Press Advisory
Community Conference on Air Pollution for
the Vaal Triangle
23 August 2003, 09h00 to 13h00
Emfuleni Local Council Boardroom, Vanderbijlpark
groundWork, in collaboration with the Sasolburg Air Quality Monitoring Committee (SAQMC) and the Boipatong Environmental Working Group hereby invites you to attend our Community Conference on Air Pollution for the Vaal Triangle on the Saturday, August 23, 2003. The Conference is aimed at providing communities with information about industrial air pollution and to showcase community struggles and campaigns against industrial pollution.
We have invited members from community organisations in Sasolburg, Boipatong, Boipelong, Meyerton, Steel Valley, Sebokeng and other communities from the Vaal Triangle. We have also extended invitations to industry and Government representatives.
The following presentations will be made at the Conference:
1. A case study of the Sasolburg Air Quality Monitoring Committee
Presenter: Caroline Ntaopane
Caroline is a resident of Zamdela township in Sasolburg. She is the coordinator of the SAQMC. This case study focuses on the historical development of SAQMC, their campaign against the proposal to build a hazardous waste incinerator in Sasolburg, bucket sampling in Sasolburg and action around Sasol’s listing on the NY stock exchange.
2.Community GIS Pollution Mapping in South
Durban
Presenter: Njoya Ngeta
Njoya Ngeta is a Ghanaian student doing his PHD in Environmental Science at Natal University. He coordinates the GIS Pollution Mapping programme for the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA). This presentation will look at how this programme is implemented in south Durban.
3.groundWork’s national report on Community Based
Air Pollution Monitoring in selected industrial areas in South Africa
Presenter: Ardiel Soeker
Ardiel Soeker coordinates groundWork’s Air Quality Project. This presentation focuses on the key findings of the report.
4. Dying to Breathe: A documentary film on air pollution in Sasolburg and South Durban
5. The Bucket Brigade: Telling Toxic Truth Locally and Globally by Denny Larson
Presenter: Denny LarsonDenny Larson is a US based community activist and director of Global Community Monitor. His presentation will look at: What is a community "Bucket Brigade" and how does it operate? How are other communities using this organizing strategy to win greater accountability from industry and government? How are similar communities networking together to build a common goal and agenda to win accountability from multi-national corporations
On Sunday, 24th August 2003, Denny Larson will train community members from various neighbourhoods to initiate Bucket Brigades, so that they can monitor the air for themselves.