LETTER: Neighbour says Corruseal Croydon is a noise nuisance and health risk

I am writing to express ongoing concerns regarding significant noise pollution emanating from the Corruseal Faure/Croydon facility.

This issue has persisted for over two years, and despite previous reports it continues to negatively impact the health and well-being of local residents and wildlife. We urgently request a comprehensive assessment and prompt remedial action.

High-pitched industrial noise: Residents are experiencing a continuous, high-pitched noise that resembles an industrial electric motor. This noise is particularly disruptive to sleep patterns due to its persistent and cyclical nature, with occasional shifts in tone suggesting changes in motor speed.

Low-pitched machinery noise: There is also a low-pitched, heavy machinery noise that cycles and reverberates, causing resonance within our buildings as well as presumably within Corruseal’s premises. This adds to the distress experienced by the community.

Loud release of air/steam or gases: Periodically, there are extremely loud noises from the release of air, steam, or gases from storage facilities, lasting several minutes at a time.

The cumulative effect of these noises is detrimental not only to the residents but also to the local wildlife, particularly around Klawerdam, which is situated directly opposite the Corruseal facility.

Given the severity and duration of this issue, it is imperative that Corruseal conducts a thorough investigation into the source of this noise pollution and implements effective measures to mitigate it. The community needs assurance that steps will be taken to resolve this problem promptly.

Anonymous,

Corruseal operations manager Johann Visser responds: “Please note that Corruseal Western Cape is aware of the concerns regarding noise emissions from our Croydon plant. We wish to emphasise that Corruseal Western Cape is a responsible corporate citizen and, as such, we treat all complaints with the utmost importance. The Croydon plant has been operating in the area since 2018 and is an integral part of the broader community. We are sympathetic to the concerns raised by members of the community, and we are fully committed to implementing reasonable measures to minimise possible impacts associated with our operations. To this end we have engaged noise specialists to investigate the issue and we have invested heavily in a range of noise masking and other measures to manage, mitigate and minimise noise levels associated with the plant’s operations. We remain committed to this process, and we continue to work together with all role-players in this regard.”