A healthy mill?

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 432, 14 April 1992, Page 4

A healthy mill?

• Before the Karioi Pulp Mill was built the 'powers that be' promised us that there would be no pollution of the air, no smells and the Whangaehu would not be adversely affected. I took advantage of Phillip Wilson's recent offer to discuss mill matters directly and he tumed out to be a pleasant, approachable person. Later I realised that he had skilfully and nicely avoided my efforts to pin him down on what matters most to me, and others who live down wind of the mill. I quote first from his letter. 'Bacteria breaking down the sludge ... generates odorous gasses. These gasses can be smelled at extremely low concentrations and at these concentrations do not pose any documented health risk.' What he didn't say then was that Hydrogen Sulphide is used in the industrial process. Concentrations of 0.1% -

0.2% in the atmosphere .may be fatal in a few minutes. Now this is the part . that interests me. Prolonged exposure to low concentrations in the atmosphere may give rise to severe conjunctivitis, and other eye problems, irritation of the lungs, digestive disturbances, head-ache and skin rashes. Phillip did tell me that the contents of the ponds were regularly tested by a technician for this and that, but is the vapour that comes off the ponds and enters the atmosphere tested also? Is Phillip Wilson able to guarantee on behalf of the Karioi Pulp Mill that there is no health risk to people living down-wind of the mill? And is he able to tell us what concentration of Hydrogen Sulphide is contained in the vapour just above the ponds? If the mill is expanded in size will the risks increase? June Bates Tangiwai