Clean up your act - Tasman Mills

The Green Party today called on Tasman Mills to do the right thing and invest in clean technology to stop their on-going discharge of toxic chemicals into the Tarawera River.

Tasman Mills have just lodged an application to extend their discharge of waste water into the Tarawera River for the next 35 years. The public has only been given until May 29 to make a submission on this controversial application. The existing consent for the mills have been made under the Exceptional Circumstances clause of the Resource Management Act (section 107).

“The mills cannot continue to rely on these purported ‘exceptional’ circumstances. Their previous two applications both lasted ten years and used this clause. They cannot be allowed to continue to use this excuse for the next 35 years,” said Green Party Toxics Spokesperson Catherine Delahunty today.

The mill currently dumps 150 tonnes of waste into the river a day. This has led to the river turning black and being nicknamed the “black drain”. The river and its mouth have not been safe for fishing or swimming since the mill opened in 1955. Since this time there have been ongoing concerns about the potential health and environmental impacts on local communities.

“The technology is available now to make the Tasman Mills clean. The owners need to listen to the people affected by their pollution and make the transition to clean technology.”

“The pollution of the Tarawera has been an ongoing source of grief for tangata whenua and local communities. It is time the “black drain” is cleaned up and its health and integrity returned, said Ms Delahunty.