Environment Minister briefed on Exide discharges

Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Fran Wilde today met with Environment Minister Trevor Mallard to brief him on recent discharges to air from Exide Technologies' battery recycling and recovery facility at Petone, particularly an apparent breach of discharge limits in November 2007.

"I told the Minister that Greater Wellington is taking this matter very seriously," Fran Wilde said.

"The Minister was also briefed on the nature of resource consents that apply to Exide and the monitoring history of discharges from this site.

"Greater Wellington recently successfully prosecuted Exide in the Environment Court for a breach of limits that occurred in March 2007.

"We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding what appears to be another unauthorised discharge from the plant in November 2007. Associated with this investigation is the retesting of samples taken at that time in order to validate the first set of results, and also getting information from Exide about events at the plant that may have contributed to this apparent breach of consent conditions. Results are expected in late January.

"Once we have all of this information, Greater Wellington will then decide on the most appropriate course of action, which may involve taking another prosecution against Exide," Fran Wilde said.

ENDS

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