Some PRs that don't seem to show up.
4/01/99 - ECO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC - Board Announcements
Toronto, Ontario, Apr. 01, 1999 (Market News Publishing via COMTEX) -- Derek Tennant, President, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Eco Technologies International Inc. announced that the
Company has elected Peter Davies as Chairman of the Board and Derek Tennant as President, and Paul Caver as a Director, effective immediately.
Both Mr. Davies and Mr. Tennant, who have been Directors of ETI since the new management team took over responsibility for the Company in April of 1998, are also Directors of UKstar
(Canada) Inc., the controlling shareholder of ETI. Mr. Davies is President of Peter Davies Associates and former British Counsel General to Canada. Mr. Tennant is also President of Dominion
Bridge Corporation.
Mr. Paul Caver, who also joins the Board is former CFO of ETI, and a legal partner in the firm of Caver & Caver, of Dallas, Texas.
Peter Davies, Chairman of ETI, stated, "This is an exciting time for ETI which is about to rapidly expand through a number of acquisition prospects after demonstrating a turnaround in 1998. The
Board thanks Mr. J.C. Pennie who has retired as Chairman in order to focus on his new responsibilities moving from Vice-Chairman to Chairman of American Eco Corporation."
Eco Technologies International's mission is to provide North American industrial customers with proven innovative technologies for environmental maintenance, waste minimization, and
remediation, and to export these technologies worldwide.
Except for the historical information in this News Release, the News Release includes forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to quarterly
fluctuations in results, the management of growth, competition and other risks. Actual results may differ materially from such information set forth herein.
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TEL: (416) 340-6633 Derek Tennant, President
TEL: (416) 340-6633 Derek Tennant, Presiden
Toronto, Canada
3/31/99 - Sasol Embroiled In Vaal River Toxic Waste Scandal
Johannesburg (Business Day, March 31, 1999) - Sasol has become embroiled in another potential environmental scandal, this time involving old tar pits containing up to 1,5-million cubic metres
of toxic waste near its Sasolburg plant in the Free State.
The hazard was brought to the urgent attention of the Rand Water Board by community-based pressure group Save the Vaal Environment (Save). Rand Water sent a catchment coordinator, Peter
Hoge, to the area yesterday to inspect the pits, suspected to be leaching into Leeuspruit, one of the feeder streams into the Vaal River.
The pits, which contain tar, waxes, paraffin and even medical waste, were established in 1955, and are still receiving waste. The original waste came from the now closed Sasol One synthetic
fuel plant.
If the pits were leaking, it could pose a serious environmental hazard to the residents of the Vaal and other water boards downstream, which drew on the surface and ground water for domestic
and agricultural purposes, Hoge said. He said in-depth tests would be done on the surface and ground water near the tar pits, but that the site looked suspicious.
"This could be the beginning of a long investigation."
Sasol said yesterday it was collaborating with the water affairs department to monitor the underground water regularly, using borehole samples. "No evidence of leaching of organic material from
the tar pits into the Vaal River system has been found.
Johan van der Merwe from the department of water affairs in Bloemfontein is closely associated with the process."
The tar pits are also the subject of a legal action against Sasol by the contractor employed to reprocess them, Separation & Recovery Systems (SRS), a subsidiary of listed US group American
Eco. Sasol gave the company a 10-year contract to clean up the pits about three years ago and must supply it with free creosote to treat the waste.
The recovery costs are about R2m a month, with an additional cost to Sasol to provide the creosote at a further R1,5m a month. Last June Sasol stopped supplying SRS with creosote, which led
to the company closing that operation, retrenching its staff, and incurring an assessed loss of more than R20m in the 1998 year.
SRS is suing Sasol for damages, and the matter will be heard in court in April or May. While the case is in litigation, the pits cannot be treated, raising the danger levels of the environmental
hazard.
The tar pits are a few kilometres away from the site of the proposed Sasol coal strip mine, against which Save won a court judgment. Sasol's appeal was recently dismissed by the Appeal Court,
halting its plans, which would have destroyed the surrounding wetlands for at least 20 years.
Sasol is apparently planning to apply for another licence to begin strip mining on that site.
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