Kynoch backs down
2006-06-29
RESIDENTS of Charleston Hill in Paarl are pleased about the decision by Kynoch Fertiliser not to establish a liquid fertiliser mixing, storage and dispatch facility in the Huguenot light industrial area.
Michelle Pietersen, chairperson of an environmental crisis group representing concerned residents and industry in the area, expressed her satisfaction that “for once the will of the people was adhered to”.
Ecosense, the consulting environmentalist to this project, recently informed stakeholders that the application to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning had been withdrawn.
The upmarket neighbourhood of Charleston Hill overlooks the industrial area where the facility would have been erected.
Kynoch proposed to use their current premises situated at the intersection of the Huguenot Bypass and Jan van Riebeeck Drive to serve the liquid fertiliser needs of the farming community and also plan to make it their logistics and marketing headquarters for the Western Cape.
The redevelopment of the facilities would have cost R13 million and was to replace the production capacity currently at AECI Nitrogen Products in Milnerton.
Charleston Hill resident Dr Auden Carolissen expressed his concern about the negative visual impact that the 60 storage tanks on the site would have had.
He and other residents were also concerned that the factory was within the Berg River flood plain and that effluent could pollute the river and the tributary on the boundary of the site.
They were also worried about the increase in traffic and the danger of spillage and accompanying fire should a road accident occur.
Michelle Pietersen and her environmental crisis group representing concerned residents and industry in the area had been especially concerned about the air pollution which could result from the heating of chemicals and the danger of noxious gases being released should a fire occur.
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