May 8, 2000
(Oakland, CA-Boston, MA-Durban, South Africa) In a landmark effort to transfer successful community-based air sampling efforts from polluted neighborhoods in the United States to Africa, South African environmental justice group, groundWork, announced today that it will host a 2-week "Bucket Brigade" in industrial neighborhoods throughout the nation in May. This will be herald the first time that these successful U.S. air sampling programs will begin in Africa.
Three multi-award winning American environmentalists, will travel to South Africa beginning May 15 to train local community groups to build and operate their own air sampling systems. Former Goldman Environmental Prize winner for Africa, Bobby Peek of groundWork, is spearheading local coordination of this historic effort. The South African Exchange program on Environmental Justice (SAEPEJ) is the US organizer and fundraiser of this skills training. Joining them are two trainers from the Californian-based Communities for a Better Environment (CBE).
The Bucket Brigade will visit communities neighbouring SA's four large refineries. These communities include South Durban (neighbouring the Shell and BP and Engen refineries), Tableview, neighbouring the Caltex refinery, in Cape Town, and Zamdela, neighbouring the Sasol refinery in Sasolburg, Free State. In addition they will be visiting the notorious Aloes EnviroServ hazardous waste and incinerator facility outside Port Elizabeth, currently being investigated by the South African Human Rights Commission.
The South African government lacks any kind of regulatory or enforcement body such as an EPA, and instead relies heavily on self-regulation by the industries themselves. "South Africa's self-regulation is like asking a hungry dog not to eat a piece of meat you put in front of it," said Bobby Peek of groundWork. "In the absence of any strong environmental laws, standards or an environmental enforcement body, groundWork believes that it is crucial that communities be given the means to monitor their own environments. The Bucket Brigade will assist communities adjacent to polluting refineries to develop the skills and knowledge required to both monitor their environments as well as to empower them with the evidence required to push for improvements in the laws, standards and practices relating to the refinery industry", said Peek.
At each location, CBE's Dr. Wilma Subra and Denny Larson will tour industrial facilities, nearby neighborhoods and meet with local and provincial government leaders. They will be accompanied by Heeten Kalan of SAEPEJ, and Peek, both of whom have extensive knowledge of Environmental Justice issues in South Africa. Together the group will conduct workshops to train local community members how to build and operate the "Bucket" air samplers. Then for the first time on the continent, local community members will take their own air samples to find out what they are breathing. Samples will be shipped to laboratories in California for testing. Results will be available in about 20 days.
Pollution emission levels at all of SA's refineries are well above internationally accepted levels and pose a very serious health threat to the neighbouring communities. Most of the communities which bear the brunt of the refineries' pollution in SA are low-income communities of colour. The SA government has consistently failed to address concerns raised by these communities that their health and well-being is being seriously compromised by the refineries' poor operating standards. Currently there are no legally binding air emission standards for refineries, merely non-binding guidelines. Nor are there any ambient air quality standards. groundWork, has been calling on the SA government to introduce improved, legally binding air emission standards and ambient standards in order to bring emissions down to levels that are no longer a health threat.
"We are honored to be invited to offer tools and information to the over burdened communities of South Africa," stated Denny Larson of CBE. "This kind of skill-sharing is essential to building a movement without boundaries to combat toxic pollution that is poisoning low income communities of color throughout the world."
"This training heralds a form of international community-building where experiences and technical expertise are exchanged in mutually beneficial forums. We are determined to provide information to communities that directly or indirectly affects their health and well-being." Heeten Kalan of SAEPEJ.
For more information please contact:
Heeten Kalan, SAEJEP, 617-983 2239, or Denny Larson, CBE, 510-302-0430
ext. 212 or 925-202-5698 or Bobby Peek at groundWork, 033-342
5662.