11 October 2002

Hon. Valli Moosa
Minister for Environment
E-Mail: vmoosa@ozone.pwv.gov.za Fax: +2712 3220082
Hon. Narend Singh
MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs
E-Mail: dubept@uld.kzntl.gov.za Fax: +2735 8743293

Dear Sirs,

Letter of Concern and Appeal from the International NGO Community
Regarding the Proposed Mondi Incinerator in Merebank, South Durban

We, over 185 public interest groups and individuals from six continents (55 countries), join the South Durban communities in asking your government to rescind the authorization given to Mondi Paper to put up a fluidized bed combustor at its plant in Merebank. The authorization issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (DAE) on 11 September 2002 came as a kick in the teeth, occurring barely days after South Africa ratified the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a global treaty that seeks to minimize and ultimately eradicate an initial list of 12 most dangerous chemicals on the planet, including dioxins and furans which are unintentional by-products of the incineration process.

While welcoming South Africa's ratification of the Convention, as endorsed by both Houses of the Parliament, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, we cannot help but feel confused and outraged by DAE"s decision authorizing Mondi's incinerator application, particularly as it was not informed by a full environmental impact assessment (EIA). In a statement made on 2 September 2002, the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism proclaimed that "this ratification speaks to South Africa's political commitment to further enhancing the effectiveness of environmental legislation… (the) participation of South Africa… is aimed at strengthening global environmental governance, with the sole purpose of protecting human health and the environment."

In ratifying the Convention, South Africa is required to take measures to reduce or avoid existing and new sources of POPs. The planned construction of incinerator in Merebank, an additional source of unintentional POPs, is against the spirit and intent of the Convention and cannot be justified no matter how much power and profit is generated from the plant for Mondi Paper. Further, the Convention requires Parties to "promote the development and, where it deems appropriate, require the use of substitute or modified materials, products and processes to prevent the formation and release of [unintentional POPs]."

The Convention has critically implicated waste incineration as part of the global POPs crisis, specifically identifying waste incinerators as primary sources of dioxins, the most powerful carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and most notorious pollutants associated with incinerators. According to the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), incinerators create 69% of dioxins in the global environment. Exposure to even miniscule amounts of dioxins can lead to harmful health effects. For South Durban communities who have long been exposed to elevated levels of chemical and industrial pollutants resulting to high incidents of cancers and respiratory illnesses, the Mondi incinerator project is but another lethal threat to their health and future.

In 1998, the Durban Metro supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), proposed a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) incinerator for Mondi. Civil society representatives from SDCEA and Essential Action, met the IFC, and called for them to reconsider their proposal. The project was scrapped. It is sad to see it being re-invented under the guise of a boiler developed by Biotrace, a US company. We reject this brazen dumping of incinerators in the south by US companies, particularly in South Africa where there are five such proposals.

In developing countries like South Africa, incineration technology is even more problematic due to the apparent lack of capacity to monitor stack emissions or ash toxicity, lack of technical ability to test releases, lack of enforcement of operational parameters and lack of secure landfills for the ash. In its recent report "Bankrolling Polluting Technology: The World Bank Group and Incineration," the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives/Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (GAIA) pointed out that "even in Northern countries, it is routine for incinerator operators to evade emissions and ash monitoring."

In the interest of environmental justice, we call upon the Government of South Africa to heed the demands of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) to which we concur. Specifically, we join the South Durban communities in asking the Government to:

· Hear the community call from the public meeting on 30 September 2002, which called for a scrapping of the Mondi incinerator project, at which a DAE representative, Dr. Fashuen was present.

· Stop the construction of new incinerators and phase out all existing ones and replaced them with sustainable approaches to discards management that put emphasis on waste prevention, separation at source, recycling, reuse, composting.

· Comply with the Stockholm Convention by putting in place an action plan, with time frame, to reduce and eliminate POPs, without incineration.

We are united with the communities of South Durban and the whole of South Africa in asking your Government to uphold and protect the people's right to a healthy environment as enshrined in Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa: "Everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that prevent pollution and ecological degradation..."

We thank you for your affirmative action.

