Coal tar dump opened near Greymouth

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

The West Coast Regional Council has agreed to a consent change to Taylorville Resource Park Ltd to allow coal tar and pitch to be disposed of at the existing landfill site.

The change allows construction of an additional lined asbestos cell.

Consents and compliance manager Colin Helem told the council's resource management committee meeting the coal tar and pitch was in common use for road making until the 1970s, "and does have the potential for leachate".

The cell to be constructed would provide containment of the material from leaching into ground water.

Councillor Peter Ewen asked if that meant bitumen could be dumped in a clean fill site, which Helem confirmed.

Councillor Peter Haddock clarified if the new dump was above the existing Greymouth water supply treatment site at Coal Creek, which Helem affirmed.

Meanwhile, the problem with river and stream beds on the West Coast continually building up with gravel and not being managed was also a discussion point.

Westreef Services had been granted a non-notified resource consent to disturb the dry bed of the Punakaiki River to remove gravel.

Councillor Brett Cummings wondered why this was allowed when water courses on the Barrytown Flats, for example, was far more urgent for gravel management, with "culverts overflowing".

"Why are we allowing gravel take from the Punakaiki River?"

Helem said council simply processed the requests before it.

"We don't have control over getting applicants going to rivers we want them to get gravel out of."

Cummings said believed those seeking gravel would "find their own way" to viable gravel sources if they received some direction.

Photo: The historic Broadcasting House in Greymouth is currently being demolished. With other major demolitions pending in the area and the need for safe disposal of demolition materials including asbestos, along with old coal tar bitumen, several sites including the one at Taylorville are being opened up. The 1930s Public Works era Broadcasting House was built after the 1929 Murchison Earthquake and has proved a substantial demolition challenge in the past 10 days.

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