Fined freezing works reports new breach of resource consent

The Kokiri freezing works has reported a recent breach of the resource consent that allows it to release treated effluent into the Arnold River.

The company’s owner, Anzco Food Kokiri Ltd. was prosecuted by the West Coast Regional Council and fined $60,000 by the Greymouth District Court this month for submitting false and misleading monitoring reports on its discharges in the past.

The company told the court the reports represented a “serious lapse of judgement” by a staff member, and it had since put in place a new system for environmental monitoring.

In response to inquiries by LDR, the Regional Council says Kokiri has since reported that it breached the conditions of its consent on April 7.

“ANZCO Food Kokiri self-reported to West Coast Regional Council that it exceeded the volume permitted to be discharged from its treatment ponds, as per its resource consent,” chief executive Darryl Lew confirmed.

WCRC staff were investigating.

It was usual to require operations of Kokiri’s size to self-report on their environmental performance, but they had to strictly monitor their operations and report any ‘exceedances’ as they happened, Mr Lew said.

The recent breach was the first the company had reported in 12 months.

Under its resource consent, the meatworks can release a maximum of 6100 cubic metres of wastewater a day into the Arnold from its oxidation ponds.

The effluent includes treated waste from the plant itself, from stock washdown, toilets and laundry.

The consent sets strict conditions for contaminants, including a maximum level for e.coli bacteria at sampling points in the river.

Regional Council records showed the company had reported exceeding those limits three times, none of them recent.

"Kokiri reported exceedances of e.coli limits in July 2023, February 2018 and June 2017,” Compliance Manager Chris Barnes said.

LDR has asked Anzco Foods if it has any plans to reduce or eliminate unsanctioned discharges, by increasing the size of its oxidation ponds or other measures.

The Regional Council could not say if it was considering changing the conditions of the company’s Kokiri resource consent, suggesting the question should be framed as a LGOIMA [Official Information} request.

- Lois Williams