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3 Significant Resource Management Issues, Objectives, Policies and Methods
3.10 Hazardous Substances
3.10.1 Overview
Hazardous substances are a common part of our lives. However, if they are handled without proper care and concern for safety, they may adversely affect both the environment and human health. Parts of the community have expressed concern that the adverse effects of hazardous substances are not adequately managed.
Sections 30 and 31 of the RMA give both regional councils and territorial authorities control of the use of land for the prevention or mitigation of adverse effects from the storage, transport, use and disposal of hazardous substances. Various central government agencies have similar responsibilities under other legislation. For instance, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Labour have responsibilities under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. The resulting duplication of roles can create inefficiencies and uncertainty for resource users.
In the Waikato Region there are a range of industries and other activities that store, use, transport or dispose of hazardous substances. Adverse effects from the storage, use, transport and disposal of hazardous substances may arise as the result of unintentional or accidental release of these substances, or as the result of normal activities.
Most hazardous wastes are generated during manufacturing processes and are part of the industrial waste stream (e.g. plating liquor from the electroplating industry, timber preservation process liquors and sludges and sulphide mining tailings and unoxidised mine waste rock). Some of these industries are small business units and in some instances, there is uncertainty about the proper and safe use, storage or disposal of hazardous substances. This also applies to households, which contribute hazardous wastes to the waste stream as well. Examples include waste oils, mercury and lead batteries, residuals in household bleach, pesticides and solvent containers. The Waikato Region does not have a hazardous waste disposal facility, and at present no landfill in the Region holds any resource consent allowing the disposal of hazardous wastes. Consequently, most hazardous wastes are being disposed of outside the Region, or are being stored awaiting disposal when a suitable facility becomes available.
Hazardous substances can be released into the environment either deliberately or unintentionally from storage facilities or during their use, transportation or disposal. When undertaking activities associated with hazardous substances, resource users must address the risks of adverse environmental and human health effects of the release of these substances into the environment. Adverse effects caused by the unintentional or deliberate release of hazardous substances into the environment may be short or long term, immediate or delayed. They include:
- contamination of ground and surface water (see also section 3.4 Water)
- contamination of soil (see also section 3.3 Land and Soils)
- contamination of air (see also section 3.6 Air)
- accumulation of persistent substances in plants, animals and humans (see also section 3.11 Plants and Animals)
- damage to ecosystems (see also section 3.11 Plants and Animals)
- reduction in the mauri of natural resources (see also section 2.1 Tangata Whenua and section 3.4.10 Mauri).
- A range of social and economic effects such as damage to property and risks to market access for produce.
In the past, some hazardous substances management practices have been unsustainable. As a result some sites have been contaminated. These existing contaminated sites can pose risk to both human health and the environment and may affect the economy of the Region through damage to property and/or damage to market access for export produce, particularly if contaminants are mobilised by leaching processes, wind erosion or earthworks. In addition, management costs may be imposed upon the community through the abandonment of contaminated sites and the subsequent creation of orphaned contaminated sites.
Summary of Significant Resource Management Issues |
The following is a summary of significant resource management issues that have been identified from the overview section on hazardous substances:
- Central government agencies, regional and territorial authorities all hold similar responsibilities for the control of adverse effects arising from the storage, transport, use and disposal of hazardous substances. This duplication of roles has the potential to create inefficiencies, gaps and/or uncertainty for resource users and the community.
- The release of hazardous substances from storage facilities or during their use, transport or disposal has the potential to cause significant adverse effects on the environment and human health.
- The release of contaminants from existing contaminated sites has the potential to cause adverse effects on the environment and human health.
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