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The theft of a pipeline has caused an oil spill in the Bellair area of Durban, affecting the Umbilo River. The river flows into the port of Durban.
- Clean-up operations are underway following a crude oil spill in the Bellair area of Durban.
- The spill was allegedly the result of the theft of Transnet pipes that affected the Umbilo river.
- The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government brought together experts to deal with the spill.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has assembled experts with the necessary skills to deal with the recent oil spill in the Bellair area of Durban.
This, according to Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who inspected the rehabilitation and cleanup operations at the Bayhead Natural Heritage Site, near Durban’s Habour Canal on Saturday.
News24 previously reported that the theft of a Transnet pipeline led to an oil spill that affected the Umbilo River, which flowed into the port of Durban.
Dube-Ncube said a team of environmentalists had conducted daily inspections of the spill since Thursday.
On Saturday, it announced that the oil spill had been declared a Section 30 incident that referred to an “unexpected, sudden and uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance, including from a major release, fire or explosion, which causes, has caused or it can cause significant damage to the environment, human life or property ”, according to the National Environmental Management Law.
READ | Pipeline theft causes crude oil to flow into Durban’s Umbilo River
Dube-Ncube said that the relevant actors were doing their part in the cleanup in accordance with the directives issued by the National Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, which gave clear instructions to follow in the cleanup and remediation of the river and the bay in terms of the National Water Law.
The MEC added that a coastal and estuarine specialist from Ezemvelo had also been working with the team deployed by Transnet and said “it has done very well in protecting our biodiversity.”
Dube-Ncube said that Transnet and its leading cleaning company SpillTech had also been doing a “fantastic job.”
SEE | ‘Pipelines cannot be close to ecological areas’: environmental groups speak out after oil spill
The KZN Sharks Board had focused on the damage to the Bay system.
The board had also been conducting daily boat patrols, looking for birds or marine life affected by the spill.
eThekwini Municipality Health was focusing on the public health of affected communities and water users, Dube-Ncube said.
“Health professionals are already addressing community odor complaints,” said Dube-Ncube.
