Cruise ships' waste firm faces probe

MAF is checking the company responsible for making cruise-liner rubbish safe. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

A company that treats quarantined waste from cruise ships is being investigated after allegations it has been dumping rubbish without treating it properly.

International Waste - which denies any wrongdoing - has a contract with Ports of Auckland to collect all waste brought in by ships and treat it to make sure it is not a biosecurity threat before disposing of it.

It is not known how much waste is alleged to have been dumped without proper treatment.

MAF Biosecurity said yesterday it was investigating the company over its treatment of waste from cruise ships, but would not comment further as the investigation was continuing.

The Herald understands MAF will complete its investigations next week and then decide whether to lay charges.

A spokesman for International Waste said MAF regularly carried out compliance checks on the company.

Biosecurity controls require that all waste from ships and planes is packaged and taken in sealed trucks to a treatment facility where it is sterilised before being dumped.

A spokesman for Trans-Pacific Industries, whose rubbish dump is used by International Waste, said he would be concerned if any of the company's clients was not properly treating waste before dumping it.

Ports of Auckland general manager Wayne Mills said International Waste had told the port company that MAF was checking whether timber was being correctly treated.

Mr Mills said there was no indication yet that there was a problem with International Waste's processes.

"Obviously we would be concerned if there is a problem, but we don't know there's any issue yet."

International Waste's website says a steam sterilisation unit has replaced the incinerator at Auckland International Airport that previously cremated quarantine and medical wastes.

MAF states that refuse that is treated in a steam sterilisation unit must be subjected to a core temperature of 100C for 30 minutes.

The ministry says it carefully monitors equipment used for the disposal of quarantined materials.

It makes monthly tests on steam sterilisation machines for their first six months of use.

Steam sterilisation is considered more environmentally friendly than incineration.

Bags of waste are broken open by the machine and injected with steam, which breaks down the waste and kills bacteria.

International Waste's plant at the airport processes more than 600 tonnes of quarantined and medical waste a month.