Pollution

Are there any rules relating to the investigation of contaminated land? In July 2004 Chapter 4 of Environment Canterbury’s Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan was notified. Following the notification of this plan, several new rules became operat ...
Are there other ways besides having a spill kit to reduce the risks of spills on your site? Typically, spills happen accidentally but you can improve your site practices to minimise your risk: • Keep your site tidy to prevent containers from being knocked over. • C ...
Are you going to ban woodburners and open fires anywhere other than Christchurch, Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Ashburton at any stage in the future? Air quality may well be a problem in other towns in Canterbury, but there are no definite plans for a wider ban. As well as the four centres, Environment Canterbury monitors air q ...
Can I have a fire on the beach? It may be possible to have a bonfire on the beach as long as certain conditions are met. These conditions relate to separation distances from other activities and offence to other ...
Can I light a barbecue/hangi/umu on my residential property? Yes - however smoke should not cause any offensive or objectionable effect beyond the boundary of your property.If you want to prepare for a hangi or umu, please ring Environment ...
Can I light an outdoor fire on my rural property? Yes - as long as the following is true: your property is zoned rural there is no winter fire ban (applies to properties in Clean Air Zones) there is no city/district council summ ...
Can I light an outdoor fire or brazier on my residential property? It is not possible to light an outdoor fire or brazier on a property zoned residential - there is a total outdoor fire ban in place on residential sections throughout Canterbury a ...
Do I need a spill kit? Accidental spills occur frequently in the workplace so, if you have hazardous substances on your site, you need to make sure you can respond quickly. It’s your responsibility ...
Does an enforcement officer need the occupier's or owner's permission to enter a property to investigate a smoky chimney (pollution complaint)? An enforcement officer can enter the grounds of a property in pursuit of their duties without permission and will always carry a warrant card that authorises them to do so. Howeve ...
Does Environment Canterbury provide financial assistance when I want to buy a spill kit? If you participate in Environment Canterbury’s Pollution Prevention Programme, you will receive a discount voucher that you can use when buying spill kits and spill kit supplies. ...
How can I find out if my land is contaminated? You can request a search for this information by filling in an on-line or printable version of a Land Information Request form, or by contacting customer services. Please refe ...
How can I find out whether I live in Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1? Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1 roughly comprises the urban area of Christchurch. Find out about the zone boundary by checking the map on our website. ...
How can I prepare myself for a spill emergency? Any company that uses hazardous substances should have spill containment and clean up equipment or a spill kit. This should include equipment for: Containing and cleaning up ...
How do I know whether I have Endosulfan on my property? Endosulfan has been used as an insecticide on crops and turf but is not sold for domestic use anymore. The following products containing endosulfan were sold in New Zealand for co ...
How does Environment Canterbury manage contaminated land? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
How does Environment Canterbury manage information on contaminated sites? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
How many sites are on the Listed Land Use Register? In September 2009, the number of sites entered on the LLUR was as follows: At or below background concentrations: 15 Below guideline values - Agricultural: 1 Below guideline value ...
I can smell strong car exhaust fumes. Who deals with it? At the present time, Environment Canterbury is not following up on vehicle emission concerns. This issue is being dealt with nationally by the Ministry for the Environment. The po ...
I discovered a leaking storage tank. Who deals with it? Generally pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24 hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. However you may have been referred to Customers Services because of Po ...
I discovered a leaking watermain/irrigation pipe. Who deals with it? If the leak is from a water main you will need to call your District Council to report the leak.If the leak is from an irrigation pipe you can call Environment Canterbury who can ...
I found an algal bloom in the river/lake/sea. Can I still swim in it? Never swim or take part in any activity that may result in accidental consumption or exposure to water affected by algal blooms if a health warning is in place for that area, even ...
I have an old fuel storage tank and want to remove it. What do I need to do? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
I have been sold wet firewood. What can I do about it? The Consumer Guarantees Act, administered by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, covers the supply of firewood. This requires that goods must be fit for the purpose they are sold/bo ...
