Issues
WPA Response to the Ministerial Review of PM10 Regulations in the Air Quality Standards
WPA has responded to the National led Governments call for submissions on the review of the current PM10 regulations. The following 5 points summarises the position WPA is taking. (August 2009):
- The current penalisation of emitters that require resource consent after 2013 in noncompliant airsheds is inequitable and should be removed from the legislation. Let the consent process deal with controls on larger emitters.
- Compliance by 2013 is unlikely for many currently non-complying air sheds
- We believe that the cost of compliance with the standard have been significantly underestimated and wait with interest any quantified health benefits, to date. We also raise the concern that implementation of the new standards may create new health problems for the marginalsed poor and elderly due to the higher relative cost of alternative heating options
- One exceedance per year does not provide sufficient flexibility within the standard to deal with unusual events like forest fires volcanoes or houses burning down near the sampler. allowance should be given to remove high results where such events occur. Additional exceedances should also be allowed to deal with measurement anomalies.
- An alternative penalty system that actually targets the emitters causing the emissions should be considered if it is felt that threats of punishment are required to get action.
