Keetmans stone plant’s pollution ‘over the limit’

AN expert survey on noise and dust pollution at the Super Sand stone-crushing plant at Keetmanshoop has found that its pollution levels exceed acceptable limits.

The survey was conducted last week by Swakopmund-based health, safety and environmental consultancy Enviro Solutions. It followed complaints of dust and noise pollution from residents living near the plant.One of the residents, Annalie Resandt, earlier told The Namibian that the dust and noise from the crusher were making her life a misery.She said frequent visits to doctors had become part and parcel of her life, because her children frequently experienced sinusitis and chest problems.Some residents wondered how Super Sand was granted a health fitness certificate to operate the crusher right next to a residential area.According to the expert survey’s report, a copy of which was leaked to The Namibian, the noise levels measured outside the stone-crushing plant exceeded international and national limits.Although dust levels in the air measured below the permissible limit of 0.05 mg/m3, the crushing of drier material could result in higher levels, the report said.”The sampling undertaken for dust and noise therefore represents the worst-case scenario, or the maximum nuisance impact likely to be felt by affected parties bordering the stone-crushing plant,” the report said.In addition, it warned that the noise levels did not conform to the requirements of health and safety regulations and posed a health risk to employees.The report recommended relocation of either the affected properties or the crushing plant on the basis of unacceptable nuisance impacts alone.But Enviro Solutions consultant Allan Janneker said yesterday that relocation would not be practical because of the financial impact, therefore a noise-suppressing barrier was recommended as a short-term solution.Under the Public Health Act of 1936, the owners of Super Sand may have to shoulder civil liability if it creates a noise or dust nuisance that unreasonably interferes with the use and enjoyment of a person’s land.Super Sand owner Pieter van der Westhuizen yesterday declined to comment.”I’m not interested in that survey report,” he said.Attempts to get comment from the Town Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadi, also proved futile because he was engaged in a meeting.However, The Namibian was reliably informed that the Council still needed to deliberate on the report before taking a decision.It followed complaints of dust and noise pollution from residents living near the plant.One of the residents, Annalie Resandt, earlier told The Namibian that the dust and noise from the crusher were making her life a misery.She said frequent visits to doctors had become part and parcel of her life, because her children frequently experienced sinusitis and chest problems.Some residents wondered how Super Sand was granted a health fitness certificate to operate the crusher right next to a residential area.According to the expert survey’s report, a copy of which was leaked to The Namibian, the noise levels measured outside the stone-crushing plant exceeded international and national limits.Although dust levels in the air measured below the permissible limit of 0.05 mg/m3, the crushing of drier material could result in higher levels, the report said.”The sampling undertaken for dust and noise therefore represents the worst-case scenario, or the maximum nuisance impact likely to be felt by affected parties bordering the stone-crushing plant,” the report said.In addition, it warned that the noise levels did not conform to the requirements of health and safety regulations and posed a health risk to employees.The report recommended relocation of either the affected properties or the crushing plant on the basis of unacceptable nuisance impacts alone.But Enviro Solutions consultant Allan Janneker said yesterday that relocation would not be practical because of the financial impact, therefore a noise-suppressing barrier was recommended as a short-term solution.Under the Public Health Act of 1936, the owners of Super Sand may have to shoulder civil liability if it creates a noise or dust nuisance that unreasonably interferes with the use and enjoyment of a person’s land.Super Sand owner Pieter van der Westhuizen yesterday declined to comment.”I’m not interested in that survey report,” he said.Attempts to get comment from the Town Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadi, also proved futile because he was engaged in a meeting.However, The Namibian was reliably informed that the Council still needed to deliberate on the report before taking a decision.