Press Release

Close Down The Manawatu River

Embargoed until Friday 5th October, 2007, 10.00 a.m.

Last year a community group that I represent, Te Roopu Huirapa, organised a mass rally regarding the mismanagement of the Manawatu River by Horizons Regional Council. With several hundred people joining us in our march through Palmerston North, a clear message was sent to all local councils. That the community would longer tolerate legalised pollution of the Manawatu River.

Since that time, people have approached Te Roopu Huirapa from all walks of life, congratulating us on the stance we took last year. Also since that time, various people have approached us with pieces of information with regard to the Awapuni Landfill. With summer fast approaching, Te Roopu Huirapa has an obligation to inform the community of the information it has been supplied with.

Many people have contacted us with regard to the constant denials made by Horizons regarding the leachate coming from the Awapuni Landfill. In particular local residents have been concerned about the leachate containing Coal Tar, a Class A carcinogenic.

Last week I was supplied with Minutes of the Eighteenth Meeting of the Sixth Triennium of the Environment Committee of Horizons Regional Council. On Page 28, it stated:

Compliance staff carried out an inspection in August 2007 and found a new pipe containing leachate coming into the Landfill, which was discharging directly into the stormwater drain. PNCC have since undertaken work to remediate the leachate problem.
Compliance staff would be issuing PNCC with a non-compliance and also investigating the possibility of further action.

To the best of our knowledge, the stormwater drain runs directly into the Manawatu River, untreated. Therefore the worst fears of local residents have potentially been realised. That Coal Tar Leachate is most likely directly discharged into the Manawatu River, despite constant denial from our Regional Council.

The second, potentially more harmful allegation is that the answer to the question, “What ever happened to the lost barrels of the 2-4-5-T from Ivan Watkins Dow?” might be answered within the Awapuni Landfill or at an undisclosed location in Longburn. Previous to the creation of the Awapuni Landfill, hazardous materials and substances were disposed of at location only known to local council at Longburn.

Te Roopu Huirapa have been approached by a former councillor, local residents from Awapuni and New Plymouth Contractors charged with disposing waste from the Ivan Watkins Dow Plant who allege that some 20,000 44 gallon drums of 2-4-5-T produced by Ivan Watkins Dow were disposed of at either Longburn or the Awapuni Landfill. We sincerely hope that these claims are untrue, but if not it poses a very serious danger to the residents of the Manawatu. The official position of local government is that no inventory exists of what hazardous chemicals were disposed of at Awapuni Landfill, as it was not required at the time chemicals were permitted to be disposed of in the past.

With these two claims, Te Roopu Huirapa are demanding that Horizons Regional Council implement the following:

1. That they “Close Down the Manawatu River”. That nobody south of the Awapuni Landfill be allowed to use the river for recreational purposes until a full independent investigation be carried out as to what chemicals have been disposed of at both the Awapuni Landfill and at Longburn.
2. That an independent inquiry be held as to what chemicals have been disposed of at both Longburn and the Awapuni Landfill. That any information forthcoming from those people previously involved in the disposal of chemicals at either Longburn or Awapuni Landfill be kept confidential and only known to those conducting the investigation.
3. That a comprehensive investigation be carried out by scientists as to what chemicals exist at both Longburn and the Awapuni Landfill. If this involves opening the Landfill, then so be it.

Again, I sincerely hope that Te Roopu Huirapa is proved wrong with regards to the allegation that 2-4-5-T has been disposed of at a Manawatu location. However until Horizons Regional Council and the powers that be conduct a comprehensive investigation to allay the fears of local residents, then we will be lead to believe that they have something to hide.

Malcolm Mulholland
Te Roopu Huirapa
Manawatu

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