Appeals against Marsden B coal use lodged

Environmental campaigners Greenpeace and Northland residents have lodged appeals to stop the mothballed Marsden B power plant near Whangarei being fired up with coal.

Appeals from Greenpeace, the Bream Bay Action Group and Ruakaka residents J and R Keith have been lodged with the Environment Court asking that it overturn resource consent for the power station at Ruakaka.

State-owned power generator Mighty River Power was last month granted consent to fire up the station, with strict conditions.

Mighty River was due to make a statement today on whether it would appeal the conditions imposed.

Experts have predicted that with mercury emissions limited to 3kg a year, it would not be viable for the company to run the station and Mighty River was likely to at least appeal that condition imposed by independent commissioners Peter Salmon, QC, Gary Venus, David Hill and air quality expert Mark Goldstone on behalf of the Whangarei District and Northland Regional councils.

Greenpeace climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson said the group would fight the consent. "We think it is outrageous to allow the first New Zealand coal-fired power station in 25 years to go ahead at a time when scientists warn that the world has only 10 years to act to avoid a climate change disaster."

Greenpeace's grounds for appeal include the commissioners' failure to consider climate change and renewable energy, other effects of carbon dioxide on the environment and the threat to human health and the environment posed by mercury, sulphur and dioxin emissions.

It also claims the commissioners did not correctly interpret the Resource Management Act by ignoring climate change in their decision and that the act does provide for that to be considered through the benefits of renewable energy development for reducing climate change emissions.

"Marsden B will shut out renewable energy sources, which otherwise would have lowered greenhouse pollution, so climate change is a relevant issue," Ms Atkinson said.

Marsden B would never be approved in the United States, Japan, Germany or Sweden because it was too dirty, according to Dr Phyllis Fox, a world-renowned scientist with over 35 years of experience in environmental assessment of power plants.

"Greenpeace brought this evidence to the hearing but the commissioners ignored this and other evidence of threats to the environment and human health," Ms Atkinson said.

Bream Bay Action Group lawyer Mark Ensor said its appeal was based on concerns over the effects of the plant on the environment and people.

It was disturbed about discharges to the air, marine environment and land from the station, accountability and lack of detail in the resource consent application.

Mr Ensor said the group was seeking funds to help it battle the resource consent decision.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)