A plan to construct a N$200-million dump site near the mining town of Arandis has prompted objection from a lawyer representing the town council, who warns that it will have a hazardous impact on the environment, underground water and pose a health hazard.
A company called Namwaste (Pty) Ltd plans to erect a waste management site in the Trekkopje communal area, around 15 kilometres north-west of Arandis.
The Namwaste management facility will cover 177 hectares and is designed to process at least 60 000 tonnes of hazardous waste a year.
It will serve the mining sector and other producers of hazardous waste nationwide, including the emerging requirements of the oil and gas industry.
The town council advertised for objections in August.
Lawyer Richard Metcalfe, representing the town council, wrote a letter dated 20 November, in which he objects to the Namwaste project.
“It is recommended that the council withhold consent for the hazardous waste site project due to its potential negative impacts on the municipality’s reputation, health, safety and sustainability objectives,” he says.
The Namwaste management facility is said to cost N$200 million.
This was confirmed by Hilka Hamukuaja, spokesperson of Rent-A-Drum, a hazardous waste treatment and disposal company.
Namwaste is a subsidiary of Rent-A-Drum which was granted an environmental clearance certificate (ECC) in March by the environmental commissioner at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Rent-A-Drum managing director Riaan Vermeulen has defended the project.
“I do not understand why the matter has become an issue for the Arandis Town Council. The Communal Land Board has already approved a site located about 15km away from the town,” says Vermeulen.
The certificate permits the development of a new general and hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility.
THE NUMBERS
Should Namwaste be contracted, Metcalfe says it is projected to create roughly 40 jobs.
He says prioritising projects aligned with sustainable development will benefit the town’s economic and social growth.
Rejecting this hazardous waste site, Metcalfe adds, protects against potential future liabilities associated with environmental cleanup and healthcare costs for impacted residents.
In November last year, Metcalfe stated that the council had withheld the consent for Namwaste to continue to prioritise sustainability and explore alternative sites for hazardous waste management away from environmentally sensitive areas.
The resolution, he said, was to consider projects aligning with Arandis’ role as a leader in green energy and sustainable development.
Of specific relevance Metcalfe said, is the purchase by Cleanergy Solutions Namibia (Pty) Ltd of 2 400 hectares from the town council for the construction of a green hydrogen production facility at Arandis at a price of over N$155 million.
“The full deposit pertaining to this project has been paid with a letter of credit provided for the full purchase price. In addition, the company will develop a N$50-billion facility over a period of ten years commencing in 2026,” said Metcalfe.
He said the waste management site poses a risk to Arandis’ proposed green-energy facility and any road constructed through its property for access to the waste management site.
Metcalfe stated that other risks he pointed out involve: long-lasting contamination of soil and groundwater; potential health issues caused by hazardous toxic waste; and damage to the town’s reputation.
He said Section 6 of the Local Authorities Act provides that the affairs of a town shall be governed by a town council. He further stated that the duly elected members of such local authority councils are bound to uphold and defend the Namibian Constitution and the laws of the country.
Metcalfe said the town council resolution conveyed to Namwaste that the developer had acquired consent from the !Oe-#Gân Traditional Authority on 24 January. This consent was for the development of the Namwaste project on a 1 500-hectare portion of land under the management of the #Gaingu Conservancy for a period of 25 years.
DEFENDERS
Environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti was quoted in the Namibian Sun last week as saying that the project will protect public health and the environment, adding that it marks an important step for Namibia to meet global standards on waste regulation.
In his statement in September during a stakeholder engagement at Swakopmund, Vermeulen said considering the current challenges for hazardous waste disposal in Namibia, Rent-A-Drum has proposed a temporary waste storage solution that was authorised by the environmental commissioner on 3 September.
“This temporary storage facility is envisaged to be completed before the end of 2025 and will facilitate seamless disposal of stored waste when the construction of the disposal facility is completed,” he said, adding that it is expected to coincide with enforcement of the new anticipated hazardous waste management regulations.
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