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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 07 October 2005 |
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South Durban starts from the tip of the Durban Harbour and expands as far as Umkomaas
in the south. There are two major oil refineries here – Engen and SAPREF.
These industries plus Mondi and Sappi (paper mills) are the largest polluters
in south Durban. However, there are many other smaller industries (at least three
hundred) here, and there is no comprehensive list of each industry and what it
contributes to the toxic soup in the air
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) is an environmental justice
organization based in south Durban. It is made up of 14 affiliate organizations,
and it has been active since its formation in 1996. It is considered successful
for many reasons, one of which is that it is a vocal and vigilant grouping in
terms of lobbying, reporting and researching industrial incidents and accidents
in this area. It contributes to the struggle against Environmental Racism for
Environmental Justice and Environmental Health.
One of the first successes of SDCEA was its formation as an Environmental NGO.
Participants cut across all race, creed or colour lines in South Durban on common
issues. Creative thinking individuals and organizations formed this organization
due to the realization that there would be strength in diverse numbers. Quite
soon after its inception, members realized that the strength of the organization
would be the quality of the information gathered on the various industries and
on the many accident and incidents that occur in south Durban. The media also
turned out to be a crucial ally – and SDCEA has increased its use and
effectiveness of this over the years. Another strength is its ability to mobilize
the local people around environmental justice issues which in the past seemed
separate because of a lack of knowledge or information.
Advocacy and lobbying is one of the many tools used in south Durban, and the
SDCEA has used this extensively to fight for better air quality in the locale,
and this has led to many successes. Read more about SDCEA's success under "What
is SDCEA"
Become a volunteer - Join SDCEA & fight dirty INDUSTRY
Contact the SDCEA Office:
031 - 461 1991 / 468 9069 |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 23 August 2007 )
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