Independent monitoring of log fumigation under way

Greater Wellington says that independent monitoring now in place will assist it to establish whether log fumigation with methyl bromide at Port of Wellington is compliant with the Regional Air Quality Management Plan.

The Council's Regulatory Committee today heard from Soil and Health Association spokesperson Steffan Browning about the Association's concerns over the use of methyl bromide to fumigate logs at the Port.

Environment Management Division manager Nigel Corry said an independent monitoring process involving three different types of monitoring (Photo Ionisation Detector (PID), Methyl Bromide Stain Tubes and Methyl Bromide Vapour Monitoring Badges) was now in place. Greater Wellington staff are overseeing the monitoring process.

The monitoring gives an analysis of what's happening at the boundary, near the stacks under fumigation conditions, and also ambient background levels.

Mr Corry said the monitoring was in place during the fumigation of logs at the Port of Wellington last week, and results are expected within the next week.

"We are committed to ensuring that fumigation is compliant with the permitted activity guidelines of our Air Plan. We must have solid evidence that those guidelines are being breached before we can justify taking further action."

Mr Corry said the Council was also working closely with Centreport and independent air quality experts to develop an air modelling process to get information about how methyl bromide is dispersed.

"We accept that monitoring has its limitations and we are progressing air modelling as a matter of priority."

ENDS

Rule 3 of the Regional Air Quality Management Plan states that the discharge of contaminants into air in connection with any process involving the use of fumigants is a Permitted Activity, provided the person(s) responsible for the activity ensure that there is no dust, odour, gas or vapour from the process which is noxious, dangerous, offensive or objectionable at or beyond the boundary of the property.