UPL chemical spill report to be released on Sunday
Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Creecy will today release the joint report into the preliminary investigation into the UPL factory in Cornubia.
It's been more than eight weeks since the chemical spillage into the Ohlanga River and Umhlanga Lagoon, that lead to tonnes of fish dying and the closure of north beaches.
The spill was a result of a fire started by looters that took place at the UPL warehouse, north of Durban that contained millions of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides during the July unrest.
The blaze burned for days, releasing toxins into the air affecting surrounding communities. Spokesperson Albi Modise says the report will help pave a way forward on the matter.
"The report is a result of investigations by a multi-disciplinary team into the regulatory environment under which the UPL warehouse was required to operate", he said.
"Beaches along KZN and the north coast remain closed and subsistence and recreational fishing and utilisation of any marine resources in the area remain prohibited", Modise said.