Very sincerely yours,

SIGNED BY:

ARGENTINA
Gladys Enciso, Founding Member, Asociación Vecinal Moronense, Argentina
Ing. Qco. Ricardo Ferrari, Laboratorio de Evaluación y Control de Contaminantes Ambientales, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina
Ing. Agr. Leandro Altolaguirre, Presidente, Asociacion ALIHUEN, Argentina

ARMENIA
Elena Manvelyan, Head, Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment, Armenia

AUSTRALIA
Carn Walker, Friends of the Earth Australia, Australia
Mark Wakeham, Coordinator, Environment Centre of the Northern Territory, Australia

BANGLADESH
Ameer H. Chowdhury, Executive Secretary, Institute for Environment and Development Studies, Bangladesh
Seyda Rizwana Hasan, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh
Iqbal Kabir, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh

BELARUS
Eugeniy Lobanov, Anti-Toxic Campaign Coordinator, Foundation for Realization of Ideas, Belarus

BELGIUM
Fred De Baere, Director, Belgian Platform Environment and Health, Belgium

BRAZIL
Marcelo Furtado, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaign, Brazil
Jeffer Castelo Branco, Associação de Combate aos POPs/Associação de Consciência à Prevenção Ocupacional, Brazil

BULGARIA
Milena Tanusheva, Executive Director, TIME Foundation, Bulgaria

CAMBODIA
Ea Sophy, Environment Network Coordinator, NGO Forum on Cambodia, Cambodia

CANADA
Nadja Drost, Ecuador Project Coordinator, Toronto Environmental Alliance Canada

CHILE
Jenia Jofre. President, National Committee for the Defense of the Flora and Fauna/Friends of the Earth Chile, Chile

CONGO
Swedi Elongo, CADIC, Democratic Republic of Congo

EGYPT
Laila Rashed Iskandar, Egypt
Dr. Mohamed El Banna, Chairman of the Board, Day Hospital Institute for Development and Rehabilitation, Egypt

FRANCE
Francois Veillerette, Mouvement pour les Droits et le Respect des Generations Futures, France

GEORGIA
Lela Kiknadze, Toxic and Urban Waste Group Coordinator, Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth, Georgia
Rusudan Simonidze, Executive Director, Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth, Georgia
Nino Gujaraidze, Association "Green Alternative", Georgia

GERMANY
Dorothy Guerrero, Asia House Essen, http://www.asienhaus.de, Germany

GHANA
Mayor Agbleze, YOUFARDES, Ghana

GRENADA
Joseph Antoine, President/CEO, Friends of the Earth Grenada,

HAITI
Calixte Aldrin, Collectif Haitien pour la Protection de l'Environnement et un Developpement Alternatif, c Haiti

INDIA
Bharati Chaturvedi, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, India
Nedunchezlian, Poovulagin Nanbargal, India
Nityanand Jayaraman, CorpWatch India, India
T.K.Ramkumar, Principal Advisor, Exnora International, India
Ruchita Khurana, Toxics Link, India
Shweta Narayan, Toxics Link, India
Jayakumar C., Thanal Conservation Action and Information Network, India
Jagruti Bhatia, Help Organisation for People, Environment and Society, India
Kisan Mehta, Save Bombay Committee, India
Priya Salvi, Prakruti, India
Bharath Jairaj, Citizen, Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), India
Mr.Bhalchandra Modi, Honorary Director, Consumer Education and Research Centre, India
Jyoti Mhapsekar, Stree Muki Sanghatana, India
Deepika D'Souza, Coordinator, Mumbai Medwaste Action Group, India
Mihir Desai, Honorary Director, India Centre for Human Rights and Law, India
Deepika D'Souza, Coordinator, Indian People's Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights, India
Colin Gonsalves, Director, Human Rights Law Network, India
Minu Jose, Sub-Editor, Combat Law, India

INDONESIA
Nur Hidayati, Indonesian Forum for Environment/WALHI, yaya@walhi.or.id, Indonesia
Bhotghel, Lembaga Advokasi Dan Pendidikan Anak Rakyat/LAPAR, Makassar, Indonesia
Riza V. Tjahjadi, National Coordinator, Pesticide Action Network Indonesia, Indonesia

IRELAND
Aine Suttle, Galway for a Safe Environment, Ireland

ISRAEL
Sharon Shemesh, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace Mediterranean, http://www.greenpeacemed.org.mt, Israel

JAPAN
Junichi Sato, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace Japan, Japan
Setsuko Yamamoto, Representative, Gomi-shori kouikika to min-eika ni hanntaisuru ken-min no kai (Peoples' Group against Incineration and Privatization of Waste Management), Japan

KENYA
Edward Alitsi, Kenya NGO Coalition, wssd2002Kenya

LEBANON
Fady Khalifeh, Jihad Al Binaa Development Association, Lebanon

MADAGASCAR
Dr Nat Quansah, Recipient, 2000 Goldman Environmental Prize, Independent Researcher / Consultant on Health and Environmental Issues, Madagascar