I have Endosulfan on my property. Can I spray it or use it to get rid of it? No. Using Endosulfan or spraying it on land or water to get rid of it contravenes both the Resource Management Act (RMA) and Hazardous Substances and Organisms Act (HSNO). Also, ...
I have found a dumped car/rubbish/dead animals/offal. Who deals with it? This depends on where the dumping took place. If it was on a road or a park your local District Council will be responsible. In Environment Canterbury regional parks the Environme ...
I have found dirty water going into the stormwater/stream. Who deals with it? It depends on where the pollution took place and the severity. If it was on a road, road side or gutter Territorial Authorities are responsible. If it was in waterways Environment ...
I have hazardous agrichemicals. Can I dispose of them through the Agrecovery scheme? The Agrecovery chemicals scheme covers a wide range of agrichemicals - people should contact Agrecovery for more information. ...
I have seen contractors working in a stream/river/lake. Is this allowed? Generally a resource consent is required for this kind of activity. However the works may be carried out under a global consent for maintenance. If here is doubt about the legalit ...
I have some concerns about asbestos in my home. Who should I contact? Your first point of call would be the Department of Labour. They have a list of certified contractors for the removal of asbestos. For general information on asbestos in your home ...
I have some Endosulfan and want to dispose of it. How can I do this? Endosulfan is an insecticide that is highly toxic to people and the environment and is bioaccumulative (builds up in organisms). It has been used on vegetable, berry, fruit and fl ...
If I get my land/soil tested for contamination who will pay for that? The cost of site investigations are the landowners responsibility. In some exceptional cases there may be funding available from the Ministry for the Environment’s Contaminated S ...
If I get the results from a site investigation and the land is not contaminated, will you remove all information from your Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) and give me back my money for the test? No - all new information will be added to the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR), and the category may change depending on the results of the site investigation. That new informatio ...
If I think a neighbour’s property is contaminated and I report it to Environment Canterbury will you add that information to the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) without verifying it? Environment Canterbury has a process to make sure that the information we include on the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) is correct, which includes getting the site owner to veri ...
If my tenants use the fire, who will you take action against? Both tenants and landlords are legally liable for the unlawful use of an open fire or an older solid fuel burner and Environment Canterbury may take action against both. Liability ...
In the case of a spill are there any materials I shouldn’t use for absorbents? You should try to avoid using any material that may be flammable, especially when mixed with oils or fuels. For example, sawdust is sometimes used as an absorbent despite not ...
In the event of a spill, who can I contact for help or advice? Environment Canterbury has a 24-Hour Pollution Hotline, which you can call immediately for help and advice about containing and cleaning up your spill. You should have an emer ...
Is there any money available for me to investigate my site? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
Is there anything else that people can do to help improve Air Quality? Even if you have a complying, low-emission woodburner, using it correctly can make a huge difference to its efficiency and to how much pollution it makes. Use dry wood with a ...
Isn't power too unreliable for home heating in rural areas? The electricity supply can be unreliable in some rural areas, however air pollution is not usually a problem outside residential areas. On properties greater than 2 hectare you ca ...
My next door neighbour is stockpiling smelly compost/waste. Is this allowed? If your neighbour is residential it will be the District Council that is responsible. Is the incident occurring at present? If yes Environment Canterbury will follow it up depen ...
Reporting Pollution Issues on the Chatham Islands If there has been a pollution spill or incident on the Chatham Islands you can ring Environment Canterbury's Pollution Hotline to report the issue. Environment Canterbury will the ...
Someone has spilled oil/trade waste/paint onto the road/gutter. Who deals with it? It depends on where the pollution took place. If the spill is on a road controlled by New Zealand Transport Agency then please call them as they are responsible. If its on any ot ...
Someone is spreading animal effluent in my area. Is this allowed? The person spreading the animal effluent must have prior approval from Environment Canterbury. Please call our Customer Services team or the Pollution Hotline to confirm they are ...
Stock effluent has been dumped onto the road/into a waterbody. Who deals with it? Generally pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24 hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. However you may have been referred to Customers Services because of Po ...
