Ballance takes full responsibility

Ballance takes full responsibility

Ballance Agri-Nutrients shares the community’s concerns regarding environmental safety, Chief Executive Mark Wynne said today.

Mr Wynne said the company accepted the fine imposed by the Court following an accidental discharge of sulphur dioxide into the air in May last year.

“The incident happened and we can’t change that. What we can do, and have done, is take full responsibility and take every practical step to prevent this from happening again.

“We treat any incidents very seriously and we are completely confident we have minimised the risk of sulphur dioxide discharges at our Mount Maunganui site.

“During the incident our systems shut the plant just as they were designed to do. The key change now is that our safety shutdown systems now cut off at an even lower limit.

Mr Wynne said Ballance’s environmental performance had been steadily improving, and was far superior to what it was a decade ago. Ballance has invested millions of dollars in environmental, safety and operating upgrades at its Mount Maunganui superphosphate manufacturing plant since 2001. Following the May incident, additional automated safety equipment has been installed and other equipment upgraded.

“These changes followed an immediate and thorough internal investigation supported by expert advice, so we have every assurance our response has been robust.

“As part of our commitment to safety and environment we also undertake annual external audits of our operation here at the Mount to hold ourselves to the highest possible standards.”

The Mount site is accredited to ACC’s highest tertiary level and the international environmental management standard ISO 14001.

“We live here too – this is our community. The last thing we want to do is put our people, community or environment at risk.”

About Ballance Agri-Nutrients
Covering the country with one-on-one specialist advice, Ballance Agri-Nutrients is a New Zealand farmer owned co-operative that helps its customers to operate more profitably and sustainably.

Our approach is to create real value for farmers through the provision of complete farm nutrient management advice, products and technology including fertiliser, feed, online farm management and aerial topdressing.

Ballance has been operating a superphosphate manufacturing plant at its Mount Maunganui site since 1958, and is a significant employer in the Bay of Plenty region with 250 local employees. Ballance contributes around $81 million directly into to local Bay of Plenty economy through wages and other investments.

About sulphur dioxide
Sulphur dioxide is a gas with the formula SO2. At standard atmosphere it is invisible and has a sharp rotten smell. It is released naturally by volcanic activity.

Small amounts of SO2 exist in our atmosphere and in some food and drinks as a preservative, but large amounts can cause air pollution and can be dangerous to human health.

Sulphur dioxide can affect human health when it is breathed in. It irritates the nose, throat, and airways to cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or a tight feeling around the chest. The effects of sulphur dioxide are felt very quickly and most people would feel the worst symptoms in 10 or 15 minutes after breathing it in.

Those most at risk of developing problems if they are exposed to sulphur dioxide are people with asthma or similar conditions.

For more information visit the Ministry for the Environment website http://www.mfe.govt.nz/air/specific-air-pollutants/sulphur-dioxide

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