On 15 April 2010, Mr Olivier Meyer, the Chief Executive Officer of the Wasteman Group, was arrested at their head office in Johannesburg. The arrest was made by the Green Scorpions in cooperation with members of the commercial branch of the South African Police Service (SAPS) from Welkom.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the Green Scorpions uncovered further evidence that led to the arrest of Mr Meyer. Mr Meyer will be added as an accused in the case currently on the court roll in Welkom that relates to the illegal burial and disposal of medical waste on four premises in the Welkom area, discovered by the authorities in November and December 2009.
The other accused in the case include Mr Gavin Brasher, Mr Joubre Knoesen, Mr Neil Meiring, Mr Willie Knoesen, Mr Hannes Le Roux and Mr Andries Nel. Mr Meyer will be appearing in the Welkom regional court in relation to his bail application.
The cleanup of the buried waste in Welkom has been temporarily suspended. A report issued by the contaminant hydrogeologist appointed by the Wasteman Group indicates that the volumes of buried waste to be removed from the sites in Welkom are almost double the initial estimated volumes.
As a result, the situation is more "complex" as there are implications for the receiving landfill, additional hazards as a result of the need for deeper excavation and the movement of waste over a longer period.
The timeframes for the removal of waste from the properties has therefore been impacted upon. The Wasteman Group has requested an extension to the timeframe in order to comply with the instructions set in the respective compliance notices and the department is reviewing this request, which together with the new dynamics and findings of the contaminant hydrogeologist, will inform a way forward.
Water sampling has been undertaken by both the Department of Water Affairs as well as the Wasteman Group in order to assess the risk of water contamination. A preliminary review of these test results and discussions with the technicians at the laboratory has indicated that there are no signs of pathogens in the water tested. Unless there is direct contact with the healthcare risk waste (HCRW), the risk to the community is considered to be minimal.
The department has also ensured that security at all the sites remains and access to these sites is strictly controlled.
For media queries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs
16 April 2010
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs (http://www.environment.gov.za/)
