Thoes who had made submissions on the matter are not surprised by Fonterra's reaction to proposed conditions of consent to expand its Studholme plant.
The decision on whether Fonterra will get approval for its planned expansion is due in mid to late June.
In its response to what Environment Canterbury (ECan) proposed, Fonterra made several points, including asserting that ECan misunderstood the operation of pathogen-monitoring conditions and accusing ECan officers of recommending monitoring for "monitoring's sake''.
A Fonterra spokesman said in a statement the dairy company was working closely with ECan concerning proposed changes to the Studholme consent application.
"As with any consent application, we expect a certain level of feedback and request for further information. We support and respect the process and believe it will bring the best result for all parties.''
Fonterra would not comment on aspects of its report.
Submitters made their views on the expansion clear to hearing commissioners in April.
One, Prof Liz Slooten, of Otago University, said she was not surprised at Fonterra's legal counsel's response to ECan's proposed monitoring conditions.
Both the proposed pathogen monitoring Fonterra wanted to do and what ECan wanted were far too little to really offer environmental and public protection, she said.
"If ECan was better funded, they would be out there once a week monitoring those pathogens. That would be the ideal; an independent agency and to be doing the monitoring reasonably frequently and doing so unannounced.''
She said if the pathogen-monitoring scheme went through, it would lead to potential negative effects on humans and the local Hector's dolphin population.
The pathogens that would be discharged via an outfall would put the mammals at undue risk, Prof Slooten said.
Wise Response Society (Wise) secretary Dugald MacTavish said the society believed "the entire dried milk operation from paddock to smokestack was of a scale and nature that was unsustainable - environmentally, economically and therefore socially - and should not proceed''.
An ECan spokeswoman said the proposal was at a very critical stage so it would not make any further comments now.
