Still many environmental effects of smelter not made known

IN his response (“Risks inherent in aluminium smelter minimal using latest technology”, The Herald, March 14), Themba Koza, of the Coega Development Corporation, went to great length trying to discredit my letter (“Economic benefits blind us to environmental and health hazards of smelter”, The Her- ald, February 13), which was clearly to be understood within the context of global warming, by using halftruths and circumventing certain issues altogether.

While Alcan might indeed have made some advances with the AP35 technology, the following points he makes need to be addressed:

� How much do these advances actually mean, in light of the fact that the aluminium industry is one of the world‘s most energy-intensive and polluting industries and contributes to up to 90 per cent of all perfluorocarbons (PFCs) worldwide?

Are the advantages this technology might have compared to the previously proposed AP50 technology not off-set by the fact that now two pot-lines are being planned instead of the original one pot-line, with a change of output from originally 485 000 tons per annum (t/a) to 720 000 t/a?

Surely these changes lead to increases in consumption of electricity and water, as well as an increase in particle and greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production?

Why then was no new environmental impact assessment (EIA) requested?

I quote from a letter by the department of economic affairs to Alcan: “Although the change in technology will result in higher impacts on the environment, such impacts are proportional to the increase in production envisaged for the AP35 smelter” (and we are all benefiting from this increase in production, right?) and “It is the opinion of the DEAE and T that the increased negative environmental impacts associated with the project can be kept within the acceptable limits if the conditions contained in the record of decision as amended are implemented and adhered to (especially when seen in the context of the smelter being located in an area allocated for extensive industrial development)”. Please read this again – and again.

One also needs to remember that as far as the advanced abatement systems are concerned, these will not be operational all the time, and that failures at the smelter will result in uncontrolled and additional releases of gas pollutants (as stated in the EIA).

� This is the issue most pertinent to global warming. As for Koza‘s claims regarding the performance of AP35 technologies in the area of greenhouse gases, he negligently omits the fact that aluminium smelters are using far more electricity than an entire city and that Eskom is going to build an entire new coal burning plant in order to be able to supply them with the energy needed. Coal plants are the biggest contributors of greenhouse gases, in the world.

As Eskom had to guarantee the supply of energy at below cost, alternative more environmentally friendly technologies can now not even be considered.

Secondary impacts such as these have not been considered in the EIA and were deemed to be outside of the scope of the EIA process.

(In light of all this, all my efforts to save electricity seem all of a sudden rather pointless.)

� However, Koza‘s statement that “Fluoride is a common substance in the earth‘s crust and occurs naturally in the environment”, takes the cake!

Here are just some quotes I found during my research on the internet: “Fluoride, a by-product of aluminium smelting . . . has contaminated the ground water around aluminium smelters. As a result, there is a crippling outbreak of fluorosis – a disease which causes skin disease, and bones and teeth to brittle among people and cattle living near the smelter (D Wysham, in a report by the Institute for Policy Studies).

Another: “In point of fact, fluoride causes more human cancer death, and causes it faster, than any other chemical. It destroys bones, teeth, blood vessels and stomach lining, causes infertility, poisoning with symptoms of headache, nausea etc.” (Dean Burk, chief chemist emeritus, US National Cancer Institute).

All this is by the way is extremely pertinent to the topic of water fluoridation! Sodium fluoride is a waste product of aluminium production – any links?

The people of Trinidad, who are suing their local aluminium smelter (Alcoa), might also take exception to Koza‘s statement.

There are reports of “indescribable pain in joints, splitting headaches, muscle spasms, severe abdominal pains, stiffness in the spine – all due to proximity to aluminium smelters” (Rose Pyle - member of group that filed a lawsuit against Alcoa).

� I would also like to point out that the EIA expressly excludes an assessment of occupational health and safety risks for employees working within the smelter, that this wonderful technology still requires regular dredging of the ocean floor in order to get rid of the toxic deposits at the bottom of the harbour to then deposit them somewhere inland, that all assessments are done on the basis that Coega has been sidelined as an Industrial Development Zone and that any guidelines given to Alcan are just that – guidelines – and are therefore not legally enforceable.

I have little hope that much can still be done about the aluminium smelter. However, I strongly object to the building of any further smelters, such as the proposed ferro-manganese smelters, which will contribute even further to the pollution of our environment.

Koza wanted more specifics on how people should get involved.

Here are some suggestions: Attend public meetings in connection with the manganese plants and the planned nuclear plant or any other future developments that will have an impact on our environment, contact and support the following organisations: Earthlife Africa, tel: 011-339 3662; the Zwartkops Trust; the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (Wessa), tel: 041-585 9606; a new society called NiMBLE, e-mail: info@zincedeni.com; or write your letters to the department of economic affairs, environment and tourism, Private Bag X5001, Greenacres 6057; and inform yourself by reading on the internet – www.environment.co.za is a good place to start.

Tanja Price, Mill Park, Port Elizabeth