Giant Coal Mine Approval Bad News

Greenpeace says the thumbs up given by the Waikato Regional Council for a
giant new coal mine near Huntly, Awaroa 4, is appalling and that the RMA
process which lead to its approval, was abused. "The consenting of the
Awaroa 4 coal mine at Huntly has been a debacle: from the panic-decisions
and rubberstamping at the highest levels of Government earlier this year,
to the subsequent perversion of new RMA 'limited notification' rules, used
to restricting public input, and now the approval for the coal mine by
Environment Waikato," said climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson.

Environment groups sent a letter in March warning Ms Hobbs that her new
'limited notification' RMA rules would be abused. "The new rules were
supposed to be for proposals with a 'minor' environmental effect, like an
extension to a building. Instead, Environment Waikato has interpreted the
following to have a 'minor' impact: a 225ha open cast coal mine, in which
113 million tonnes of earth must be moved, vegetation cleared, and a
stream re-diverted to get to the 11 million tonnes of coal, the taking and
discharge of water, air emissions, earthworks and all the other
environmental effects. The opencast mine will further contaminate Lake
Waahi from polluted water pumped out of the enormous crater, which would
then run into the Waikato River." "The legacy of this decision and the
terrible precedent it sets, sits firmly at the feet of Environment
Minister Marian Hobbs. This is a clear abuse of the new RMA rules and
Marian Hobbs has allowed it to go through unchallenged."

The 11 million tonnes of coal dug out of the Awaroa 4 mine will be crushed
to dust and burnt at the Huntly power station, creating 26.4 million
tonnes of climate changing carbon dioxide. "The mine has been pushed
through by industry lobbying and the Government panicking during this
year's energy crisis - the same Government wants to reduce Greenhouse gas
emissions through the Kyoto Protocol." "Greenpeace considers this a gross
abuse of the Resource Management Act and is looking at legal options. It
is ridiculous to be considering digging up coal when New Zealand has
abundant wind, solar and other clean renewable energy sources," concluded
Ms Atkinson.