Triboard plant releases pollutants, says report

By TONY GEE

A health impact report on emissions from the Kaitaia triboard plant run by Japanese-owned Juken Nissho has identified pollutants being released into the air by the two mills in the area.

These include particulate (fine particle matter), blue haze and volatile organic compounds, combustion products, odour, wood dust and wood organic compounds.

The emissions could cause symptoms in people living near the plant, says the report, but suggests the risk to human health is low.

It also says a few people living near the plant and the adjacent Northland Mill have reported irritation of eyes, nose and exposed skin.

Those with existing respiratory problems say they have become worse.

The mill is still under an abatement notice issued by the Northland Regional Council two years ago due to excessive smoke and odour coming from the main chimney stack.

The just-released assessment took place under an arrangement between Juken Nissho and Northland Health.

That came about after the health authority agreed to withdraw its appeal against a resource consent approved by the Northland Regional Council more than two years ago for new mill operations on the Kaitaia site.

In return, the company was to commission an assessment of health effects on the community from its mill operations, which had attracted many public complaints about smoke, odour and haze.

The assessment was initially expected to have been completed in two months, but took two years.

Ministry of Health scientists will now examine the report.

Northland Medical Officer of Health Dr Jonathan Jarman has invited ministry experts to answer technical questions from local residents and others about the assessment.

Dr Jarman said air pollution specialists or toxicologists within the ministry would also be able to answer questions about emissions from the mills.

As part of the health impact assessment, conducted by Dr Francesca Kelly of Auckland public health consultants Aer'aqua, a survey of residents was carried out last year around the Kaitaia area to determine whether others had experienced similar irritations.

A small but statistically significant increase was shown for eye, nose and skin irritation and for odour among survey respondents living very near the mills.

But the report suggests that given the pattern of responses, the difference in symptoms may reflect varied resident interest in completing the postal survey.

And it says factors such as age may make some people in Kaitaia more susceptible to health damage from environmental conditions like emissions from the mills.

Young children may be more susceptible to skin or respiratory reactions.

Others who may be more susceptible include elderly people, those with existing chronic respiratory disorders or heart disease, and Maori, who comprise more than half Kaitaia's 5500 population.

People with existing skin disorders are more likely to suffer irritation or allergic symptoms if exposed to terpenes or pyrolysis (chemical decomposition by heating) byproducts from wood processing.

The report says asthmatics are more likely to experience aggravated symptoms if exposed to various contaminants.

The assessment found that combustion discharges from the triboard and Northland mills generally have little blue haze and other irritating contaminants, but when "process upsets" occurred in bad weather, "it's possible irritation to susceptible members of the public will occur".

Regional council air quality team leader Paul Baynham said yesterday that the abatement notice issued against the triboard mill two years ago had still not been lifted.

The company is commissioning a new wet electrostatic precipitator (Wesp) to reduce smoke, particle matter, volatile organic compounds and blue haze discharges.

Hot presses used in triboard production have been controlled by chemical scrubbing since 1994.

Triboard mill manager Dennis Clarke said he did not want to comment on the health impact assessment.

"We've carried it out as we said we would."

Mr Baynham said there was still a question of whether the Wesp equipment was doing a good-enough job in eliminating odour to meet the requirements of the abatement notice.

The company and regional council would run more tests and if the results were satisfactory, the notice would be lifted, he said. Otherwise, further discussions would take place with Juken Nissho and complaining residents to try to find a solution.

The assessment will be considered at a Northland District Health Board meeting in Whangarei on March 24.

It will also be discussed at a community mill liaison group meeting in Kaitaia several days later.

The story so far

* 2000: Northland Regional Council approves new mill operations at Juken Nissho's Kaitaia site. Northland Health appeals against decision, but withdraws when company agrees to commission an assessment of health effects on local community.

* 2001: Regional council issues abatement notice because of smoke and odour levels.

* 2002: Residents surveyed to determine how many are experiencing irritations. Small increase in eye, nose and skin irritation and odour among those living very near the mills.

* 2003: Health impact assessment released under arrangement between Juken Nissho and Northland Health. Report suggests risk to health is low.

* Next: Ministry of Health scientists to examine report.