Illegal use of foam brings substantial fine

New Zealand’s oil refinery has been fined $169,000 for illegally using banned firefighting foam in training exercises, with foam ending up in Whangārei Harbour. The company, now called Channel Infrastructure NZ, has admitted its mistake and said the firefighting foam is no longer in use. The Environmental Protection Authority laid 14 charges against the company for prohibited use of firefighting foam containing per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), on seven occasions in May and June 2021. The foams are hazardous and can build up over time in both land and marine mammals. The company estimated staff sprayed up to 600 litres of concentrated foam during the training exercises, with some liquid entering Whangārei Harbour. In sentencing at the Whangārei District Court on November 10, Judge Jeff Smith found the emergency response trailer was only intended to be used for emergency fires. He found there was no satisfactory explanation for why the emergency response trailer was used in training.