“Fall-out” From Mill

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32379, 19 August 1970, Page 1

“Fall-out” From Mill

(N.Z. Press Association; AUCKLAND, Aug. 18. Glenbrook residents are blaming the mill of New Zealand Steel, Ltd, fbr discoloured house paint, blackened trees, noise, and clouds of dust Which make breathing difficult.

Two miles north-east of the mill, in the direction of the prevailing wind. Mr G. W. Kendall has sooty marks covering the white paintwork of his house and garage—whith, he says, was painted in November and has been washed three times since then. He says the mill is also responsible for a drumming noise which can be heard above the sound of a television set at night, black sediment which gathers in his tank water supply, and an occasional objectionable smell. _ A fortnight ago a cloud of dust descended on him while he was working on his farm. “I could hardly breathe. My throat was burning,” he said. “At 10 o’clock that night I

still had that burning in mj throat” Mr Kendall said one of his neighbours had experienced trouble from black dust get ting into the machinery in his milking shed. Now he had to wash out his machines before he started milking. Nearer the mill is a blackened row of trees which, the owner says, is the result of an almost daily dose of “fallout” from the mill. A black material like soot is also evident on the white weatherboards of the house. The Health Department has installed an air pollution monitoring device on this property. “The noise at times is terribly had,” said the owner’s wife. Another resident said a group of local people met representatives of the company on Monday of last week, and , received an assurance in writing that there would be no more dust once the ironmaking kiln, which was closed, three weeks ago, was started i again. Noise is also a nuisance to residents of the north-western parT of Waiuku, directly: across the Waiuku Estuary

from the mill —especially at high tide and when the wind is from the north. New Zealand Steel, Ltd, has spent more than sl;sm on up-to-date control equipment to reduce pollution, and claims to be one of the cleanest steelworks in the world. A company spokesman had no comment to offer on points raised by the Glenbrook residents.