so the allegations made in the article regarding its unwillingness to engage with its members are simply untrue and unfounded, particularly in light of the recent site visit.
UPL remains committed to working with all stakeholders to mitigate the impact of the spill and to rehabilitate the surrounding area.
Japhet Ncube, Spokesperson, UPL SA
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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