A record-breaking fine for companies dumping contaminated
earthquake waste in Christchurch is the outcome of a District Court
ruling, which described the practice as a "complete
disaster."
The case (Canterbury Regional Council v Coutts Island Holdings
Ltd) related to the disposal of an estimated 5000 cubic metres of
contaminated materials removed from buildings being demolished
following the Canterbury earthquakes.
A total of $165,000 in fines and costs orders was imposed after
two companies and a company director pleaded guilty to discharging
contaminants to land in contravention of the Resource Management
Act (RMA).
The regional council regarded the offending as the worst of its
type seen in post-earthquake Christchurch. It estimated that
between 800 and 1000 truckloads of contaminated material would have
been dumped, costing up to $2 million in landfill fees.
