Polluter offers to pay for toxic spill

The synthetic rubber manufacturer responsible for the cyanide spill in Ngagane River in Newcastle will pay two farmers for their dead cattle.

"We take full responsibility for the 12 cows that have died," Karbochem spokesman Jaco Prinsloo said yesterday.

Each animal is valued between R9000 and R12000. They died on Thursday immediately after drinking water from the Ngagane River in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The provincial department of water affairs said high concentrations of cyanide polluted a tributary in the river, prompting frantic Newcastle and Dundee residents to stock up on bottled water.

Officials reassured residents yesterday that the cyanide levels were now safe.

"The concentration of the cyanide decreased after flushing it out with water from Shigwayo Dam. We had flushed from 2pm to 6pm on Thursday and released about five cubic litres of water to dilute it," said Jay Reddy, acting regional director for water resource management.

He said the department will decide what steps to take against the company once its investigation is completed next week.

Reddy said Karbochem was cooperative .

Prinsloo said a mechanical failure on their system led to the spill.

"However, the equipment has been repaired."

Prinsloo said samples revealed there were less than 50 parts of cyanide per million parts of water as legally required.