Since UPL’s media statement of 19 July, additional issues of public concern have been raised which the company would like to address.
Since
UPL’s media statement of 19 July, additional issues of public concern have been
raised which the company would like to address.
During
the late evening of 12 July and early hours of 13 July, the UPL Cornubia warehouse
was vandalised and set on fire by looters connected with the general unrest
that spread through the greater Durban area.
Reports
suggest multiple fires were set, engulfing the warehouse in its entirety and
resulting in the roof collapsing. The fire department’s initial response to the
fire was delayed for a variety of reasons, including threats to the safety of
their personnel and barricades that delayed access, and strained resources in
dealing with the multitude of events at the time.
When the
fire department was eventually able to attend to it, the fire was so advanced
and in places covered by so much rubble and sheet metal from the destroyed
warehouse that it took several days to access certain areas and extinguish the
smouldering debris.
Many of
the water-based products in the warehouse were atomised during the blaze,
creating a dense plume of smoke and fumes that caused distress to many people
in the neighbouring areas.
Because a
significant volume of water was used to extinguish the fire, and due to the
delayed response of the spill response cleaning services amid the ongoing
unrest, the product that was not vapourised and the water from the fire
operations overwhelmed the containment system and escaped into the environment.
Water
contaminated by a combination of these products, including pesticides, ran down
the stormwater system, surrounding platform, and down valley lines into the
Ohlanga River, damaging plants and marine organisms in its path.
UPL
immediately notified all the relevant authorities, once the extent and nature
of the damage became known, and issued public advisories, based on the advice
of its experts.
UPL also
set in motion a containment strategy based on the advice of acknowledged
experts and the work of two specialist firms. They are engaged in
decontaminating the warehouse and river system. The Municipality closed the
affected beaches and issued warnings about the harvesting of marine life in the
vicinity.
The fire
has been extinguished, and the containment process is continuing. Sampling is
being conducted in all of the important water bodies, along with air sampling.
The relevant national, provincial and local authorities are extensively
involved in this work. UPL has been commended by them at a press briefing held
on July 23 for its co-operation and effective responses to date.
A
recording of that briefing can be found here: https://youtu.be/DDc0MksPl6o
Following
its advisories to the appropriate authorities and the public, UPL’s immediate
priority was to support the response teams in extinguishing the fire and
preventing any further harm to the environment. This has required the intensive
and urgent efforts of the senior staff of UPL to co-ordinate the work of its
many consultants, and ensure that the emergency was contained and managed.
UPL was
advised, prior to opening, that the leasing and operating of a warehouse for
its products did not trigger an environmental assessment under the NEMA
regulations. That advice has, since the fire, been confirmed by its legal
consultants. In relation to the risk assessment requirements under the Major
Hazardous Installation (MHI) Regulations, UPL took the view that its warehouse operation
did not constitute an MHI and that it did not need to conduct a risk assessment.
That view has now also been confirmed by its legal consultant.
The
Cornubia warehouse was located in an appropriately zoned facility that, in the
opinion of its technical staff and external consultants, was fit for purpose.
The facility was equipped with the necessary infrastructure to manage incidents
of the kind reasonably expected.
This
facility involved no manufacturing of any kind. The products in the warehouse
were all safely contained and packaged, and were overwhelmingly water-based,
with little to low fire risk. The prospects of a cataclysmic fire, in the absence
of the extraordinary circumstances that occurred in this instance, was
extremely low.
The
designed fire and containment systems were more than adequate, in ordinary
circumstances, to have enabled the facility and the relevant authorities to
contain a fire and any associated spillage of product.
UPL has
shared all the required information with the relevant authorities and the company
promptly made all the necessary statutory notifications. As part of its regular
reporting, the company had kept the authorities informed about the nature of
the products stored in the warehouse. All of the products in the warehouse were
proprietary products approved for use in South Africa by the Health Department and by
the Department of Agriculture in terms of Act No.36 of 1947.
UPL has
been completely committed to speedily contain the spilled product, and to make all
efforts to eliminate it from the environment. This may take some time, but no
expense or expertise is being spared. UPL takes seriously its responsibility
for its products, regardless of the fact that the event was entirely beyond its
control.
UPL will continue
to issue periodic updates on matters of public importance.
Any
queries relating to the opening of beaches and other public areas should be
directed to the authorities.
ENDS
