Poison-discharge plan

Press, 30 January 1981, Page 4

Poison-discharge plan

PA Wellington ! Developers of New Zealand’s first methanol plant ‘intend to press ahead with ■plans which will discharge poisonous chromium compounds into the Waitara enviroment in north Taranaki. The chief executive for the State-owned Petralgas Chemicals, Mr R. J. Hogg, said yesterday it was still ■ intended to use chromiuin! compounds in - the plants! water cooling system. ■, • > The decision contradicts I warnings : against chrom ties' from the Commission for the Environment’, health author-'

ijities, and the Electricity Di • vision of the Department o : Energy. 1' The plant is the first ol •three planned for the Waitart [area. - [ Mr Hogg said the pro [posed chromium inhibition ! system ai the plant was ;j both reliable and better thar : alternatives. [ “Based ..on the experience 'of Alberta Gas Chemicals at (its Canadian plants where , expertisein the use and I management of chromate ' systems is. highly developed, the chromate inhibition sys- ■ tern is the. most practical

< choice for methanol production.” Mr Hogg said. i “The proposed system will be well proven and thorjoughly reliable technology, j Confidence is expressed in it 1 from an application and enivironmental standpoint. ■ “'lndustrial and environj mental track records of I alternative systems do not I afford the necessary confidence in their use.” i Petralgas was warned in i November by the Commission for the Environment ■ against using chromium ■ compounds in the plant’s ■ cooling water to prevent corrosion. New Zealand Electricity Division scientists yeste-day confirmed that chromium compounds were banned ini many parts of the United States, and becoming out-i lawed in most European. countries. They . said the! Marsden B power station i had been redesigned to avoid; use of chromates ‘‘on toxic ■ grounds.” Chromates used at the; Marsden A power station; were now being replaced by a safe complex phosphate compound. Within weeks the Government is expected to approve planning under the National Development Act for the Mobil synthetic petrol plant at nearbv Motunui. The synthetic petrol plant will include two 2200-■ tonnes a day methanol trains • starting production in late; 1985. 1 The Petralgas plant aims! to produce 1200 tonnes of, methanol daily by 1984 for: export.