Toxic waste disposal issue raised

Press, 17 September 1980, Page 6

Toxic waste disposal issue raised

The metropolitan refuse committee has been urged to provide for the disposal of toxic wastes.

The committee’s policy has been that the dumping of toxic wastes would not be allowed in the proposed landfill disposal area. On the basis of a previous survey indicating that Christchurch did not have a big toxic waste problem, it has left responsibility for dealing with such wastes with the industries concerned.

However, the issue has been raised by the Medical Officer of Health (Dr W. A. Malpress), who says that the committee should not be selective in the types of refuse it caters for, and has a responsibility in this area.

Dr Malpress said that while toxic wastes might be small in volume, they could have significant , long-term effects on the environment.

The problems of disposing of such wastes should not be discarded because it was uneconomic, he said. The Health Department could help in moves to dispose of, or store, toxic wastes.

A factory-to-factory survey showed that toxic volumes were relatively small, Mr A. J. Lamb, one of the metropolitan committee’s engineers, told yesterday’s meeting. “A demand for a disposal facility has to exist before a local body can respond to it,” he said.

However, committee members felt that they should

take some responsibility for toxic wastes. Mr D. B. Rich suggested a register of companies producing toxic wastes. Experience overseas had shown that allowing industries to “do their own thing” over ouch wastes could cause big environmental problems. Cr E. C. Britnell said that it would be surprising if Government departments did not already have that information.

The committee decided to defer the issue until November, when it will expect a report from the Christchurch City Council’s health depart ment, which is researching the extent of waste toxic produced in the city and in Waimairi County.