An independent report casts doubt over the safety of a massive landfill in north Canterbury.
The local council has asked for independent advice on the suitability of the Kate Valley site following new evidence suggesting it's sitting on gas vents and a fault line.
Opponents of the landfill say that makes it potentially disastrous, but the developers say their claim is pure fantasy.
Construction is well and truly underway, but debate over the landfill rages on. When it's completed in May it will take rubbish from Ashburton to just south of Kaikoura.
More than 3000 people opposed the project and tensions have reignited after a company prospecting for oil and gas in the area found evidence of high petrochemical residue and a potentially dangerous fault line through the site.
"There's no way we can take this lightly...we've got people talking about danger here...danger such as gas seepages, oil seepages," says landfill opponent Edward Orr.
During the consent hearings evidence of a fault wasn't supported but commissioners did say that if a fault was detected then appropriate remedial steps and/or abandonment of the site would need to be considered.
Now the local council says at the very least the issue needs to be reviewed. Hurunui Mayor Garry Jackson says they're getting conflicting evidence from two sets of experts.
But the developers of the landfill are standing firm.
TransWaste Chairman Denis O'Rourke says the claims are "fantasy land stuff".
The regional council also says it has no concerns about the site.
But the Hurunui council is asking the oil exploration company to substantiate its information and wants the landfill company to release all testing and drilling information
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Page 1 MEDIA RELEASE3 August 2005 MEDIA STATEMENTReview of new geological information at Kate Valley landfill recommends furthertechnical investigationsA review of new information at the Kate Valley regional landfill recommends further technicalinvestigations to clarify seismic risks and potential oil/gas seepage issues.How ever, the report by Californian consultants says that there is low probability of major oilor gas seepage occurring w ithin the landfill. The report concludes that ”the oil and gasinvestigations are at a very early stage,” and that “Oil and gas seepage probably does notpose a significant threat to the long-termperformance of the landfill liner system."The report recommends further investigations to better define the location, extent and quantities involved in the oil and gas seepage.The report also discusses the potential existence of a fault located betw een one and fivekilometres below the Kate Valley landfill footprint. It concludes that this could result in the landfill being exposed to a greater seismic risk than previously estimated, although it alsonotes, “the fault beneath the Kate Valley landfill is not yet proven."Dr Allan Hull of Golder Associates w as commissioned by Environment Canterbury and the Hurunui District Council to review new Green Gate data relating to oil exploration in the KateValley area. The data w as supplied to Green Gate via its holding company, SeismicSolutions Limited (SSL) and has been developed since the time of the consent hearing forthe landfill late 2003.Golder Associates was asked to consider if there was evidence of oil and gas seeps at the Kate Valley landfill site and if so, w as there a risk to the liner and design of the landfill fromthe seeps and/or an increased seismic risk to the site.The review makes three recommendations (Page 1, 2 of report):“1. Recognition of a new potential seismic source (fault) close to the Kate Valley landfill sitemay have an impact on the ongoing development of the landfill. Evaluation of these potentialimpacts requires confirmation of the existence of the fault, and some quantification of its -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 2 location and characteristics is required. We recommend, therefore, that subsurfaceinvestigations be undertaken to define the existence, location, dip and length of the faultpostulated beneath the Kate Valley Landfill site. The investigations w ill require the use ofappropriate geophysical methods, some of w hich may already be under consideration aspart of PEP38260.2. We recommend that a site-specific probabilistic seismic hazard model be developed forthe Kate Valley landfill site. The model can be used to estimate earthquake ground motionsat the landfill site. The site-specific model should include recurrence interval and maximumearthquake estimates for faults close to the site, including the new ly-recognized potentialsource beneath the landfill.3. We recommend more detailed testing of the amount, pressure and chemistry of soil gasesclose to the landfill footprint. The recommended tests should sample the chemistry and pressure of any soil gases at shallow levels (less than 10 m). “Environment Canterbury Chairman Sir Kerry Burke and Hurunui Mayor Garry Jackson welcomed the report and said they are confident that Transw aste, the landfill operator, w ould undertake the review recommendations by mid-November, 2005, as sought by the councils.They also said that they are confident that the current resource consents provide appropriateprocesses to address the issues identified in the Golder Associates report.For further information: Dr Mike Freeman, Director Regulation, Environment Canterbury, 03353 9009 ext7233 or 021 897 073; Sir Kerry Burke, Chairman, Environment Canterbury, 027 542 5848; Andrew Feierabend, Manager Environmental Services, Hurunui District Council, 03 3140013 or Garry Jackson, Mayor, Hurunui District Council, 03 314 0011 or 027 4855 335.Ends.For further information contact:Andrew Feierabend ManagerHurunui District Council03 314 8816.Web:http://www.hurunui.govt.nz
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