BTW breach toxic waste consents

"We are pleased to hear that the South Taranaki District Council has issued two abatement notices to surveying company BTW for consent breaches at two of their landfarms" says Emily Bailey, member of Climate Justice Taranaki.

"The landfarms at Oeo and Kakaramea receive toxic drilling waste from oil and gas operations. The top soil is removed, the drilling sludge is spread on the field and covered again, then resown and cows are put back on for grazing. Landfarming is part and parcel of this dirty industry."

The landfarm at Kakaramea started operating without having met all of the conditions of the consent. The conditions breached are: that STDC is to be notified prior to operations starting and that an Archeological Authority should be obtained before any earthworks has taken place.

At the Oeo landfarm, BTW went beyond the consented area and failed to notify STDC of issues of non-compliance raised by the Taranaki Regional Council monitoring. TRC also issued an infringement notice. Additionally, they do not have a dust suppression water cart on the landfarm which is a requirement of the STDC consent.

"It is only due to the diligent work of people on the ground that these issues are being picked up by the council. Ngāti Haua, a hapu of Ngaruahinerangi, have for several months voiced their concerns and their opposition to the BTW landfarm located only a few hundred metres from their marae. The industry is expanding around the mountain and along the coast as the government is making more and more land available for drilling and landfarming. As this industry encroaches on productive farmlands and disrupts the lives of rural communities, opposition is also growing," concluded Emily Bailey.

ENDS

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