Toxic waste

Press, 15 April 1988, Page 16

Toxic waste

i! Sir,—l read with great interest the letter written by the )'secretary iof the [Canterbury

Toxins Action Group (March 31). I am one of the many residents of the Parklands and North Beach 1 areas who have been gravely concerned for a long time about the amounts of toxic waste being deposited in the Waimairi Beach landfill site and about the ever-present possibility of leachate from that site. I am wondering if it would be possible for the D.S.I.R. to sample and analyse the liquid content of the drain running down between Frosts Road and the eastern side of the Travis Swamp. — Yours, etc. ANNE THOMSON. March 31, 1988. i [The secretary of the Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee, Mr P. W. Chapple, replies: “As part of the Town and Country Planning Act 1977, the conditions of site operation at the Waimairi landfill [ stipulate that: ‘The Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee shall continue to monitor the water table levels and quality of the water to the satisfaction of both the district engineer and the; North Canterbury Catchment Board and Regional Water Board.’ The Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee maintains and monitors 27 groundwater test: boreholes in and around the perimeter of the Waimairi landfill site, on a monthly basis. These test samples are analysed by the D;S.I.R. and to date show no signs of any - leachate. The area your correspondent refers to is over 3km from the Waimairi landfill, consequently, any contamination of waters in that area could not be attributed to activities at the landfill site, given the results of monitoring completed to date.”]