Miner commits to improving water quality

Solid Energy today announced plans to spend $20 million over the next three years to improve water quality discharged from its Stockton Opencast Mine, north east of Westport.

The state-owned coal producer said it would seek resource consents next month for the multi-million dollar project, which would be carried out over three years.

The project is aimed at improving the quality of water discharging into the Managatini Stream, and from there, to the Ngakawau River.

If the necessary resource consents are granted and other agreements reached Solid Energy said work would begin by the end of the year.

The coal producer said it planned to reduce the amount of coarse sediment and dirt in water used in operation mining areas, and also lower the amount of fine coal particles in the water.

The company said large scale water treatment facilities would be built around the Mangatini Stream and its tributary, Ford Creek.

This would drain the area of the Stockton Plateau that is most affected by fine coal particles.

Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder said the company has been researching causes of degraded water quality in the Ngakawa River for the past three years, and looking at what improvements could be made.

"The planned work has been extensively peer reviewed by independent experts and is supported by our stakeholder -- the local community, the regional council and the Department of Conservation -- as urgent,'' Dr Elder said.

- NZPA