So that New Zealand meets its obligations under the Stockholm Convention, the Ministry for the Environment is supporting local government to ensure that New Zealand does not again build up a backlog of agrichemical POPs or intractable material requiring disposal.
The Ministry for the Environment is exploring possible next steps – these are discussed below.
Continue with agrichemical collections
The Ministry for the Environment is committed to working with local government to continue with agrichemical collections. It has allocated funding for an additional three years to continue the work. This will ensure that the remaining agrichemicals are cleared.
Legislation under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act
The purpose of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (the HSNO Act) 1996 is to protect the environment, and the health and safety of people and communities, by preventing or managing the adverse effects of hazardous substances and new organisms.
Under the HSNO Act, the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has the power to assess a substance, and ban or restrict its use or manufacture, or put controls on the substance. Under the HSNO (Stockholm Convention) Amendment 2003, agricultural POPs are banned from manufacture, use or storage. In addition, under the Amendment, chemicals exhibiting POPs characteristics can be regulated to prevent their production or use.
The Ministry for the Environment’s agrichemical programme is assisting New Zealand in meeting its obligations under the Stockholm Convention. Any regulation of chemicals exhibiting POPs characteristics would be undertaken by ERMA as required.
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Next steps
February 2006
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