The provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the authorisation of the closure and the remediation of the Swartklip waste disposal landfill site.

Interested and affected parties have until the end of November to appeal this decision.
According to the ROD, the motivation for the closure of the site is that it is situated on the coastal fringe of the Cape Flats Aquifer, and there are concerns that it may be contaminated by pollutants.

The Aquifer stores water in unconsolidated (or loose) sands deep under the Cape Flats and is a valuable water resource. The area with the highest yield is around the Swartklip landfill site.

Borehole analyses downstream of the site have proven that the unlined landfill has caused groundwater contamination. According to the ROD, "at present, there are no major downstream users of the groundwater resource and previous geohydrological reports indicate that the contamination is not significant. It is recommended that careful groundwater monitoring be conducted after closure."

Other recommendations include that a cut-off wall be built to prevent groundwater flowing through the waste, and a series of pumps be installed to lower the groundwater table in the vicinity of the landfill.

The ROD also states that “an initiative to bring the aquifer into production as an emergency water supply in the future is being considered, thus the need for the protection of the aquifer.”

The ROD dictates that a closure plan must be developed to deal with contingencies such as methane gas, volatile organic decomposing waste, rats, flies, vermin, stormwater management and the rehabilitation of the site. This plan must be submitted to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and the provincial Pollution and Waste Management Directorate for approval.

Only about 21 hectares of the 104 hectare site are being used for the landfill - the rest is undeveloped, and includes a large vegetated dune.