Former Whangārei mayor Stan Semenoff pleads not guilty to discharging contaminants into the air

The fire on a Stan Semenoff development in Whangārei that NRC says discharged contaminants into the air, in contravention of the Resource Management Act. Semenoff has been charged over the fire

Former Whangārei mayor Stan Semenoff has pleaded not guilty to two charges of discharging contaminants into the air, in contravention of the Resource Management Act.

Stanley Gillis Alexander Semenoff, who is also a former Northland Regional Councillor, appeared in Whangārei District Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to two charges laid by the Northland Regional Council (NRC).

The charges relate to a fire burning waste on a development of Semenoff's on West End Ave, in Whangārei, on June 3, 2020.

NRC is alleging Semenoff burnt waste, including tyres, plastic, metal cable, PVC piping, iron, fence posts, plywood from an industrial or trade premises on South End Ave.

The charges allege that Semenoff contravened, or permitted a contravention, of the Act by discharging contaminants from industrial or trade premises into the air when the discharge was not expressly allowed.

The maximum penalty for the alleged offences is jail not exceeding two years or a maximum fine of $300,000.

Semenoff was remanded at large to reappear in the court, before an Environment Court judge, on June 22.