Farmers in a small South Island town are worried milk and meat produced in the area will be contaminated if a waste-to-energy plant goes ahead.
“Cattle and sheep are grazing the grass, which puts a massive negative on our exports if things like toxins are found in our meat and wool for New Zealand,” sheep and beef farmer Ross McCulloch said.
The Glenavy site is close to dairy factories and Fonterra’s previously raised food safety concerns about a similar proposed plant in the past.
The Glenavy School who is a short distance downwind of the proposed incinerator is also concerned. School board Chaiperson, Adam Rivett said, “the dioxins in the air that these things release. If you look at the studies overseas, some of this is not good and obviously, it impacts children more readily than it does adults.”