Waste plant fined $71k for tūtae stink

An industrial waste disposal site in Taranaki has been fined $71,250 for spreading a stink that smelled like poo and pig effluent.

Poultry farm waste, slaughtered cow stomach contents, petroleum drilling muds and other waste was trucked to Remediation New Zealand’s site at Urutī northeast of New Plymouth for more than 20 years.

Judge Melinda Dickey ruled that council site assessments left no doubt the odour was objectionable, and there were likely offensive smells at times outside of inspections.

“The effects of the offending were serious,” Judge Dickey wrote.

“Offensive odour can be pervasive and life-altering.”

“It is difficult to escape, and I have no doubt that those experiencing it would have been revolted and distressed."

Remediation NZ's haunga waste piles have landed it a $71,250 fine (Photo courtesy Taranaki Regional Council)

Consented as a composting plant and worm farm, the company allowed a 20,000-tonne stockpile to build up, contaminated with arsenic, hydrocarbons, chemical additives, and treated-timber sawdust.

Remediation NZ, which sells its compost under the Revital brand, pleaded guilty last year to ‘discharging odorous compounds’ in 2024 – the latest in a string of convictions and infringements.

Resource consents prohibit the escape of offensive or objectionable odours but cold air drainage from surrounding hills spreads putrid smells to the company’s rural Urutī neighbours.

The Urutī operation was shut down by the Environment Court in 2024, but the company appealed the decision, so its consents remain valid.

Remediation NZ managing director Kerry O’Neill declined an interview, saying he had no comment to make on the sentencing.

Judge Dickey said Remediation NZ was “highly careless”.

She said the company didn’t deserve a sentence discount for “belated” remedial steps.

Taranaki Regional Council issued Remediation NZ 16 abatement notices and 34 infringement notices, including four abatement notices and 16 infringement notices for odour incidents, between July 2009 and January 2024.

The company has eight previous convictions under the RMA, including a conviction in 2010 for five discharges from the Urutī site.

TRC inspectors smelled odours with an “unpleasant pig effluent character” and an “unpleasant faecal character” when visiting from March to June 2024.

The stink was assessed as "offensive and objectionable" and during one check they smelled it two-and-a-half kilometres from the site.

One of the site's nearest neighbours, Dawn Bendall, said the community had suffered a great deal and needed legal and other expert advice to deal with the company’s impacts.

“The odour caused multiple days off school for the children and countless days where we have been unable to work due to sickness.”

“It’s respiratory problems, rashes, headaches, eye infections, body and stomach aches and after all that post-traumatic stress disorder.

“This sentence, it feels like justice is beginning to prevail.”

Two years ago in the Environment Court Taranaki’s Medical Officer of Health said symptoms occurred during odour discharges, with biologically plausible effects not explained by alternative causes.

Air quality specialist Lou Wickham found Remediation NZ was likely emitting hydrogen sulphides and other sulphides including methyl mercaptan, ammonia and amines, and volatile organic compounds.

Jarman and Wickham agreed “discharges to air from Remediation NZ are likely to be causing significant adverse health effects on neighbouring residents.”

Another nearby neighbour, Johnny Oxenham, was cheered by a win after more than 20 years of odour pollution.

“A big thank you to the compliance offices from Taranaki Regional Council and all involved to make this outcome successful.”

Ninety per cent of the fine will be paid to the regional council.

The council’s compliance manager Jared Glasgow welcomed the win given the company’s repeated failures to comply with consent obligations.

The severity of the fine and the lack of discounts for mitigation or good behaviour reflected the seriousness of the case, he said.

“Victim impact statements show that the offending had a hugely detrimental impact on residents in the Uruti Valley.

“Our officers saw this for themselves during the inspections.”

nā Craig Ashworth craig@tekorimako.co.nz

LDR is local body journalism hosted by Te Korimako o Taranaki with pūtea from Te Reo Irirangi of Aotearoa and Irirangi te Motu