Frequently Asked Questions

General

• What is a contaminated site?
  The Resource Management Act (RMA) defines contaminated land as land of one of the following kinds:

(a) If there is an applicable national environmental standard on contaminants in soil, the land is more contaminated than the standard allows; or

(b) If there is no applicable national environmental standard on contaminants in soil, the land has a hazardous substance in or on it that –
(i) has significant adverse effects on the environment; or
(ii) is reasonably likely to have significant adverse effects on the environment.

• Why is contamination a problem?
  Some contaminants break down in the soil very slowly, while some don’t break down at all, so they may be present on a site for a very long time. Some contaminants pass through the food chain and concentrate in the tissues of fish, birds, livestock or humans.
  
  
• Who or what is affected by Contaminated Land?
  If your environment is contaminated, your health may be affected by: 
  •   direct contact with contaminated soil (through contact with the ground or breathing in dust) 
  •   consuming food or water (eating food grown on contaminated land or drinking water polluted from runoff into streams or ground water
    
    
• What is the situation at Lyttelton dry dock?
  Lyttelton inner harbour has an area of contaminated sediment. This contamination is the result of historic boat maintenance activities at the dry dock. These activities (e.g. the removal of old anti-foul and paint residues) have now been altered so that contaminated waste is treated rather than disposed of into the marine environment.
  
  
• What should I do if I am buying or selling a property?
  The landowner is generally responsible and liable for cleaning up a contaminated site, even if contamination was
  caused by a previous owner.
  • Find out about the previous uses of the land you intend to sell or buy, or of any neighbouring land.
  • Check out the HAIL in this brochure to see if your site has the potential to be contaminated based on
    past activities.
  • Check with your local district or city council for any information they may have about the area.
  • Contact the contaminated sites staff at your regional, teritorial or unitary council and ask if they already
    hold any information on the site you want to sell or buy.
  • Contact us ... or order a Land Information Request.
  • Get a site investigation done - the level of risk can only be assessed on a site-by-site basis.
  • Ask your lawyer about pre-contractual questionnaire.
    
    Read more...
    
    
• What is the HAIL?
  The HAIL stands for MfE’s Hazardous Activities and Industries List . It is a list of certain activities or industries which are considered to have a higher potential to cause land contamination due to the use, storage or disposal of hazardous substances typically associated with these activities or industries. 

Current Projects

• What does Environment Canterbury do?
  Environment Canterbury undertakes a wide variety of work with regard to the identification and management of contaminated land in the region.  One of our main goals is to identify all sites which have a land use included on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) in Canterbury.  This is a long term plan which we are aiming to complete within 10 years. 
  
  
• What are some of Environment Canterbury’s current contaminated site investigation projects?
  • Background concentrations of trace elements in Canterbury soils
  • Lead contamination from gun and clay target clubs in Canterbury
  • Potential contamination of horticultural land in Canterbury
  • The identification and risk screening of sites with land uses included on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) in the Hurunui District
    

Information on Contaminated Sites

• How does Environment Canterbury manage information on contaminated sites?
  The  Contaminated Site Information Management Strategy (1999) outlines how Environment Canterbury manages this information in a clear and consistent manner, involving parties with an interest in decision-making and management of sites. Assessment of information on these sites helps to ensure that adverse environmental effects arising from land contamination are remedied or mitigated, to an acceptable level of risk.
  
  
• What information does Environment Canterbury have on contaminated land and sites?
  Environment Canterbury maintains an electronic database called the Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) to store information it holds about sites that have a past or present land use detailed on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List HAIL (HAIL) , which lists 53 specific land uses that have the potential to cause contamination of sites. Inclusion on the LLUR does not necessarily mean that the site is contaminated, unless sampling data have shown this. 
  
  
• What is the Listed Land Use Register?
  The Listed Land Use Register (LLUR) is an electronic database which Environment Canterbury uses to store specific information about sites that have a past or present land use detailed on the Hazardous Activity and Industries List.  Sites included on the database are assigned a category depending on how much is known about the site.
  
  
• How many sites are on the register?
  In February 2007, the number of sites entered on the LLUR was as follows:
  2086 Verified HAIL
  692 Unverified HAIL
  27 Not contaminated
  123 Managed/remediated
  7 Contaminated
  20 Entered in error
  
  
• How can I find out if my land is contaminated?
  You can request a search for this information by filling in an on-line or printable version of a Land Information Request form, or by contacting customer services.  There is a charge for a full Land Information Request.  However, if you only want to know about the contamination status of a site that information will be provided free of charge. Make sure you indicate which option you want on the LIR form.
  
  
• What do I do if my site is on the Listed Land Use Register?
  If your site is on the Register then you, or the previous owner, will have received the opportunity to have input into the information that ECan holds. Contact us if you are a new property owner and you want to know more about the details we hold about your site.
  Read more...
  
  
• How does Environment Canterbury make sure the information on the register is correct?
  Including a site on the Register is a serious issue, therefore Environment Canterbury has a process to make sure that the information we include is correct, which includes getting the site owner to verify the information. The site owner has the right to access all information held about their property by Environment Canterbury. Contact us for further information.
  
