Stepping on the gas at Mataura
Thought for the day – which is the more toxic? The levels of ammonia given off from ouvea premix at the Mataura Paper Mill on February 5 or the fumes of scorn emanating from Southland District Mayor Gary Tong?
That ouvea, unwelcome stuff long-stored smack-dab next to the Mataura River, can give off ammonia when wet – a health issue that has long worried the town, never more so than on a day when rising floodwaters meant the community had to be evacuated.
When a volunteer who had been sandbagging inside the mill attested he had a been driven out by ammonia gas, Tong categorically denied there had been ammonia leaks.
There categorically had, though. Gore district mayor Tracy Hicks said ammonia levels were indeed recorded inside the mill, albeit at ‘‘quite low’’ levels of six parts per million. (A monitor in there had been disabled when the power had been turned off that morning).
A second person approached The Southland Times to verify the sandbagger’s account, but Tong remained in minimisation mode, insisting that these were readings you could get off a sparrow’s faeces, and if people had been affected by such negligible levels they needed to go and see their doctor.
This sort of spluttering condescension is insulting to more than the individuals concerned.
Should Tong be in any doubt about that, he need only show his face in the town and hear it from the wider community.
They’re talking about faeces too, but in quantities more commonly associated with bulls.
The public was assured the old building had not been affected by floodwaters.
There had been no significant water in there – define ‘‘significant’’ – and what there had been mainly – mainly? – came from rain.
Civil Defence Peeni Henare put it this way: ‘‘We dodged a bullet . . .’’
At least in this case Mataura residents will be pleased, or mollified anyway, at the announcement swift action will now take place to get rid of the material from its riverside setting.
It will take about three months. Whereupon a community that has been trying since 2014 to get rid of the premix will breath easier.
GDC chief executive Steve Parry says this is the result of a ‘‘high level deal’’.
Not so high, we trust, that more information doesn’t fall into the public realm.
For starters, one fresh question arises. Where will the new site be?
Unhelpfully, we’re not being told.
We must be.
Wherever it is – and Parry will at least disclose that it’s not in Gore district – at least it’s a fair bet that it won’t be smack dab beside a substantial river.
At least in this case Mataura residents will be pleased, or mollified anyway, at the announcement swift action will now take place to get rid of the material from its riverside setting.