The contractor, who did not want to be named, said he was at the dump to drop off a truck-load of waste, and when he backed his truck up to the commercial dumping area he discovered the medical waste carpeting the ground.
Although it was not an area where members of the general public would drop off rubbish, a steady stream of commercial operators used the area and people regularly worked in the space the waste was found.
‘‘It’s definitely stuff you don’t want to prick yourself with.’’
He estimated there was enough waste to fill a 10-litre bucket, and it covered a patch of ground the length of his truck.
The ground it was found on was covered with dirt, gravel and other detritus, and cleaning up the medical waste would need to be done carefully.
The contractor said his boss was raising the issue with the Dunedin City Council, but he was personally sceptical that anything would come from it.
Green Island landfill is the only dump in the city with a consent for disposing of hazardous waste such as medical waste.
People dumping hazardous waste are expected to alert the booth operator of their intention to do so.
The Dunedin City Council was approached for comment on what steps had been taken to address the situation, and what consequences might apply to the person who dumped the medical waste if they were identified.
A council spokeswoman said that an investigation into the situation was under way, and the council could not comment until it was complete.
