BioPlant is in negotiations with Manawatū District Council to develop a pyrolysis plant next to the existing waste transfer station just out of Feilding.  A pyrolysis plant burns rubbish including plastics as a method of waste disposal.  The recently formed group Feilding Against Incineration (FAI) has serious concerns about this proposal, which are:

·        Pyrolysis of waste creates toxic gases and poisonous ashes.  These can leach into waterways creating significant air, soil and water pollution.

·        Similar initiatives in Europe and other places internationally have been shut down due to the serious negative impacts on the environment and health of local residents.

·        Pyrolysis plants lock communities into a contract to supply burnable waste.  It essentially becomes a monster that has to be fed.  This incentivises the creation of feedstock for the plant and disincentivises waste minimisation initiatives -it’s a step backwards from our hard won initiatives to decrease the amount of waste that goes to landfill.

·        To feed the pyrolysis plant, waste would need to be transported to Feilding from around the country and possibly even the Pacific.  This would create a strain on local roads which are not built for this heavy traffic.  Residents would be impacted by noisy trucks belching exhaust and rattling by at all hours of the day and night.

·        House values might decrease due to the real and perceived risks to health and the environment in the vicinity of the pyrolysis plant

Representatives of FAI have presented to Horizons Regional Council (HRC) to ask them to make the application for resource consent a notified process.  They have concerns that without pressure,  HRC will allow the application to go through a non-notified process that reduces the chance for the community to influence the decision.  They have also made a presentation to the Manawatū District Council and have requested that a public forum be organised to discuss the proposal.

FAI have written to the Minister for the Environment asking him, under Section 142 of the RMA to call-in the resource consent application for discharge-to-air from the proposed pyrolysis plant. This letter is signed by a representative of Zero Waste, a representative of the FAI Group and Sir Mason Durie for Aorangi Marae Trustees (Mana Whenua). 

Anyone can help raise awareness and be part of this conversation by:

·        Posting opposition to the pyrolysis plant on social media using the hashtags #FeildingAgainstIncineration #Don’tBurnOurFuture

·        Writing a letter or email to Horizons Regional Councillors and Manawatū District Councillors and staff stating your opposition to the proposed pyrolysis plant

·        Writing a letter or email to the Minister for the Environment stating your opposition to the proposed pyrolysis plant.

·        Visiting and liking the Facebook page ‘Feilding Against Incineration’ to stay up to date with the latest developments https://m.facebook.com/groups/1057675485049777/

·        Emaiing feildingagainstincineration@gmail.com or messaging them on Facebook if you would like to join the FAI committee or have other ideas of how you could help oppose the pyrolysis plant