Saiccor - The First 50 Years 5.8 MB - Sappi

The First Fifty Years
In March 1984 a leak was detected on the HDPE effluent pipe between
the pump house and the rail bridge across the Mkomazi River� The
leak was repaired, but investigations revealed that there was hard rock
beneath the sand bed the pipe was resting on, which had caused the
pipe to split� It was agreed to clamp the pipe where it was vulnerable�
On Friday 20 July, a section of the pipe that rested on rock was exposed�
The pipe was found to be fractured, but only weeping effluent� It was
decided to do the repairs on Monday, but just after midnight the leak
worsened and effluent started flowing across the road and into the
river� An emergency repair was immediately carried out, during which
time effluent was diverted to the old outfall at the river mouth� A
strong incoming tide pushed effluent up the river� A number of fish
died, and the Natal Mercury on 23 July 1984 ran the story under the
headline ‘Hundreds of fish killed when pipeline bursts’�
Norman Boulter claimed the Mercury was misleading the public� This
was all reporter Janet Moore needed to commence a campaign against
108
Magnesium plant progress,
commenced October 1983�
TOP LEFT July 1984
TOP RIGHT September 1984,
BOTTOM December 1984)