Toxic fume risk angers families
Families in Prebbleton are fuming over plans for a toxic waste treatment plant on their doorstep.
What’s more, they want to know why there has been little public consultation.
Waste Management has applied for resource consent to operate a new hazardous waste treatment and stabilisation plant at Marshs Rd near Prebbleton, southwest of Christchurch.
The proposal includes an open-air tyreshredding machine and facilities to process solvents, heavy metals, petrochemicals and septic waste.
Despite concerns about the potential impact on the nearby school, early childhood centres and homes, only 22 property owners were told of the plan, of whom eight are residents.
Diane White, who lives less than a kilometre from the proposed site – but outside the 500-metre zone that Environment Canterbury (ECan) decided is the limit for who warrants having a say on the proposal – said residents have major health concerns over toxic fumes that could fill the air.
‘‘Our primary concern is that all the cyanide, pesticides, solvents, metal waste, all of these are going to be released into the air and they can’t guarantee there isn’t going to be any smell . . . [or] that they will not come out into the air,’’ she said.
‘‘What people are upset about is that none of this was notified to anybody. They have just decided that this was all OK.’’
Hamish Prebble, whose home and business are among those most likely to be affected by the site, was worried about the effect it could have on his water supply.
‘‘I live next door, we have a business next door and we drain water from as shallow as 14 metres to 21m underground,’’ he said.
‘‘We have elderly residents in the area who are very concerned. Then you’ve got young kids and their wellbeing and safety at school, at the local kindergartens and at home. It’s not just a battle for the local residents – this is a wider matter.’’
In a letter to ratepayers, Selwyn deputy mayor Malcolm Lyall, who lives near the site, said he was disappointed ECan limited the notification to so few people.
He said he was also disappointed people were told at a time when regional and district council offices were closed and key staff members were on leave.
ECan ran a limited notified consent process involving 22 parties from November 28 to January 17, but some residents did not receive the notification until the week before Christmas.
After concerns about mail delays from some submitters, the consultation period was extended to January 31, but residents worry this leaves little time to seek advice. In December 2018, the Christchurch City Council issued consents for the plant operation covering issues such as noise, traffic and hours of operation.
In March last year, ECan granted consents for construction and the discharge of stormwater, upsetting some residents who were not given the opportunity to make a submission at that stage.
More than 3300 people had signed an online petition by yesterday calling for wider consultation so the Prebbleton community could be involved in the decision process. One resident said the proposal was ‘‘mind-bogglingly scary’’.
According to ECan, the main odour sources will be from an organic waste processing plant (waste from grease traps, septic tanks, latex, the wine industry, sugar and dairy) and heavy metal solution waste processing.
All other waste management processes proposed for the site were unlikely to produce odours, although other discharges are possible from treating pesticides and herbicides, decanting solvents and heavy metal treatment.
Dust discharge from tyre chipping, processing road sweepings and hydroexcavation waste are also possible.
The consent application says odour will be managed by treating waste behind closed doors, and air discharge will be treated with a biofilter and discharged using a ventilation system.
A public meeting will be held at the Prebbleton town hall at 7pm today for the community to have their say.
One resident said the proposal was ‘‘mindbogglingly scary’’.