Permission to pollute one of Auckland’s
critical underground water resources?
Mark Ford
Chief Executive
Watercare
2 Nuffield Street
Newmarket
Auckland 1023
Wednesday 2 March, 2011
Dear Mark,
I am writing to you because Watercare is responsible for providing Auckland with safe drinking water and I have recently become aware of a major issue for Auckland water supply. I am at a loss to understand how Three Kings Quarry owner, Winstone Aggregates, has been granted consent to fill the Mt Eden Road quarry, unlined and without a leachate system, with waste material that is permitted to contain elevated levels of contaminants including arsenic, copper, zinc, DDT and hydrocarbons.
This site is above, and drains into, a large fresh water aquifer from which water is already drawn by some (including Auckland Zoo), and which is a back-up drinking water source for Auckland in the event of a natural disaster, such as the one we have just seen in Christchurch.
Watercare is committed to ensuring the drinking water that Auckland households, businesses and schools receive is high quality and consistently complies with the requirements of the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. And rightly so.
I note in your 2010 Statement of Corporate Intent the following objective which has been agreed by your stakeholders: “To provide leadership within the water industry and participate in public policy initiatives and statutory submissions.”
From my reading of your involvement in this central city landfill project, you are not opposed to it. You are tacitly endorsing the establishment and operation of a contaminated landfill which everybody agrees will drain into Auckland’s freshwater aquifer system, without any systems in place to prevent contaminants leaching into Auckland’s underground water resources. This is no less than permission to pollute one of Auckland’s critical back-up water supplies.
You will be acutely aware of the leachate collection and treatment duties that have been imposed on Watercare in regard to its proposed Puketutu landfill project. I find it hard to believe that the same sort of regulation isn’t being applied to the Three Kings Quarry. Where’s the consistancy? Watercare claims to be committed to “provide leadership” on Auckland’s water issues, yet there appears to be a lack of interest in protecting this important aquifer.
The proposed Mt Eden Road quarry landfill project may result in Auckland’s aquifers becoming too contaminated to be used as a much-needed water source. Why should Auckland take that risk when industry best practice options exist to avoid it? If a natural disaster hit in Auckland – volcano or earthquake – civil defence and indeed the people of Auckland would be heavily reliant upon Auckland’s underground water resources to meet the need for drinking water. As it stands, this landfill could seriously undermine Auckland’s ability to respond to a crisis.
There were many opposed submissions to this “consent to pollute” process including a wide range of community interests whose concerns have not been addressed. Concerns include the critical water issues outlined and relating to you, but also include noise, up to 750 trucks (many of them articulated) per day carrying fill to the quarry, dust, noise and traffic management issues.
As a key stakeholder in Auckland’s water industry, I believe you have a leadership obligation to the people of Auckland to participate fully in next week’s Environment Court hearing, to ensure that whatever happens in the Mt Eden Road quarry is best practice, and that it does not subject Auckland’s underground water resources to any risk of contamination.
It is disappointing that more vocal leadership on this critical regional resource has not been forthcoming. I have also raised this issue with the Mayor and Auckland Councillors.
Please respond to this issue immediately and publicly reassure Aucklanders that this important asset will not be contaminated.
Yours sincerely,
Joel Cayford
Please note: This letter is to be copied by post to Watercare Board members.
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Thursday, March 3, 2011
Letter to Watercare Board and CEO
Permission to pollute one of Auckland’s
critical underground water resources?
Mark Ford
Chief Executive
Watercare
2 Nuffield Street
Newmarket
Auckland 1023
Wednesday 2 March, 2011
Dear Mark,
I am writing to you because Watercare is responsible for providing Auckland with safe drinking water and I have recently become aware of a major issue for Auckland water supply. I am at a loss to understand how Three Kings Quarry owner, Winstone Aggregates, has been granted consent to fill the Mt Eden Road quarry, unlined and without a leachate system, with waste material that is permitted to contain elevated levels of contaminants including arsenic, copper, zinc, DDT and hydrocarbons.
This site is above, and drains into, a large fresh water aquifer from which water is already drawn by some (including Auckland Zoo), and which is a back-up drinking water source for Auckland in the event of a natural disaster, such as the one we have just seen in Christchurch.
Watercare is committed to ensuring the drinking water that Auckland households, businesses and schools receive is high quality and consistently complies with the requirements of the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. And rightly so.
I note in your 2010 Statement of Corporate Intent the following objective which has been agreed by your stakeholders: “To provide leadership within the water industry and participate in public policy initiatives and statutory submissions.”
From my reading of your involvement in this central city landfill project, you are not opposed to it. You are tacitly endorsing the establishment and operation of a contaminated landfill which everybody agrees will drain into Auckland’s freshwater aquifer system, without any systems in place to prevent contaminants leaching into Auckland’s underground water resources. This is no less than permission to pollute one of Auckland’s critical back-up water supplies.
