Conservationists upset about sulphate dumping

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33610, 12 August 1974, Page 2

Conservationists upset about sulphate dumping

• A L 4 « virtue mm AUCKLAND, Aug. 11. Conservationists are upset ahout a Ministry of Transport decision allow ing an Otahuhu company to dump 30 tonnes of iron sulphate a week into the Hauraki Gulf for the next three months. But the managing-director of the firm doing the dump-

ing says it poses no dangers, and is a reasonable way of disposing of the material. The company would apply for a further permit to dump when the present permit expired, he said. G.K.N. (New Zealand) Ltd, wire manufacturer and galvaniser, has been given a Ministry of Transport permit to dump the iron sulphate in the gulf for three months from July 24. MAYOR OBJECTS But the Mayor of Auckland (Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson) says he will resist as strongly as possible any dumping of wastes into Auckland harbours. Professor J. E. Morton, of the Auckland University zoology department, said that iron sulphate was not a particularly toxic compound. ; "But I hate the idea of i dumping it into the sea.” he ' said. Dr A. R. Bellamy of the' university’s cell biology de-1 partment—who also does; research for the Environ-! mental Defence Society—l also said the material was not toxic. “But more important than this is the general principle,” he said. "The attitude that this is an acceptable way of getting rid of things seems a bit strange to me.” The dumping of the iron sulphate in Hauraki Gulf would be setting a dangerous Precedent. “All other ways should be 'xhausted before the sea is

used to dump waste,” said Dr Bellamy. “NO OTHER WAY” The managing-director of G.K.N., Ltd (Mr J. L. Brace) said the company had been unable to find any other way of disposing of the sulphate. “The whole thing has obviously been studied by the people who issued the permit,” he said. Mr Brace did not know exactly where the sulphate was being dumped, but it was some distance off the coast, and was done under conditions ret down by the Ministry.