Proposed National Environmental Standards for Landfill Gas

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Overview of Submissions
• 3 Detailed Submission Summary
• Appendix A: Public Notice
• Appendix B: Submitters
• Appendix C: Proposed Landfill Gas Collection and Destruction Standard - Fact Sheet

Appendix A: Public Notice

National Environmental Standards
Ministry for the Environment

(Published in the Waikato Times, Otago Daily Times, Southland Times, New Zealand Herald, Bay of Plenty Times, Christchurch Press and Wellington Dominion.)

In accordance with section 44 of the Resource Management Act (1991), the Minister for the Environment gives notice of her intention to develop national environmental standards (regulations) on the following subject matter:

1. Ambient air quality standards for the following priority contaminants: particles (PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone.
   
   For each priority contaminant the proposed ambient air quality standards will include: a concentration limit, an allowable number of times per year that this concentration can be exceeded, an absolute maximum concentration limit for the exceedances that triggers enforcement action, and a monitoring method.
   
   These regulations aim to: improve the consistency and certainty with which discharges into New Zealand's air are managed, to safeguard the life supporting capacity of air, and to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects of activities on the environment and people's health and wellbeing.
   
2. Ban the following activities: deliberate burning of refuse at landfills, burning of tyres in the open, burning of coated wire in the open, burning of bitumen for road maintenance purposes, burning of oil in the open, and new high temperature hazardous waste incinerators.
   
   Require resource consents for the following activities, by 2008: school and hospital low temperature incinerators. These regulations will avoid significant adverse effects caused by these activities on the environment and people's health, and assist in safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air.
   
3. Emission design standard for wood and coal burning appliances in houses in urban areas. This design standard means that any new appliances installed into buildings within urban areas must be identical to a unit that is tested in accordance with AS/NZS 4013:1999 entitled 'Domestic solid fuel burning appliances - Method for determination of flue gas emission' and meets an average emissions limit of 1.5 g of particle per kilogram of fuel burned. The emission limit requirement in the standard supersedes the emission limit of 4 g/kg specified in AS/NZS 4013:1999.
   
   This regulation will assist in remedying and mitigating the potential adverse health and environmental effects caused by emissions from new, small heating appliances.
   
4. Requirement for the collection and destruction of landfill gas, unless surface methane emissions levels are below a specified emission rate. This standard requires operating municipal waste landfills with a total capacity of over 1 million tonnes to install a landfill gas collection and destruction system (eg, landfill gas flaring) unless they can demonstrate that methane surface emissions are less than 1% methane (by volume in air).
   
   This regulation will assist in avoiding methane emissions resulting from the disposal of solid waste.

Further details on these proposals can be viewed at the Ministry for the Environment, 84 Boulcott Street, Wellington and at www.mfe.govt.nz.

Any person can make a submission on the proposed national environmental standards. The submission must be dated, signed by you and include the following information:

1. Your name and postal address, phone number, fax number and email address (if applicable).
   
2. Details of the standard in respect of which you are making the submission.
   
3. Whether you support or oppose the standard.
   
4. Your submission, with reasons.
   
5. Any changes you would like made to the proposed standard, if any.
   
6. The decision you wish the Minister for the Environment to make.

You must forward your submission to the Ministry for the Environment, PO Box 10-362, Wellington, or by email to standards@mfe.govt.nz in time to be received no later than 5 pm on Friday 5 December 2003.

National environmental standards are regulations prescribed by the Governor-General, by Order in Council. For further details on the relevant statutory provisions refer to section 43 and 44 of the Resource Management Act, 1991.

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