Under-fire waste management company EnviroServ believes it will take about six months for the stench from its controversial Shongweni landfill site to be brought under control.

In a full-page advert placed in The Mercury newspaper on Thursday‚ the company — which has faced a string of protests and complaints over “toxic” emissions from the site‚ west of Durban — said it was working flat-out to ensure that the situation was remedied.

The advert comes as the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed it was considering charging the company for breaches in environmental legislation and amid an ongoing court battle between EnviroServ and a London-based critic.

“EnviroServ acknowledges that the communities in the Shongweni/Hillcrest area are experiencing odours which are understood to emanate from our Shongweni landfill site. We are deeply concerned about any claims that the adours have impacted on the health and wellbeing of people‚ animals and plant life.

“We commit to doing everything we can to resolve the adour problem as soon as possible. It is the most important issue that the company is dealing with at the moment and is top of mind for and the number one priority of the companyuu’s senior management team and its board of directors. We believe that‚ with the appropriate treatment‚ the site will reach acceptable emission levels within the next six months‚” the advert said.

- TMG Digital