Dumping fracking chemicals

Fracking waste on farmland questioned

Taranaki Regional Council insists it is following international best practice in allowing fracking waste to be disposed of on farmland, even though the Canadian province it's modelling itself on doesn't allow such waste on agricultural land.

Radio NZ

17 December, 2013

Fracking is the mining process that involves high-pressure injection of water and a cocktail of chemicals far below the earth's surface to access oil and gas.

The regional council says it bases its controversial practice of putting the waste on farmland - an operation known as land-farming - on what Alberta is doing.

But the Alberta Energy Regulator has told Radio New Zealand it does not allow fracking waste to be applied to farmland and insists it be disposed of in industrial waste facilities.

It says fracking waste, as opposed to waste from traditional drilling operations, is not suitable for agricultural land.

Taranaki Regional Council director of environment quality Gary Bedford says the council knows the practice is safe because it has also carried out its own testing.

Mr Bedford says fracking waste is, in many ways, no different from waste produced during any other drilling or exploration activity.

"There will be essentially trivial changes in chemical makeup - and I mean trivial in the sense of ecological consequences."

Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme New Zealand's regulation of the industry is not good enough.

"This is a risky activity with toxic substances and real health and environmental impact so it's fair and reasonable to demanding best practice. Clearly that's not being met in this case."

The Ministry for Primary Industries was not immediately available for comment.

Listen to Gareth Hughes on Morning Report