MEDIA RELEASE

Council working to reduce air pollution

For immediate release: 19 March 2009

Environment Bay of Plenty will work with industries in Ngapuna to reduce air pollution levels caused by yard dust, road dust and industrial emissions. Monitoring at the Cryovac site along State Highway 30 in Ngapuna shows elevated levels of air pollution year-round.

Air pollution levels are unacceptably high with fine particles in the air at levels that could harm people’s health.

Rotorua Air Quality Joint Committee Chairman Neil Oppatt said air pollution at Ngapuna does not show any seasonal variation, unlike areas such as Edmund Road where levels are higher during winter from domestic fires.

“There is a wide range of land based activities in the Ngapuna area and air pollution comes from a number of different sources such as industry, agriculture and vehicles,” Councillor Oppatt said.

Research shows most of the higher levels of fine particles are from the industrial area during the working week between 8am and 6pm.

“We are encouraging industry practices that reduce yard dust within the industrial area of Ngapuna and we’re discussing with Rotorua District Council an increase in the regular cleaning of the roads in this area, particularly during dry periods,” Councillor Oppatt said.

Rotorua’s air quality is the third-worst in New Zealand and the worst in the North Island. Sixty percent comes from domestic home heating sources and backyard burning with 24 percent from industry and 12 percent from transport.

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