Legislation needed to cover toxic wastes

Press, 10 December 1981, Page 6

Legislation needed to cover toxic wastes

National legislation should be introduced to control the dumping of toxic and hazardous wastes, according to the clean air and health committee of the Christchurch City Council. This recommendation was one of several adopted by the committee from a report by the city health department on the disposal of toxic and hazardous wastes. Legislation should include a definition of wastes covered by the controls, provision for the setting up of treatment or disposal sites, and charges to be levied, according to the report. The report also said that a co-ordinating body on a metropolitan basis is, required to investigate possible treatment and disposal of both solid and liquid toxic wastes. “It is a very serious problem which if we are not careful could lead to an irreversible problem with our groundwater supply,” Cr H. A. Clark said. “We must act quickly.” Cr A. J. Graham said that unless immediate action was taken the public could be put at great peril. The report said that there was increasing difficulty in obtaining disposal sites for controlled burning of some toxic or hazardous wastes and for the dumping of other problem materials. “No facilities exist specifically for the disposal or treatment of difficult toxic or hazardous wastes,”

the report said. The committee’s acting chairman, Cr C. E. Manning, said this was the most important document to come before the committee. “Although’ we have a problem, Christchurch is in advance of other centres, as we have information on the size and source of wastes. However, it is important we get on with discussions now,” he said. Copies of the report will be forwarded to other interested parties and the chairman and deputy chairman have been authorised, to start discussions on the basis of the recommendations contained in the report. Hawker’s licence People at Sumner and New Brighton will be able to buy ice-creams from a hawker plying the streets on a bicycle. The committee approved an application to sell prepacked ice-cream from a bicycle with a freezer attached in the New Brighton area near the beach and carpark, and also on the Sumner foreshore.

The Health Department has stipulated that only prepacked ice-cream be sold and that the freezer unit holding the products must be maintained at or below —lBdeg. The hawker must not trade in the central, city business area or within 200 metres of any shop selling similar food. Mark of respect Members of the committee stood for a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to the committee’s chairman, Sir Robert Macfarlane, who died last week. Cr Manning, the acting chairman, said it was especially appropriate for the committee to show .its respect as it was the place where Sir Robert had been most active in later years. Cr ’ Manning said Sir Robert had had a deep concern for the environment and health. He spoke of Sir Robert’s diligence in spite of pain, his obvious pleasure in helping other councillors understand their jobs fully, and his superior knowledge which he had shared with everyone.