space Press Releases, News Stories

by AREND HOOGERVOORST, ENS

Thor Chemicals failure to attend a meeting of South Africa's Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism held August 17 prompted Chair Gwen Mahlangu to remark that the company "showed contempt for the highest office of the land" and its actions were "unacceptable."

Committee members from all parties criticised the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism for its perceived lack of commitment to dealing with Thor's huge pile of mercury waste.

In a letter to the committee, Thor Chemicals Managing Director, Barry Longden, said his company did not believe that any good purpose would be served by their attendance on August 17. He added that the government should take the blame for the delay in dealing with the spent mercury waste.

Longdon said, "We have been through the entire process of a presidential commission of inquiry whose recommendations were presented to government more than a year ago. During this time, no practical steps have been taken to resolve the issue of mercury residues on our site, despite this company's [Thor's] commitment to following the recommendations of the commission."

Mahlangu indicated her committee would write to Thor and inform them that the company was constitutionally bound to attend a meeting in Parliament if required to do so.

Thor Chemicals SA (Pty) Ltd is a UK-owned South African chemical company engaged in the manufacture and marketing of a range of biocides, textile auxilliaries and metallic organic soaps at its factory in Cato Ridge near Pietermaritzburg.

Thor Chemicals established a mercury recycling plant in South Africa in the 1980s to reclaim mercury from domestic and imported mercury sludges. Thor moved its operations from Britain after being criticised for over-exposing workers to mercury.

South African environmental groups such as Earthlife Africa and the Environmental Justice Networking Forum campaigned against Thor for alleged pollution of the environment.

In the Mngweni River, which flows into the Valley of the Thousand Hills, Thor Chemicals blamed for mercury concentrations 1,500 times the level at which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declares the material toxic.

Now, the parliamentary team is to report on the current situation at Thor and how the waste is being contained.

The new team is to include representatives from the national departments of Health, Environmental Affairs & Tourism, Water Affairs & Forestry, Labour and representatives from unions and chemical waste experts. Chairperson Mahlangu indicated that she would contact the four ministers concerned in order to get their fullest cooperation.

The team must also check the previous requirement for the establishment of a technical team by the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism to study longer term solutions at Thor.

The national Department of Health is also required to appoint an independent team of doctors, with international assistance if necessary, "to assess the medical condition of workers at Thor - past and present - as well as the community."

United States chemistry professor, Paul Connett gave evidence to the committee on various aspects of the Thor issue. He said that the committee should consider a 10 year moratorium on the building of solid waste incinerators in South Africa to allow for the study of alternative options. He added that incineration was dangerous and no longer internationally "fashionable." On the question of workers health, Connett said that blood and urine sampling was insufficient as tests had to determine the mercury levels in workers' brains.

In 1992, three Thor workers died of mercury poisoning and after a protracted investigation, the company was prosecuted for health and safety contraventions which resulted in a fine of R13,500 (US$2,153). Thereafter, a UK legal precedent was created which allowed multi-nationals to be sued for double standards in health and safety requirements in developing countries.

An action was brought in the London High Court on behalf of 21 Thor employees which was finally settled out of court in 1997 when Thor offered a R9.4 million (US$1.5 million) settlement.