Press release for Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre 29th June 2019.

“CEAC call for NZ Pollutant Release and Transfer Register”

CEAC supports the PCE Simon Upton’s call for a NZ Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)

Trigger quote;

“A PRTR was first developed in the US in 1987 and followed by 50 other countries and all the developed countries except for NZ”

CEAC says; - It’s about time we now join the global world and produce our own PRTR registry after 50 other countries have done since 1987.

So that has successive Governments been saying about our ‘clean green’ environment since 1987?

Was this just another planned diversion case of ‘denying any release of toxic emissions here?’

Perhaps, so they can say ‘there is no evidence that we are emitting toxic substances into our environment?’

Simon Upton is right to bring ‘toxic emissions’ issues to the Governments attention, as it is his job as ‘Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’ (PCE) to raise any issues of discharge of toxic emissions into our environment, that may endanger public health.

The PCE Commissioners call to our government went out to the Ministers of EnvironmentDavid Parker and Eugenie Sage back in April 25th 2019, and since then NZ communities have not heard any response from these two Government Ministers to that request for the establishment for a NZ PRTR registry to be developed.

Please respond to this PCE request Government.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1905/S00022/upton-calls-for-a-pollutants-register.htm

Full statement from the PCE;

Upton calls for a pollutants register saying gaps should be filled

First published in Energy and Environment on April 25, 2019.

“Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton has asked ministers to create a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) as there is a dearth of information about the impact and risks from hazardous substances.

Upton has written a letter to the Ministers for the Environment, David Parker and Eugenie Sage saying there are no standardised methods to estimate and track hazardous substances and waste released to the environment.

He says the work should begin with six substances and incrementally built up over time.

A PRTR was first developed in the US in 1987 and followed by 50 other countries and all the developed countries except for NZ

The OECD originally recommended NZ should adopt such a register in 2007 and again in 2017 in its reviews of NZ environmental performance.

“I am writing to suggest you conduct an appraisal of the merits of establishing a PRTR and consider whether the reasons that have previously been advanced not to develop one still stand up to scrutiny.”

Ken Crispin.

Secretary.

CEAC.

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