Remediation New Zealand – Detailed Site Investigation Report
For many years now, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga have been contesting the renewal of the Resource Consent which would allow Remediation NZ to continue its activities in Uruti. Environment Court hearings with Taranaki Regional Council and the Uruti Community Parties concluded in December 2023. The decision of the Environment Court is still pending.
The Detailed Site Investigation report provided to the Environment Court gives a detailed insight into the extent of the contamination on the site. The Rūnanga held a meeting in March to provide insight into the findings of the report. The report is very long with a lot of technical information. However, the Executive Summary from pages ii to v and the Conclusions and recommendations from pages 83 to 86 of the report provide a useful overview of the areas of contamination and the proposed next steps for Remediation NZ. The maps from pages 98 to 102 provide a useful snapshot of the site and its various areas of operation. Overall, the Rūnanga believes that this report provides evidence that the contamination is as widespread as we had thought. One of the more concerning aspects is the arsenic contamination from the treated sawdust that was used to aid in the transport of the drilling mud as arsenic does not bio-degrade, and also how the large stockpile with approx. 30 tonnes of contaminated material on Pad 3 (refer to image) will be remediated given there is evidence of arsenic, among many other chemicals in this stockpile.
A copy of the report can be accessed below.
