Safe treatment and disposal of ‘historic’ hazardous wastes
The policy objective is to ensure the legacy of contaminated sites and accumulated ‘historic’ wastes (principally unused agricultural chemicals) is safely managed.
New Zealand has a number of contaminated sites as a result of chemical storage, mining, timber treatment and other activities, although the extent and severity of these is relatively low by comparison with more industrialised countries. For the majority of these sites, contamination pre-dates the establishment of the HSNO Act and RMA (which contain controls to avoid creating further contaminated sites).
Current policy is to identify contaminated sites and to assess and manage the risk they present. In some cases, sites will be remediated with contaminated soils being treated and safely disposed of. Regional councils and territorial authorities have identified the most contaminated sites and priority is being given to their clean up, for example, the former Fruitgrowers Chemical Company Site at Mapua and the Tui mine site.
There is also still a legacy of unwanted agricultural chemicals stored on farms and other properties, presenting an ongoing risk. The Ministry for the Environment is working with regional councils to collect and safely dispose of these wastes. The expectation is that in another three years, the old unwanted agrichemicals will be cleared totally.
A similar, if smaller, accumulation of historic wastes exists in domestic garages and sheds. Several councils provide a household collection service, but provision of this service is uneven.
Elements in place
- Most existing pesticides are now under the HSNO regime which will provide assurance around the future control of the chemicals that have historically contributed to site contamination.
- Contaminated Land Management Guidelines. This is a series of practical guidelines for local government, consultants, landowners, etc. on identifying, classifying, investigating and managing contaminated land. The following guidelines have been published:
- Contaminated Land Management Guideline 1- Reporting on contaminated sites in New Zealand
- Contaminated Land Management Guideline 2 - Hierarchy and Application in New Zealand of Environmental Guideline Values
- Contaminated Land Management Guideline 3 - Risk screening system
- Contaminated Land Management Guideline 4 - Classification and information management protocols (draft published for consultation)
- Contaminated Land Management Guideline 5 - Site Investigation and Analysis of Soils
- Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund. This is funding from central government of approximately $1 million per year. It is available to regional councils on a contestable basis to investigate and clean up high-priority contaminated sites. Central and local government funding is supporting the remediation of the contaminated site of the former New Zealand Fruitgrowers Chemical Company contaminated site at Mapua, Nelson. Government funding has being provided to investigate options for the clean-up and remediation of the Tui Mine site at Te Aroha.
- The Stockholm Convention was ratified by New Zealand in September 2004 and came into force with the enactment on 23 December 2004 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Stockholm Convention) Amendment Act 2003 .
- An amendment in June 2005 to the Income Tax Act 1994 clarifying and expanding tax deductions for business environmental expenditure. This amendment broadens the scope of tax deductions for environmental expenditure and will, in particular, encourage the clean-up of contaminated sites.
- A clear definition of functions (roles and responsibilities) for local government in managing contaminated land issues through the 2005 amendment to the RMA.
Elements still under development
- National Environmental Standards for contaminated sites. The Ministry is currently working closely with local government to ensure standards that are developed fit within an overarching policy framework for contaminated land.
- A National Implementation Plan that describes the reduction of emissions of dioxins and other persistent organic pollutants. A draft has been released for public consultation. The final plan is to be submitted to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat by December 2006.
- Guidelines for identifying and managing contaminated sheep dip and horticultural sites. The Ministry has released a draft of these guidelines for public comment.
Last updated: 17 September 2007