  
• Who has access to the information Environment Canterbury holds?
  Environment Canterbury recognises the sensitive nature of the information it holds about sites which are, or may be, contaminated. Information about site contamination is only released to affected parties or when a property enquiry is received for a particular parcel of land. However, there are a few sites where the site owners and stakeholders have needed to inform the public of contamination.

Investigation of Contaminated Sites

• Are there any rules relating to the investigation of contaminated land?
  In July 2004 Chapter 4 of Environment Canterbury’s Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan was notified.  Following the notification of this plan, several new rules became operative. Rule WQL53 concerns the investigation of contaminated land. 
  
  Rule WQL42 permits the removal of all underground tanks used for the storage of petroleum hydrocarbons in Canterbury if a number of conditions are complied with. Read more...
  
  Rule WQL 53 concerns the investigation of contaminated land. The rule permits all investigations of contaminated land in Canterbury if three conditions are met: 1) Environment Canterbury must be informed prior to the investigation; 2) Contaminated Land Management Guidelines must be adhered to during the investigation and reporting stages; 3) Reports must be forwarded to Environment Canterbury within two months of the completion of the investigation. Read more...
  
  
• How does Environment Canterbury prioritise contaminated sites?
  Environment Canterbury is currently identifying and adding sites to the register. Sites are then prioritised using the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment's Risk Screening System. MfE Contaminated Land Management Guideline No. 3  describes the Risk Screening System (RSS) which aims to provide a nationally consistent means of ranking sites that are, or are suspected of being, contaminated.  Prioritising sites involves looking at what hazardous substances are stored or used on the site, the site characteristics and topography (e.g. surface cover, slope, soil type), and how close the site is to specific features of the environment, such as groundwater and surface waterways etc.
  
  
• When is a site investigation necessary? 
  An investigation is generally necessary at sites that accommodate, or historically accommodated, activities listed on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List HAIL   where redevelopment work, change of ownership, spills or leaks occur, or when information becomes available suggesting that contamination may be present. If a site investigation is necessary, it is best to engage an environmental consultant with a proven track record in this area. Contact us for more information.
  
  
• Why are contaminated sites a risk to the environment?
  Sites can present a risk to the environment because:
  • Contamination in soil can be taken up by plants that are consumed by humans, livestock or other animals
  • Contaminants in the soil or sediment may present a risk to those in direct contact (though skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion routes of exposure)
  • Specific flora and fauna or certain ecosystems may not be able to establish or survive because of the levels of contamination in soil or sediment
    Read more...
    
    
• What does an environmental consultant do?
  An environmental consultant: 
  • Identifies what the potential contaminants are, and areas that they were stored and used, disposed of etc.;
  • Identifies the vertical and lateral extent of contaminants and what medium they are present in (e.g. soil, groundwater, surface water); 
  • Determines the concentrations of contaminants across the site and, if necessary, beyond;
  • Describes the environmental characteristics of the site listing all receptors (e.g. humans, ecosystems) and the exposure pathways (route by which the contamination could reach these receptors);
  • Compares the concentrations of all the identified contaminants to appropriate background concentrations and environmental acceptance values; 
  • Outlines the limitations of the investigation and assessment;
  • Identifies and outlines the need for further work, if necessary (a multi-staged approach is usually the most practical way to investigate a site).
    
    
• How much does it cost to get my land investigated?
  The cost of site investigations varies according to a number of different factors and therefore Environment Canterbury recommends you contact an environmental consultant for a quote.

Management of Contaminated Land

• How does Environment Canterbury manage contaminated land?
  Environment Canterbury's management of contaminated land involves four steps:
  • Step 1: Identification of all sites in the region that have the potential to be contaminated because of their current or historic land use.
  • Step 2: Prioritising sites, on the basis of the risks they present.
  • Step 3: Working with site owners to get their sites assessed for risk to human health or the environment.
  • Step 4: Ensuring that remediation or management occurs at sites that pose significant risks.
    
    
• What does my territorial authority do?
  Territorial authorities have many functions associated with managing land uses in their district.  Environment Canterbury is eager to work closely with territorial authorities in order to share information, and to develop strategies for the future management of contaminated sites in Canterbury.

Remediation of Contaminated Sites

• How is a contaminated site remediated?
  Risks associated with contaminated sites can be managed by breaking the source-pathway-receptor chain. The source-pathway-receptor chain is illustrated in the diagram on our remediation page. Read more..
  
  
• Is there any money available for me to investigate my site?
  Funding from the New Zealand Government is available to assist regional councils in the investigation and remediation of contaminated sites. To qualify, the sites must pose a known or potential risk to human health and/or the environment within their regions.  Contaminated sites that would qualify for funding under the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund are those that are located in environmentally or culturally sensitive areas, or those where the landowner has the will but not the financial resources to undertake the work themselves. Read more..
  
• How can I prevent contamination in the future?
  We can minimise the effects of hazardous substances in our environment by: 
  • only using hazardous substances when absolutely necessary 
  • employing safe practice when using and storing hazardous substances 
  • transporting hazardous substances safely 
  • disposing of hazardous substances correctly.
    Read more..