Annual report 2006-2007 - Taranaki Regional Council

4.3 Monitoring programme
The monitoring programme for Egmont Tanneries consisted of three primary
components in addition to programme liaison and management.
4.3.1 Site inspections
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The tannery site was visited once during the monitoring period for routine site
inspections. With regard to consents for the abstraction of or discharge to water, the
main points of interest were plant processes with potential or actual discharges to
receiving watercourses, including contaminated stormwater and process
wastewaters. Air inspections focused on plant processes with associated actual and
potential emission sources and characteristics, including potential odour, dust,
noxious or offensive emissions. The neighbourhood was surveyed for environmental
effects.
4.3.2 Chemical sampling
The Taranaki Regional Council undertook sampling of both the discharges from the
site (site 5, Figure 1) and the water quality downstream of the discharge point and
mixing zone (site 6, Figure 1).
The effluent tanks were sampled on one occasion to determine potential for odour,
and the sample analysed for pH and sulphide. The discharge from the stormwater
pipe was sampled on one occasion, and the samples analysed for conductivity, pH,
chromium and zinc. This sampling was conducted in conjunction with the low flow
survey of the receiving water and included the parameter turbidity. The low flow
survey included sampling of discharges from several industries, together with six
sites in the Kahouri receiving waters. The samples analysed for those parameters are
listed in Table 2.
4.3.3 Biomonitoring surveys
One shared biological survey was performed in seven sites in the Kahouri Stream
catchment on 17 April 2007 to determine whether or not the discharges from the
various industries have had a detrimental effect upon the communities of the stream.
The location of these sites is shown in Figure 1. When assessing the effects of the
Egmont Tanneries discharge, site D (in the tributary of the Kahouri Stream
downstream of the tannery discharge) was used to assess the effects of the discharge
on the biological communities of the stream.
4.4 Results
4.4.1 Water
4.4.1.1 Inspections
One compliance monitoring inspection of the Egmont Tanneries site was conducted
during the 2006-2007 monitoring year. Inspections focused on the waste treatment
and disposal systems, and stormwater management, as well as potential sources of
odour. Where appropriate, effluent sampling was undertaken in combination with
the site inspections.