Environment Canterbury (the Canterbury Regional Council) has filed an appeal to the High Court against the sentence imposed by Judge Smith on Steelbro NZ Ltd on November 1, 2006 in the Christchurch District Court for a spill of a large quantity of diesel that polluted the Heathcote River and killed wild ducks in early 2005. The original sentence required Steelbro to pay a fine of $10,000, undertake an upgrade of its site to reduce the risk of future spills and reimburse the Regional Council for $20,000 of the $80,000 in costs it incurred in responding to and cleaning up the spill. The Regional Council will explain its full reasons for the appeal to the High Court as and when the matter is heard in open Court.

ENDS

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