Dudu Dube

The conservation and environmental affairs department has assured residents that it was dealing with an oil spill at Park Rynie on the south coast.

The oil was allegedly dumped near the coast by workers from the Umdoni municipality.

A service provider is currently on the scene working on containing the source, cleaning and disposing of the contaminated material under the close watch of the department’s chemicals and waste management unit.

Meanwhile, the department is dealing with the death of livestock in Nquthu as a result of chemicals dumped on an abandoned farm.

In a report the department presented to the conservations and environmental affairs portfolio committee in the provincial legislature, it was stated that a clean up was currently in progress.

“Environmental management services worked with the veterinary services, legal services and agriculture to respond to alleged poisoning of cattle following suspected ingestion of expired farm chemicals at a disused farm building,” stated the report.

A directive for a clean up and disposal of the chemicals has been issued.

dudud@thenewage.co.za