Tiwai releases 25 years of environmental monitoring reports
Tuesday, 18 May 2021
The New Zealand Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point has released 25 years worth of environmental reports to prove its commitment to transparency and collaboration.
The company has also confirmed it has hired an international environmental consulting firm GHD to look for potential contamination of soil and groundwater across the site, with an assessment expected in mid-2021.
Chief executive and general manager Stew Hamilton, in a statement, said the historic data highlighted how NZAS had significantly reduced the environmental impact of its operations during the past two decades and that it was committed to further reducing this impact.
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The environmental reports were submitted to Environment Southland annually and covered assessments of the atmospheric conditions, groundwater, and the landfill site.
Reports released by the aluminium producer last month show how seawater has started to creep into an area near where NZAS stores a highly toxic substance.
At the time, Environment Minister David Parker welcomed the reports but said he was waiting for a detailed report on the extent of contamination of the smelter site.
Hamilton said the smelter took its environmental responsibilities seriously, and that its environmental monitoring programme exceeded the requirements set by the regional council.
“Our monitoring systems give us ample warning of any issue and enable us to alter processes wherever necessary. There has never been an instance during our 50 years of operation which could harm the public or local communities,” he said.
The smelter released the information as part of its commitment “to work more collaboratively and transparently with our partners,” he said.
The business would continue to upload reports to its website as its Closure Study progressed, so all interested parties could see its environments monitoring and closure approach first hand, Hamilton said.