Stock is accessing the stream/river/lake. Who deals with it? Generally pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24 hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. However you may have been referred to Customers Services because of Po ...
The car wreckers next door are discharging oil/break fluid into the ground/stream. Who deals with it? Generally pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24 hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. However you may have been referred to Customers Services because of Po ...
The farmer next door is dumping animal carcases into an offal pit. Is this allowed? The dumping of dead animals into pits on rural properties is a widespread practice and can be an effective method of disposing of dead stock. However, dead animal matter is a sour ...
The next door factory/freezing works is discharging smelly fumes/effluent. Can you stop this? Is the incident occurring at present? If yes, Environment Canterbury will follow it up depending on availability of the monitoring or enforcement officers. However, if it occurred ...
The next door timber treatment plant is discharging wastewater into a stream/stormwater. Who deals with it? Generally pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24 hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. However you may have been referred to Customers Services because of Po ...
The next door truck wash is discharging wastewater into a roadside, gutter, river, stream. Who deals with it? It depends on where the pollution took place. If the spill is on a road controlled by Transit New Zealand then please call them as they are responsible. Any other roads, road sid ...
There are strong smells coming from the pig/poultry farm next door. Who deals with it? Is the incident occurring at present? If yes Environment Canterbury will follow it up depending on availablitly of the monitoring or enforcement officers. However if it occurred i ...
There are strong smells coming from the septic tank/silage pit next door. Who deals with it? Is the incident occurring at present? If yes Environment Canterbury will follow it up depending on availablitly of the monitoring or enforcement officers. However if it occurred i ...
What are contamination risk factors? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
What are rubbish free parks? Environment Canterbury Regional Parks are rubbish free parks. Rubbish bins are not provided by Environment Canterbury. To keep the parks clean and beautiful visitors are responsib ...
What are some of Environment Canterbury’s current contaminated site investigation projects? Background concentrations of trace elements in Canterbury soils Lead contamination from gun and clay target clubs in Canterbury Potential contamination of horticultural land in ...
What are the minimum requirements for backflow prevention? The minimum requirements for backflow prevention are set out in the document “Backflow Prevention in Canterbury” prepared by the irrigation industry and stakeholder representative ...
What are the restrictions on outdoor burning in Ashburton? If you live on a property that has been zoned residential by the Ashburton District Council, you are not allowed to have an outdoor fire on your property at any time of the year, ...
What are the restrictions on outdoor burning in Kaiapoi or Rangiora? If you live on a property that has been zoned residential by the Waimakariri District Council, you are not allowed to have an outdoor fire on your property at any time of the year ...
What are the serious effects on health caused by pollution from home heating? Environment Canterbury has been monitoring air quality in Canterbury for a number of years. We have been concerned about the levels of PM10 within the smoke emissions. PM10 is ma ...
What does an environmental consultant do when investigating a contaminated site? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
What does Environment Canterbury do about contaminated sites? Environment Canterbury undertakes a wide variety of work with regard to the identification and management of contaminated land in the region. One of our main goals is to identify ...
What does the Hazardous Waste Management Strategy not cover? At this stage the Hazardous Waste Management Strategy does not include management of trade wastes discharged to municipal sewerage systems, or sewage. However, any appropriat ...
What enforcement tools do Environment Canterbury have available to them when responding to environmental offences? Environmental offences can be serious criminal offences under the Resource Management Act. Offenders can be imprisoned for up to two years and fined up to $200,000. The Environ ...
What information does Environment Canterbury have on contaminated land and sites? Environment Canterbury maintains an electronic database called the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) to store information it holds about sites that have a past or present land use d ...
What is a contaminated site? The Resource Management Act (RMA) defines contaminated land as land of one of the following kinds: (a) If there is an applicable national environmental standard on contaminants in ...
What is a Land Information Request (LIR)? Please refer to the Environment Canterbury website (see link below). ...
