In July this year, Paarl Post reported on the complaint of a local resident in De Zoete Inval in Southern Paarl regarding cement spillage and noise pollution by Portland Readymix.

This time around it was not only residents from Frater Street, where the readymix plant is situated, but also those from a neighbouring complex.

Driving down Frater Street one can see the white/grey cement dust in the street.

Other complaints residents have is that the cement particles fall into the stormwater system and on their properties, which means everything in their yards are constantly covered in cement. They complain about cement inside their homes, their carpets, but more concerning to residents are their health, for inhaling cement particles is dangerous.

Discussions among residents, Portland Readymix and Drakenstein Municipality have been going on for a few years, but residents say although at times the streets are cleaned, the same problems occur after a few months.

According to Wayne Smith, General Manager at Portland Readymix in Paarl, the company is doing everything in its power to control the emissions and are adhering to all the requirements the municipality has put in place.

“We as Portland Readymix commit to a clean environment for everyone,” he said. “Here to we have put in place numerous measures to control this. From dust buckets measuring the dust which is captured in our Environmental Management Plan (EMP) report for the Municipality to filters that we control the emissions. We daily sweep the adjacent tar roads. The zoning is industrial, and so there will be mild dust, and ect.”

Jacqui Samson, Executive Director: Planning and Development at the municipality, said council has been in constant communication with Portland Readymix to improve the environmental performance of their operations.

“Drakenstein Municipality issued Portland Cement with a compliance notice in 2018 in response to complaints regarding the state of Frater Street, Paarl,” she said.

“In response to this notice, Portland developed an Environmental Management Plan to minimise its impact on the surrounding environment. This included the construction of a wash bay for its trucks to limit the amount of debris deposited on Frater Street. Complaints subsided for a period until 2021.

Drakenstein Municipality met with the management of Portland Cement and requested they undertake dust fallout monitoring during the drier summer months (between January and March 2022) in accordance with the National Dust Control Regulations of 2013. Portland presented the results, and its specialist report indicated all dust buckets had measured levels of dust well within the applicable dust-fall standards.”

Samson says as a result of the Municipality’s engagement with Portland Cement, it has committed to limiting night-time trips for the delivery of concrete to clients, “although there are times when this cannot be avoided.”

She said Portland also committed itself to employing a street sweeper to clear Frater Street from debris twice a week.

“Portland also agreed to fit its concrete trucks with chute bags to prevent spillage of concrete onto the street surface. Delivery trucks that bring in raw material from suppliers should take measures to ensure street surfaces are protected from spilling material.

“We encourage the public to report incidents where this is not occurring, so further action can be instituted. Drakenstein Municipality will continue to engage with Portland to ensure it operates in a considerate manner, and will also continue testing stormwater and road-debris samples from Frater Street for cement, to determine if Portland is transgressing any municipal bylaws.”

According to Samson, the municipality will sharpen its law-enforcement efforts in Frater Street in order to curb Streets Bylaw infringements.

“The municipality will also pursue its own dust-fall monitoring programme beyond the borders of Portland during the drier months, when dust-fall exceeds are more likely to occur, to determine if there is a significant dust problem in the area.”. According to information found on the website www.poison.org about the danger of cement, the substance can cause caustic injury, resulting in chemical burns of any part of the body it comes into contact with – skin and eyes, mouth and throat if swallowed, and lungs if cement powder is inhaled.

“Some of the worst outcomes occur when cement gets into or seeps through boots, gloves, or clothing. By the time the person is aware of this, significant burns to the skin could have already occurred.

“The longer the cement stays on the skin the more damaging the burn can be. Even after washing the cement off, the alkaline burn usually gets worse before it gets better. In severe cases of cement burn of the skin, the burn can extend deeper into tissues beneath the skin to damage muscle and even bone.

Other skin problems can also occur from cement. It’s gritty and contains chemicals that can cause dermatitis characterised by redness, swelling, and itching.

Swallowing cement can cause burns of the lips, mouth, throat, and stomach. Initial signs can include drooling, difficulty swallowing, or vomiting. In some cases, cement can harden in the gastrointestinal tract and cause obstruction. Inhaling cement dust can cause coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.”

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