KEY POINTS:
MP for Hutt South Trevor Mallard wants the Petone Exide battery recycling plant, which he describes as "a rusty mess", moved out of the area after tests showed it again discharged lead above allowable levels.
Mr Mallard said in an interview on Radio New Zealand the violation was "environmental vandalism".
Mr Mallard will meet with the regional council in the new year to discuss whether the plant can be forced to comply.
"They got a pretty light fine last time frankly, but made promises about not repeating the behaviour ... you just can't have toxic pollutants around in a residential area," he said.
The Greater Wellington Regional Council may prosecute the plant for its second air emissions breach this year.
On Monday Exide Technologies admitted breaching permitted lead-air emission levels in the three months to November 25.
Last month Exide was fined $5000 by the Environment Court after it pleaded guilty to discharging excessive lead into the air in March, April and May of this year.
Exide Technologies said it did not want to comment on Mr Mallard's latest comments.
The company has blamed the latest breach on "a single, abnormally high reading on one monitor" for raising the average level of emissions.
- NZPA
