GRAHAM SKELLERN
NEARLY 120 businesses in one of Tauranga's major industrial areas are about to be assessed on the quality of their waste management systems.
A joint project team from Environment Bay of Plenty and Tauranga City Council will first centre on Maleme St and adjacent Glenlyon Ave as it develops an industrial pollution prevention programme for the region.
The team of 12 officers will be checking land, air and water discharges particularly stormwater that flows into the Waimapu Estuary.
"We want to work with industry to minimise their impact and create a better environment - rather than taking a heavy-handed approach," said project manager Adrian Heays, a pollution prevention officer with Environment Bay of Plenty.
"It is an information gathering exercise to get a handle on the extent of the problem. We particularly want to protect the estuary which is an important habitat for bird, fish and plant life."
Mr Heays said there were some cases of dissolvable contaminants such as zinc and copper flowing in the drains and streams from Maleme St.
"They can be more harmful to marine than human health."
The officers will visit all the businesses during the first two weeks of April.
They will make on-site assessments and give suggestions if any of their systems need to be tidied up. They will then return at a later date to see if the improvements have been made.
"We are striving for best practice on sites to prevent pollution. I'm sure most people want to maintain the quality of our harbour and fisheries," said Mr Heays.
He was confident that most of the Maleme St businesses were complying. But there might be issues such as spillage from refuelling vehicles, washing them over a stormwater drain, and dust blowing in to the neighbour's business.
Mr Heays indicated there were about 20 high-risk businesses and they will have a more thorough assessment. There may be some cases where discharge consents are required.