Response to received reply on my letter on emissions in St Helena Bay

In a letter to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Gareth Morgan MP disputes government claims that air quality in St Helena Bay is safe. He argues that fish factories emit toxic hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), which accumulate due to factory operating patterns and cause severe respiratory and neurological damage. Morgan highlights the vulnerability of children and the lack of government investigation into health impacts, citing international studies to link these emissions to conditions such as Bronchiolitis Obliterans and potential carcinogenic effects. He demands that factories stop using rotten fish, improve cleanliness, and install scrubber systems.

• The author contends that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) accumulates in St Helena Bay because factories operate for long periods with short intervals, meaning production restarts before the gas can naturally decline, which typically takes about 24 hours for a 50% reduction in concentration.
• The document asserts that sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a severe irritant gas that can cause Bronchiolitis Obliterans, a lung disease characterized by scarring and obstruction of small airways, and may act as a clastogenetic and genotoxic agent increasing cancer risks in bone marrow cells.
• The author argues that residents of St Helena Bay are exposed to H2S concentrations that cause eye irritation and strong, unpleasant odours, placing them in categories ranging from 4.6 ppm to 27.0 ppm.
• Exposure to reduced-sulphur compounds is linked to a wide array of symptoms, including respiratory issues (chest pain, dry cough), neurological effects (memory loss, dizziness, irritability), and general symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.
• The author claims that H2S exposure in utero can lead to structural and behavioural abnormalities by altering monoamines and inhibiting neuronal cytochrome oxidase and carbonic anhydrase in the mammalian brain.
• The author states that nearly all long-term residents of Stompneus Bay suffer from upper airway diseases, including Asthma, Emphysema, and Chronic Bronchitis.
• To rectify the situation, the author proposes three requirements for fish factories: they must stop working with rotten fish, clean their facilities, and install scrubber systems to prevent toxic gas emissions.

APA

Morgan, G. (2010). Response to received reply on my letter on emissions in St Helena Bay. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010_Morgan_letter_to_enviro_minister_on_air_quality_in_st_helena_bay.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Morgan, Gareth. Response to received reply on my letter on emissions in St Helena Bay. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2010. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010_Morgan_letter_to_enviro_minister_on_air_quality_in_st_helena_bay.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Morgan |first1=Gareth |title=Response to received reply on my letter on emissions in St Helena Bay |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=2 August 2010 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010_Morgan_letter_to_enviro_minister_on_air_quality_in_st_helena_bay.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{morgan2010response, author = {Morgan, Gareth}, title = {{Response to received reply on my letter on emissions in St Helena Bay}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2010_Morgan_letter_to_enviro_minister_on_air_quality_in_st_helena_bay.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }