A company wants to mine sand from the sea bed off the coast of Taranaki. However, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) today refused to give permission to the company.
The sand in Taranaki is black because it contains iron ore. Iron ore can be used for making steel. The company planned to take 50 million tonnes of sand each year from the bottom of the sea, 22 km off the coast of Patea. The idea was to take out the iron ore and return 45 million tonnes of sand back to the sea. The iron ore would be sold, probably to Japan or China. The company would create many jobs in Patea and help New Zealand’s economy by $240m a year. Patea is a small town with high unemployment.
4,800 submissions were made to the Environment Protection Authority about these plans. 99% of the submissions were against the plans. People were worried about the environmental effects on the ocean, especially on the fishing. They were concerned too that dumping sand back into the water would make the water dirty.
Vocabulary
- seabed – bottom of the sea, sea floor
- to mine – to take minerals from the land
- permission – saying “Yes”
- Environment Protection Authority – a government organisation
- submissions – people can write to the EPA or speak to their committee
- dumping – throwing a large amount of material quickly without taking care
I have been involved in the fishing industry for over 50 years and have fished exstensivly (although not currently)in area set aside for sea bed minning. This area must be concidered to be one of NZ most productive, both comercial and amature fishing grounds. When the Waipipi iron sands was opperating the slug from vessel pumping over-flow fowled the sea bed over a large area south of the loading bouy rendering fishing this region imposible. I understand slug over-flow represented 5% of total material pumped to the vessel as seperation took place on shore, surplace material returned directly to evacuation site. I understand that the proposed mining opperation will be returning over 90% of evacuated material.
There are conciderable tidal streams in proposed mining area. Durring out-going spring tides up to 2 knots setting South. This waste material has the potential to and will under above conditions, be carred conciderable distance from its discharge point before settling. I believe lighter materials will travel several kilometers down stream from opperations even if returned close to the sea bed via dischage pipeing. The impact on the marine enviroment both at the mining point and down stream from opperations I believe, at best, will be devistating, at worst marine genoside. In terms of the marine enviroment I find it dificult to understand how such a proposal could be given consideration. John Luff. 021838677 / 00685 7770220