MALAYSIA
S.M. Mohamed Idris, President, Consumers' Association of Penang, Malaysia
Meenakshi Raman, Sahabat Alam Malaysia/Friends of the Earth Malaysia, Malaysia
Sita Letchmi Sinnathamby, International Baby Food Action Network Penang,Malaysia
Yeoh J. K., GE Campaign Research Officer, Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific, Malaysia

MEXICO
Fernando Bejarano, Coordinator, Pesticide Action Network Mexico/ Red de Acción sobre Plaguicidas y Alternativas en México, Mexico

MOZAMBIQUE
Anabela Lemos, Livaningo, Mozambique
Mr. Ticongolo, Agricultura Biológica Bio-diversidade e Desenvolvimento Sustentável/Organic Agriculture, Bio-diversity and Sustainable Development Association, Mozambique

NEW ZEALAND
Colin C. Day, Eco-Action Network, New Zealand

NIGERIA
Nnimmo Bassey, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Nigeria
Dr. Owens Wiwa, Executive Director, African Environmental and Human Development, Nigeria

PHILIPPINES
Teresita B. Choa, Chairperson, Mother Earth Unlimited, Philippines
Sonia S. Mendoza, President, Mother Earth Unlimited, Philippines
Cherie M. Carlos, Mother Earth Unlimited, Philippines
Roel A. Andag, Advocacy Coordinator, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines - National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice & Peace, Philippines
Dr. Romy Quijano, Pesticides Action Network Philippines, Philippines
Francis Joseph C.dela Cruz, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Philippines
Junilyn Silvestre, Greenpeace South East Asia, Philippines
Von Hernandez, Asia Coordinator, Toxics Campaign, Greenpeace International, Philippines
Gigie S. Cruz, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Philippines
Manny C. Calonzo, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Philippines
Emerson David V. Jacinto, Executive Director, Appropriate Technology Center for Rural Development, Inc., Philippines
Racky Rabelista, Southern tagalog Rural Assistance Program, Philippines
Ezra Manogan, Cagayan Valley Rural Assistance Program, Philippines
Godofredo Maray, Leyte Rural Advancement Program Philippines
O'lola Ann Z. Olib, Executive Director, People's Task Force for Bases Cleanup, Philippines
Sarah C. Fajardo, Asia Gender and Trade Network, Philippines

RUSSIA
Igor Babanin, Greenpeace Russia, Russia
Elena Vasilyeva, Regional NGO Information Centre "Volgograd-Ecopress," Russia
Dmitry Grushevsky, RIA 21 VEK, Russia

SLOVAKIA
Marek Kurinec, Dubnica Environmental Group, Slovakia

SOUTH AFRICA
Bluff Peninsula Ratepayers Association, South Africa
Bluff Ridge Conservancy,South Africa
Merebank Residents Association,South Africa
Merebank West Community Coalition,South Africa
Wentworth Development Forum, South Africa
Earthlife Africa, South Africa
Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, South Africa
Ethekwini EcoPeace Party, South Africa
Concerned Citizens Forum of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Green Party of Africa
Sibusiso Xaba, South Africa
Desmond D'Sa, Chairperson, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, South Africa
Bobby Peek, Director, groundWork, South Africa
Llewellynh Leonard, groundWork, South Africa
Nicholas Kasa, Secretary, Sasolburg Environmental Committee, South Africa
Marie-Lou Roux, Habitat Council, South Africa
Paul Gray, Cape Environmental Trust, South Africa
Louis de Villiers, Peninsula Mountain Forum, South Africa
Konstanze Gebhart, Cape Town, South Africa
Leila Mahomed, Sustainable Energy Africa, South Africa
Muna Lakhani, Earthlife Africa - Toxics Group, South Africa
Sandiya, South Africa Municipal Workers' Union, South Africa
David Morake, South Africa Municipal Workers' Union, South Africa
Enver Domingo, Congella, South Africa
Dr Thiven Reddy, Political Studies, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Richard Weeden, African Health and Development Organisation, South Africa
Estian Smit, Policy Coordinator, Cape Town Greens, Green Party of South Africa, South Africa
Richard Smith, Coalition for Peace in Africa, South Africa
Wade Holland, Umdloti Coastal Conservancy, South Africa
Noordhoek Environmental Action Group, South Africa
Patricia E. Weaver, Fairest Cape Association, Cape Town. South Africa
Yvette van Wijk, Garden Route Botanical Garden Trust, South Africa
Nicholas Lang, Northern Communities Public Affairs Committee, South Africa
Nicholas Lang, Abolition of Income Tax and Usury Party, South Africa
Mariette Liefferink, Bryanston Ratepayers and Residents Association, South Africa

