One of the most extensive and complicated site investigations ever carried out by the Taranaki Regional Council has helped to defi ne a way forward in dealing with the old Patea Freezing Works.The Ministry for the Environment, the Taranaki Regional Council and the South Taranaki District Council funded the 10-month project to assess contamination at the site. However, an unexpected and serious interruption came on Waitangi Day, when a major fire left the site a tangled and hazardous mess.

Many townsfolk were evacuated as a safety precaution during the blaze, a move which attracted widespread media attention and prompted much public discussion and debate on the state and future of the old works.

The fire also resulted in further questions and uncertainty over ownership of some parts of the site.
Through it all, Taranaki Regional Council staff persevered with the site investigation until its conclusion in May – on budget and only slightly delayed.

The investigation found that the major environmental and public health issues are asbestos and PCBs. Analysis of soil, groundwater, ash debris and buried wastes, and marine ecological surveys of the Patea River and adjoining estuary found no evidence of other potential problems.

The asbestos fi bres contaminate the ash and debris left by the fire. As reported in the April edition of Recount, this problem is being kept at bay in the medium term by the innovative use of a polymer binding to coat the ash and debris. The PCBs are in old switchboard equipment, some ofwhich has already been removed from the site and disposed of safely.

Also contained in the report was an estimate from a specialist environmental contamination and remediation company that the total cost of completely demolishing and cleaning up the entire site would be $1.6 – $2 million, substantially less than the $5 million initially suggested.
Subsequently, the Minister for the Environment, Trevor Mallard has announced a $1.5 million allocation to help with cleaning up the site.

“This clean-up is a good example of how central and local government can work in partnership to rid New Zealand of the worst abandoned contaminated sites,’ Mr Mallard says.
The South Taranaki District Mayor, Ross Dunlop, welcomed the findings of the site investigation.
Mr Dunlop says now that the scope of the contamination problem is known, plans can be made to clean up the site.

Mr Mallard says the clean-up could take 40 weeks.

The project will be managed by the local councils and will involve input from health authorities and the Labour Department.

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