What is a site investigation? A site investigation is undertaken to determine whether a site is contaminated and to what extent. A site investigation has to be carried out following the removal of an undergrou ...
What is a spill kit? A spill kit consists of spill containment and clean up equipment which is specific to clean up a potential spill of hazardous substances stored and handled on your company premise ...
What is hazardous waste? Hazardous wastes are unwanted chemicals or materials which have dangerous properties such as corrosiveness, explosiveness, flammability, toxicity, ecotoxicity or capacity to oxidi ...
What is passive discharge from contaminated sites? If contaminants are present in soils there is the potential for them to move through the ground into the groundwater. This has been described as a “passive discharge” and it is th ...
What is the Canterbury Hazardous Waste Management Strategy? The Canterbury Hazardous Waste Management Strategy was produced in 2001 as part of the commitment by local authorities in Canterbury to improve the management of hazardous wastes. ...
What is the Environment Canterbury Pollution Prevention Programme? Environment Canterbury's Pollution Prevention Programme (PPP) offers ratepayer funded (no direct cost) assistance to Canterbury businesses to help them improve their environmental ...
What is the HAIL? The HAIL stands for MfE’s Hazardous Activities and Industries List . It is a list of certain activities or industries which are considered to have a higher potential to cause land ...
What is the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR)? The Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) is an electronic database which Environment Canterbury uses to store specific information about sites that have a past or present land use deta ...
What is the long-term objective of the Hazardous Waste Management Strategy? The long-term objective of the Hazardous Waste Management Strategy is the progressive reduction and ultimately elimination of adverse effects of hazardous waste on the environment ...
What is the national agrichemical container collection? Farm plastic is a persistent and growing problem for farmers and growers throughout New Zealand. Agrichemical containers should not be burned as a disposal method because of the p ...
What is the Pollution Prevention Guide (PPG)? The Pollution Prevention Guide (PPG) is designed as an educational self assessment tool for industry. It will help your business comply with the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) ...
What is the process of reporting pollution or other environmental incidents? Pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24 hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. We will then be able to refer the incident to the Environment Canterbury monito ...
What is the situation regarding contamination at Lyttelton dry dock? Lyttelton inner harbour has an area of contaminated sediment. This contamination is the result of historic boat maintenance activities at the dry dock. These activities (e.g. the ...
What is the Small Spills Response online training course? The Small Spills Response online training course is aimed at raising awareness of employees on how to react properly if there is a small spill of a hazardous substances. The targe ...
What other items will I need to use with my spill kit? You’ll need to have suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available to clean up spills. Here is a list of some protective items: • protective gloves • safety glass ...
What should I do if I am buying or selling a property which is contaminated? The landowner is generally responsible and liable for cleaning up a contaminated site, even if contamination wascaused by a previous owner. Find out about the previous uses of t ...
What should my spill kit contain? Environment Canterbury can provide good information on what you need for spill prevention and spill management,. ...
When will I need to get rid of my open fire/old woodburner in Christchurch? You are not required to replace an open fire or old woodburner. However, in Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1 you will not be allowed to use an open fire or old woodburner from 1 Apri ...
When you inform site owners that their land is on the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) will you give them an idea about the severity of contamination? ECan only identifies specific land uses associated with hazardous substance use, storage or disposal listed on the Ministry for the Environment’s Hazardous Activities and Industri ...
Where can I get a spill kit from? Many health and safety suppliers and retailers sell full spill kits ranging in size, type and price. The majority of retailers also sell individual spill kit components so you c ...
Where in Canterbury can I find stock truck effluent disposal sites? There are 6 in-transit stock truck effluent disposal sites currently open in Canterbury: Glasnevin Commercial Vehicle Compliance Station and Stock Effluent Disposal Site, SH 1 ...
Where should the spill kit be located? Your spill kit should be located near your hazardous substances storage site or use area and should be easy to access. Depending on what substances you store and use on-site, ...
Which will be the next areas in Canterbury where sites will be identified during Environment Canterbury’s current Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) identification project? Environment Canterbury’s Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) identification project is currently active in the Ashburton District and the Christchurch area. Site ident ...