You will be acutely aware of the leachate collection and treatment duties that have been imposed on Watercare in regard to its proposed Puketutu landfill project. I find it hard to believe that the same sort of regulation isn’t being applied to the Three Kings Quarry. Where’s the consistancy? Watercare claims to be committed to “provide leadership” on Auckland’s water issues, yet there appears to be a lack of interest in protecting this important aquifer.
The proposed Mt Eden Road quarry landfill project may result in Auckland’s aquifers becoming too contaminated to be used as a much-needed water source. Why should Auckland take that risk when industry best practice options exist to avoid it? If a natural disaster hit in Auckland – volcano or earthquake – civil defence and indeed the people of Auckland would be heavily reliant upon Auckland’s underground water resources to meet the need for drinking water. As it stands, this landfill could seriously undermine Auckland’s ability to respond to a crisis.
There were many opposed submissions to this “consent to pollute” process including a wide range of community interests whose concerns have not been addressed. Concerns include the critical water issues outlined and relating to you, but also include noise, up to 750 trucks (many of them articulated) per day carrying fill to the quarry, dust, noise and traffic management issues.
As a key stakeholder in Auckland’s water industry, I believe you have a leadership obligation to the people of Auckland to participate fully in next week’s Environment Court hearing, to ensure that whatever happens in the Mt Eden Road quarry is best practice, and that it does not subject Auckland’s underground water resources to any risk of contamination.
It is disappointing that more vocal leadership on this critical regional resource has not been forthcoming. I have also raised this issue with the Mayor and Auckland Councillors.
Please respond to this issue immediately and publicly reassure Aucklanders that this important asset will not be contaminated.
Yours sincerely,
Joel Cayford
Please note: This letter is to be copied by post to Watercare Board members.
critical underground water resources?
Mark Ford
Chief Executive
Watercare
2 Nuffield Street
Newmarket
Auckland 1023
Wednesday 2 March, 2011
Dear Mark,
I am writing to you because Watercare is responsible for providing Auckland with safe drinking water and I have recently become aware of a major issue for Auckland water supply. I am at a loss to understand how Three Kings Quarry owner, Winstone Aggregates, has been granted consent to fill the Mt Eden Road quarry, unlined and without a leachate system, with waste material that is permitted to contain elevated levels of contaminants including arsenic, copper, zinc, DDT and hydrocarbons.
This site is above, and drains into, a large fresh water aquifer from which water is already drawn by some (including Auckland Zoo), and which is a back-up drinking water source for Auckland in the event of a natural disaster, such as the one we have just seen in Christchurch.
Watercare is committed to ensuring the drinking water that Auckland households, businesses and schools receive is high quality and consistently complies with the requirements of the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. And rightly so.
I note in your 2010 Statement of Corporate Intent the following objective which has been agreed by your stakeholders: “To provide leadership within the water industry and participate in public policy initiatives and statutory submissions.”
From my reading of your involvement in this central city landfill project, you are not opposed to it. You are tacitly endorsing the establishment and operation of a contaminated landfill which everybody agrees will drain into Auckland’s freshwater aquifer system, without any systems in place to prevent contaminants leaching into Auckland’s underground water resources. This is no less than permission to pollute one of Auckland’s critical back-up water supplies.
You will be acutely aware of the leachate collection and treatment duties that have been imposed on Watercare in regard to its proposed Puketutu landfill project. I find it hard to believe that the same sort of regulation isn’t being applied to the Three Kings Quarry. Where’s the consistancy? Watercare claims to be committed to “provide leadership” on Auckland’s water issues, yet there appears to be a lack of interest in protecting this important aquifer.
The proposed Mt Eden Road quarry landfill project may result in Auckland’s aquifers becoming too contaminated to be used as a much-needed water source. Why should Auckland take that risk when industry best practice options exist to avoid it? If a natural disaster hit in Auckland – volcano or earthquake – civil defence and indeed the people of Auckland would be heavily reliant upon Auckland’s underground water resources to meet the need for drinking water. As it stands, this landfill could seriously undermine Auckland’s ability to respond to a crisis.
There were many opposed submissions to this “consent to pollute” process including a wide range of community interests whose concerns have not been addressed. Concerns include the critical water issues outlined and relating to you, but also include noise, up to 750 trucks (many of them articulated) per day carrying fill to the quarry, dust, noise and traffic management issues.
As a key stakeholder in Auckland’s water industry, I believe you have a leadership obligation to the people of Auckland to participate fully in next week’s Environment Court hearing, to ensure that whatever happens in the Mt Eden Road quarry is best practice, and that it does not subject Auckland’s underground water resources to any risk of contamination.
It is disappointing that more vocal leadership on this critical regional resource has not been forthcoming. I have also raised this issue with the Mayor and Auckland Councillors.
Please respond to this issue immediately and publicly reassure Aucklanders that this important asset will not be contaminated.
Yours sincerely,
Joel Cayford
Please note: This letter is to be copied by post to Watercare Board members.
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