Industrial dairy on the Canterbury plains is poisoning Christchurch's water and turning it into a carcinogen. So what is ECan doing about this crisis? Raising the legal limit for nitrate so they can pretend it doesn't exist!
Christchurch drinking water will be able to contain more nitrates from pollution for the next 50 to 100 years, Environment Canterbury (ECan) has decided.
The elevated level of 3.8 milligrams of nitrates per litre of water was proposed by the Waimakariri Water Zone Committee, due to polluted water flowing into aquifers from North Canterbury dairy farms.
ECan councillors Lan Pham and Iaean Cranwell voted against the proposal at Thursday afternoon's meeting.
Because nothing can be allowed to interfere with the sacred cow of industrial dairy - not even the health of one of our major cities.
This decision needs to be reversed, and industrial dairying regulated down to a level consistent with human and environmental health. As for how to do that, local body elections are next year, and for the first time in 9 years Cantabrians will be able to vote for a fully elected council. While ECan is currently trying to gerrymander itself to silence the city and ensure a majority of farmers and polluters - including an undemocratic proposal for dairy polluters Ngai Tahu to appoint two members to the council - people still have to get elected. So, if you live in Canterbury, vote for clean water, and against any candidate who is a farmer or dairy apologist.
