Concrete firm fined over harbour contamination
A concrete company has been penalised with a fine of more than $52,000 for releasing pollutants from its manufacturing operations leading to contamination of a drain that empties into Whanga¯rei Harbour.
AML Limited pleaded guilty to one charge of discharging contaminants and appeared for sentencing in February in the Environment Court at Whanga¯rei before Environment Judge Jeff Smith.
Between September and early November 2021, the Port Rd company was found to have been operating beyond the scope of its compliance certificate.
The plant utilised a “Bibko” system to recycle processed yard water, aiming to clarify and reuse for concrete production reducing overall water usage at the site. However, during the Covid lockdown in 2021, the plant was producing primarily highstress concrete and unable to reuse water effectively.
As production shifted towards high-stress concrete, compounded by faults in the Bibko system from around August 2021, surplus water accumulated on site.
Despite attempts to service the system, the issue persisted, resulting in the discharge of excess water into nearby drains through the stormwater system.
Northland Regional Council staff discovered the surplus water in a drain adjacent to the site that contained slurry, flowing into culverts and reaching low-lying mangroves.
The company was unaware of the discharge until approached by council officers and staff assumed the company was operating in compliance with environmental obligations.
Judge Smith recognised the enduring value of ecological areas but emphasised the failure of management to adapt.
“The failure was a failure by management to recognise that the change to the production of the high-quality concrete and the Bibko faulting would fundamentally change the way to utilise the site,” Judge Smith said.
Despite the company spending more than half a million dollars to replace the faulty system, Judge Smith said compliance should have been upheld from the outset.
AML were fined $52,500 plus court costs. The judge directed 90 per cent be paid to Northland Regional Council.