Toxic Materials in Rubbish Washed Up by Flood Waters in West Coast

The flood waters brought in toxic materials with the rubbish washed up along the West Coast from an abandoned landfill. The Westland District Council said rubbish had been sighted as far north as Okarito and south to Martins Bay in Fiordland. The Council said the river spreading the rubbish from the closed Fox Glacier Township Landfill has been successfully diverted.

Mike Bilodeau, volunteer response coordinator said are precautionary measures to avoid poisonous chemicals as they retrieve piles of rubbish. “We have found some herbicide jugs with liquid in there. We don’t know whats inside of it, plastic containers that say toxic on them that have liquid inside, roofing panels with asbestos and some oil container.” Bilodeau said they have instructed the volunteers to leave them.

He said a dead seal was found on the coastline but it was too soon to tell whether the rubbish spill played a role in its death. “Sometimes you think you have cleared an area and then you’ll lift up a rock or you’ll lift up a log and there’s way more underneath it. I have also noticed areas I have cleared, I have gone back the next day and its just as bad, if not worse.”

Bilodeau remains hopeful that it would all be cleaned up. They have received offers of support from across the country and donations from as far afield as Europe and Canada.