Who can I contact when I notice air pollution, a smoky chimney or when I suspect an open fire or old woodburner is being used during the winter ban? Pollution related complaints should be reported to the 24-hour Pollution Hotline on 0800 76 55 88. The incident is then referred to the Environment Canterbury monitoring or enforc ...
Who has access to the information Environment Canterbury holds on the Listed Land Use Register? Environment Canterbury recognises the sensitive nature of the information it holds about sites which are, or may be, contaminated. Information about site contamination is only ...
Who is responsible for picking up rubbish dumped along McLeans Island and Chattertons Roads? If offenders can’t be identified the Christchurch City Council arranges the removal of rubbish along McLeans Island and Chattertons Roads. District and city councils are responsib ...
Why do you measure air pollution in only one place, the most polluted place? The National Environmental Standard (NES) for Air Quality requires Environment Canterbury to measure air pollution in the most polluted place to ensure the whole airshed meets the ...
Why do you prohibit the use of open fires and old woodburners in Christchurch in the winter? Isn’t that when you need them? Christchurch has poor air quality at times, particularly during the winter. The largest cause of winter pollution is home heating. This is why Environment Canterbury have prohibit ...
Why don’t you educate people on how to use their woodburner better? We are doing that now. Please consult our website to find ways to maximise the use of your woodburner and get more heat out of your fire. ...
Why have I received a letter about my old woodburner? Environment Canterbury has begun sending letters out to property owners who have woodburners that are at least 15 years old. The letter informs them of the date they will not be a ...
Why is a spill a problem? A spill of any hazardous substance on your site can pollute the environment if it is not dealt with properly. A spill outdoors may run into the stormwater system and pollute the ...
Why is a spill down the storm water drain a problem? Usually stormwater drains directly into local waterways without any treatment, which means: contamination will affect a wide area. members of the public may be placed at risk ...
Why is contamination a problem? Some contaminants break down in the soil very slowly, while some don’t break down at all, so they may be present on a site for a very long time. Contaminants can leach into wat ...
Why is Environment Canterbury collecting information on contaminated sites when the district council issues the Land Information Memorandums (LIMs) and Project Information Memorandums (PIMs)? The NZ Waste Strategy includes a target for all regional councils to have identified all sites with activities listed on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL). Reg ...
Why is Environment Canterbury placing restrictions on the types of home heating people can install in their homes? A number of Canterbury towns and cities have poor air quality at times, particularly during the winter. The largest cause of winter pollution in Canterbury towns is home heating. ...
Why is there so little time for people to prepare for the changes to the Air Plan rules? Consultation on this rule started in 2002 when a brochure covering the proposed ban was sent to every letterbox in Christchurch. At that time it was proposed that the use of open ...
Why was Endosulfan banned from use and being sold? After considering public submissions the Environmental Risk Management Authority ERMA decided to ban it because the risks of its continued use were considered to outweigh the bene ...
Why would Environment Canterbury issue an abatement notice? Abatement Notices can be issued under sections of the Resource Management Act in any situation where an Enforcement Officer has reasonable grounds to believe there are adverse eff ...
Why would Environment Canterbury issue an infringement notice? Infringement notices are suitable for responding quickly to relatively minor offences that do not warrant prosecution. When an alleged offence is classified as an infringement, it ...
Will Environment Canterbury take enforcement action for breaches of the clean air rules where people are unable to comply because of the earthquakes? No. Many people will be living under difficult and unusual circumstances this winter and Environment Canterbury have recognised this. Environment Canterbury will not be taking ac ...
Will I be informed of the outcome when I report a environmental incident? You will be informed of the outcome if you request it but this may not be immediately as it may take Environment Canterbury a period of time to investigate the complaint. ...
Will the information Environment Canterbury is collecting about contaminated sites go on the Land Information Memorandum (LIM)? District councils issue Land Information Memorandums (LIMs), and it is up to them to decide what information goes on the property file. For information to go in a LIM there must b ...

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