Opinions split on waste disposal
A waste management company has trialled a method used in the United States to rapidly reduce hydrocarbon levels in drilling waste stockpiled at its rural North Taranaki site.
Remediation NZ (RNZ) told a Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) resource consents hearing committee yesterday testing of the method, using enzymes, significantly dropped waste hydrocarbon levels during a three week trial, and could be used on a wider scale.
The company is applying to renew resource consents for 24 years to discharge waste material onto 30 hectares at the site for composting, discharge treated storm water and leachate into the nearby Haehanga Stream, and discharge odour and dust into the air.
The two-day hearing attracted a large number of people from the Urutı¯ and North Taranaki community concerned the site caused serious health problems for residents, polluted waterways from leaching, and attracted large numbers of vermin.
The company, which supplies vermicast from a worm farm, and organic fertiliser, had 26 complaints against it since 2016, mostly about smell from the site.
North Taranaki iwi Nga¯ti Mutunga, who farm neighbouring land, is one of 23 groups and individuals making submissions.
Thirteen submitters, including New Plymouth District Council, supported the consent renewals.
However, 10, including Nga¯ ti Mutunga, oppose it.
The company recycles organic waste at the site, including oil contaminated drilling waste, paunch (digested) grass, poultry waste, animal manure, dairy waste, and sheep and lamb skins.
A TRC officer’s report released
before the hearing revealed the company had stockpiled up to
20,000 tonnes of non-compostable material mixed with drilling waste during the past 10 years.
The report recommended the consent be renewed until June,
2028, and the company sign a bank bond to ensure the conditions were followed.
RNZ general manager David Gibson told the hearing the company stopped accepting drilling waste in December, 2020, and had been trialling a new method to enable an efficient composting alternative.
Gibson said the company would use the biomediation method over the next three years.
Improvements had also been made on the site including a new 2.88ha irrigation area to reduce nitrogen loss, riparian planting along streams, and fish passages, he said.
Odour issues, as a result of cold air not flowing down the valley, had been reduced by bunding, and establishing a deodorising water cannon to spray fine mist of water over waste piles.
RNZ legal counsel John Maasen told the hearing the Uruti facility was a critical component for waste disposal in Taranaki.
Waste management facilities needed to be locally situated to reduce carbon emissions and build regional resilience, he said.
Most of the non-compliance under the consents were management errors which did not affect water quality, he said.
Maasen said only five complaints about odour were verified.
The company accepted the non-compliance was ‘‘regrettable’’ but not as significant as the TRC officer’s report suggested.
Maasen said the stock pile of drilling waste was the only significant risk and could be managed by a bond, and reviewing of additional or unmitigated effects which arose.
The hearing is expected to conclude today.