SRI LANKA
Dekshika Charmini Kodituwakku, Environmental Foundation Ltd., Sri Lanka

SWEDEN
Annika Jacobson, Greenpeace Nordic, Sweden

TAIWAN
Ssu-Ming Hsu (Sam Hsu), Secretary General, National Association for Radiation Protection, Taiwan
T.J. Wu, Green Formosa Front, Taiwan
Herlin Hshieh, Taiwan Watch Institute, Taiwan

TANZANIA
Rugemeleza Nshala, Lawyers' Environmental Action Team, Tanzania
Silvani Mng'anya, Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development, Tanzania
Benedict Chacha Peter, Foundation HELP, Tanzania
Yusto P. Muchjuruza, KADETFU, Tanzania
Aloyce Menda, Journalists' Environmental Association of Tanzania, Tanzania
Shabani Ally Madega, Mountains Conservation Society of Tanzania,

THAILAND
Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul, NGO Coordinating Committee on Development, Thailand
Penchom Tang, Campaign for Alternative Industry Network,Thailand

TOGO
Sena ALOUKA, Executive Director, Young Volunteers for Environment, Togo

UGANDA
Kamese N. Geoffrey, National Coordinator, Youth Associations Network for Sustainable Development, Uganda
Muramuzi Frank, Executive Director, National Association of Professional Environmentalists, Uganda
Happy James Tumwebaze, Albertine Rift Conservation Society, Uganda
Kayondo Fred, Development Action for Rural Environment, Uganda
Davis Katerega, YMCA-Kigwanya Busega Club #12, Uganda
Mulindwa Joseph, Environmental NGOs Lobby Group, Uganda
Senyonjo Nicolas, Uganda Environmental Education Foundation, Uganda
Mugaga kalyango, SHYMPI, Uganda
Affunadula Milly, Mukono Rural Development Initiative, Uganda

UKRAINE
Olga Tsygulyova, Ukrainian NGO "MAMA-86-Kharkov", Ukraine

UK
Ralph Ryder, Coordinator, Communities Against Toxics, UK
Rob Hill, Webmaster, No Incinerators For Europe, UK
Dorothy Skrytek, Derby Friends of the Earth, , UK
Nikki Clarke, Chairperson, Swerve the Swerf - It's Bad for the Earth II Community Campaign Group, UK
Phil Scott, Sandwich Action Group for the Environment, UK

USA
Dr. Bill Sheehan, Executive Director, GrassRoots Recycling Network, USA
Pat Martin, Air Quality Director, East Kootenay Environmental Society, Creston Valley Branch, USA
Dr. Jeffrey Morris, Washington/North Carolina, USA
Michael Bender, Northern Representative, BAN Mercury Workgroup and Director, Mercury Policy Project,USA
Ravi Dixit, US Co-ordinator, South African Exchange Program on Environmental Justice, USA
Mike Schade, Citizens' Environmental Coalition, USA
Paul Goettlich, Mindfully.org, USA
Wenling Tu, Taiwan Environmental Action Network, USA
Joselito Laudencia, Executive Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, website: www.apen4ej.org, USA
Wendi Taylor, Coalition Against the Incinerator, USA
Denny Larson, Director, Global Community Monitor, www.gcmonitor.org, USA
Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network, USA
Katie Silberman, Public Policy Advocate, Center for Environmental Health, USA
Karen G. Pierce, President, Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, USA
Godwwin I. Dominic, Chief Executive Officer, Global Action for Peace and Equal Opportunities, USA
Kathleen Hanna, Founder, Earth's Kin Deep Ecology Group, USA
Rev. Walter Stark, Cumberland Countians for Peace and Justice, USA
Rev. Charles Lord, Obed Watershed Association, USA
Donald B. Clark, United Church of Christ, Network for Environmental and Economic Responsibility, USA
Kristin S. Schafer, Pesticide Action Network North America, USA
Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D., Executive Director, Evangelical Environmental Network, USA
Donald L. Hassig, Cancer Action NY, USA
Monica Wilson, Essential Action, USA
Eric Lombardi, Executive Director, EcoCycle, Inc, USA
Elizabeth Crowe, Chemical Weapons Working Group, USA
Jackie Hunt-Christensen, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, USA
Mamta Khanna, Program Manager, Health Care Without Harm, Center for Environmental Health, Oakland, USA.
Dr. Mark Chernaik, Environmental Scientist, USA
Alan Muller, Executive Director, Green Delaware
Ann Leonard, Multinationals Resource Center