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UPL continues tankering and other mitigation measures as second bout of extreme rain leads to controlled overtopping of PCD

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UPL continues tankering and other mitigation measures as second bout of extreme rain leads to controlled overtopping of PCD

23rd May 2022

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/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The eThekwini region has been hit with a second bout of extreme rainfall. Following the first bout in April, UPL continued to work hard to reduce the levels of water in its Pollution Control Dam (PCD). The PCD was repurposed from a stormwater attenuation dam by the specialists appointed by UPL in order to collect contaminated stormwater runoff from the site following last year’s arson attack on its leased Cornubia warehouse

Over the months since the incident, and with UPL’s extensive efforts to remove chemicals of concern from the site and its environs, the contamination levels in the PCD have reduced dramatically – to the point where it has more recently become a viable option, with dilution, to release it into the adjacent tributary.

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Pending the approval of that option, UPL has continued tankering water from the PCD to the DCLM (an approved Class A landfill site) on a daily basis. Last week alone just over 1.1 million litres of water were removed by tanker, which meant the PCD water level stood at below 37% on Friday afternoon, with 8 tankers being taken offsite yesterday and 10 being done today. 

However, between 07:00 Saturday and 09:00 this morning a total measured volume of 263mm of rain fell onto the catchment of the PCD, and as a result it overtopped at about 8.40pm last night, via a designed spillway, and discharged safely into the adjacent tributary.

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A number of UPL’s specialists and its engineering team worked collectively throughout Saturday together with UPL to monitor the situation and ensure any necessary steps were taken to keep it under control. The PCD has retained its integrity and all of its engineering interventions have held, allowing the flow to be released in a controlled manner via a spillway.

It is important to emphasize that estimates from the freshwater specialists indicate that the water from the PCD, on dilution to the tributary, is below any level of environmental harm, using international benchmark measures. The last set of independent analytical data has shown low levels of residual pesticides present in the PCD, and low overall toxicity.  Preliminary modelling, using the most recent available toxicity testing results indicates that with the current flows in the tributary, adequate dilutions are being achieved to neutralise any possible effects. 

Water quality sampling was undertaken prior to and at the time of overtopping of the PCD and will also be supplemented by further sampling down the entire system today. These samples will be comprehensively tested for any contaminants of concern and for overall toxicity by independent laboratories.             

UPL will continue to monitor the situation closely and take the necessary steps to mitigate the impact of any further rainfall occurring in the area. This will include continued tankering of water from the PCD to the DCLM, which is staying open until 7pm this evening in order to accommodate the extra tankers being sent from the site. 

 

Issued by UPL South Africa (Pty) ltd

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