Asbestos not going to Burwood Landfill

Consent applications relating to the Burwood Resource Recovery Park (BRRP) and Burwood Landfill are to be finalised and lodged next month but will not include the disposal of asbestos at Burwood Landfill.

During pre-lodgement consultation residents voiced concerns about the possible disposal of asbestos at Burwood. The consultation process included a meeting on Monday 7 May, 2012.

At that meeting Mark Christison, Unit Manager City Water and Waste, told stakeholders he heard their concerns and would discuss them with the other applicant Burwood Resource Recovery Park Limited, and Transwaste, the owners of the BRRP. He gave a commitment that a decision would be made within two weeks.

“Given the concern raised by those at the meeting we have accelerated that decision and will be advising stakeholders that it has been agreed that asbestos will not be disposed of at Burwood and all asbestos would be disposed of at Kate Valley Landfill,”  Mr Christison says.

“We had not finalised the consent application. We are going through a process, which includes gaining stakeholder feedback that would inform our final consent application. The finalised applications will reflect this decision.

“The asbestos referred to in the proposal was asbestos contained in cement pipeline material, which is low risk and not asbestos from buildings. I apologise for any confusion this may have caused residents, the Mayor or elected members.”

A letter about the decision will be sent to stakeholders and residents in the vicinity of Burwood Landfill in the next few days.

 

Background:

In July 2011, the Government enacted the Canterbury Earthquake (Resource Management Act—Burwood Resource Recovery Park) Order 2011, which requires that resource consents be obtained for the facility from the Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) and the Christchurch City Council.

In November 2011, the Minister for Earthquake Recovery gave public notice, under Section 27 of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011, of amendments to the Christchurch City Plan and Natural Resources Regional Plan. These amendments provide for the permanent disposal, at the Burwood Landfill, of residual earthquake waste from the BRRP facility as well as other earthquake wastes from around the city. The amendments require that resource consents be obtained from Environment Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council for the disposal.

Both the Order and amendments to the city and regional plans require that the resource consent applications be treated, subject to meeting conditions, as a controlled non-notified activity. This means that the resource consents must be granted (with appropriate conditions to manage the environmental effects), that a consent hearing is not required, and that the stakeholders invited to comment are limited to those identified in the documents.