Environmental award for Coast miner, F&B unimpressed

A miners’ conference in Greymouth has given Solid Energy an award for using council bio waste on mined land.

The inaugural Minerals West Coast environmental award recognised “the innovative approach two very different problems – how to dispose of biosolid wastes and how to produce a viable topsoil for rehabilitation of land that has been mined”.

The nutrients provided by biosolids enable rapid establishment of plant cover, which reduces sediment run-off and acid mine drainage, according to a media statement prepared for Phil Rossiter, sustainable development manager for Solid Energy.

He says is it is sure to become one of the fundamental components of the company’s rehabilitation toolkit and is being used at the Stockton mine.

Judges of the awards included Minerals West Coast chief executive Peter O’Sullivan, Sarah Wild from DoC and Straterra policy analyst Bernie Napp.

Other award entries included one from Taylor Coal identifying an additive to give a faster, cleaner burn from coal, while another project used waste mussel shells to neutralise acidity in water discharging from the mining site. The aim is to produce “stream water which can support aquatic life”.

Another nominated project involved trying to restore the environment of the Powelliphanta augusta land snail, an endangered native species. 

This recently enabled the release of 500 captive snails into this area, which a DoC spokesman has described as “a significant conservation milestone”.

But Forest & Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell is unimpressed.

“I’ve been there and seen the effect of the bio waste project. It’s unnatural compared with the rest of the vegetation and sticks out like a sore thumb.

“It used to be an area of sandstone paving with its own unique vegetation. Now we have huge terraces of rubble with sewage tipped on top and covered with exotic grasses.

“It says volumes for the about the damage inflicted on the landscape. The industry is incapable of restoring it back to its original state,” Mr Hackwell says.

He was also unenthusiastic about the attempts to save Powelliphanta augusta.

“I wouldn’t call it a milestone. I’d call it a millstone. The success rate is limited because they’ve destroyed 96% of the habitat. They’ve basically got rid of Mt Augustus.”

c.hutch@clear.net.nz