Exide Technologies – resource consent for decommissioning
Exide Technologies announced on Wednesday 15 February that they will be closing their Petone Plant on 31 March 2012. Post 31 March 2012 Exide will begin to decommission the plant.
The decommissioning of the plant involves the cleaning and removal of machinery, the removal of the stacks and air treatment systems and the cleaning of the interior and exterior of the building. The decommissioning does not involve the deconstruction of the buildings or the digging up of foundations.
New consent application
Due to the potential for discharges to air from the decommissioning work, Greater Wellington asked Exide to apply for resource consent, to ensure conditions are in place for the activities.
Exide lodged a decommissioning plan and consent application with Greater Wellington on 26 March 2012. Greater Wellington granted resource consent on 24 April 2012. The consent conditions ensure there are effective processes and controls in place to limit any discharges to air to a safe level for the surrounding community.
Continued lead in air monitoring
Exide, through the new consent will continue monitoring lead in air discharges from its ‘fenceline’ monitors during the decommissioning phase and for up to three months upon completion of the decommissioning. The existing lead in air limits, as set down by the Environment Court in 2006, will apply for the duration of the decommissioning phase. This will ensure that the health of the community’s most sensitive members is protected.
Monitoring of the decommissioning
Greater Wellington has developed a compliance monitoring strategy for the decommissioning phase. This focuses on the auditing of the lead in air results through the decommissioning phase to ensure they are within the consent limits. We will also inspect the plant at critical phases to ensure the conditions of the consent are being met.
Contaminated site and land use
The Exide site is listed on Greater Wellington’s selected land use register because it is a HAIL site. That is a site where a potentially hazardous industry has taken place over the years.
Whether there is actual contamination or not isn’t known until there is a change in land use and an investigation is carried out.
Exide is still the site owner, and there would have to be a change in land use on the site for these investigations to be triggered. While Greater Wellington holds the contaminated site register, under the Resource Management Act 1991, City and District Councils are responsible for ensuring that no health or environmental effects occur when potentially contaminated land is subdivided, developed or the land use changes.
If you have any questions regarding this matter you can contact the Environment Helpdesk on 04 830 4255.