The toxic aluminum waste – ouvea premix – being stored in Mataura’s old paper mill will be shipped overseas, however it won’t be by Christmas.

Alternate Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook issued a minute yesterday (December 10), saying that, after a period of “intense activity and an enormous amount of work by the parties,” he is hopeful that the substance can soon be shipped overseas. 

He says the ouvea premix would be placed into containers suitable for safe and secure storage of the product, awaiting shipment overseas.

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“As will be apparent, this will obviously not be concluded by Christmas as previously hoped,” he said.

The parties include, The Environmental Defence Society, The New Zealand Aluminum Smelter (NZAS) LTD, and the Minister for the Environment. 

The case was brought about by the Environmental Society, after the public raised serious concerns about the class-six hazardous substance being stored in the mill – which has been threatened by floods and a fire this year.

The parties have been attending regular Environment Court mediation conferences for months, trying to find an acceptable alternative storage site for the product abandoned at the mill by the owner Taha Pacific, which subsequently went into liquidation. 

They are not permitted to speak to the media regarding the case. 

Judge Newhook said the problems encountered in recent weeks in court have been “complex,” but not, in his view, “intractable”.

The Environmental Defence Society is seeking a declaration on whether the smelter company (NZAS) is responsible for removing the material from Mataura.