13 Feb 2020

Gore District Council CEO seethes over failure to remove smelter waste

From Morning Report, 6:39 am on 13 February 2020

The chief executive of the Gore District Council is seething over what he sees as a broken promise from mining giant Rio Tinto.

Steve Parry believed he had made with a deal with the chief executive of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, Stewart Hamilton, on a plan to remove hazardous waste from the Southland town of Mataura.

The removal had become much more urgent after floods last week threatened to soak stored toxic material and release a dangerous cloud of ammonia gas.

Parry says the company has now reneged on the deal.

He speaks to Corin Dann.