Manawatū’s mayor and Horizons Regional Council are stepping up pressure on the Government to deal more effectively with fallout from the Ohakea airbase water contamination saga.
Manawatū mayor Helen Worboys has visited residents around the base because of community concerns about the quality of information being provided.
Some had talked about suffering headaches and illness, she said.
* Lawyers talk with landowners at Ohakea and Woodbourne about water contamination * Test results show Ohakea and Woodbourne drinking water contaminated from airbase toxic runoff * Chemical risk bubbles over for Ohakea’s neighbours Legal action could result from the saga, with Horizons officially investigating the incident.
The Ministry for the Environment has since done testing at Ohakea, and found 19 properties near the base had the toxic foam contaminants on the land.
Some local farmers have told Stuff they were not notified of the issue, while law firm Shine Lawyers – which is running a class action against the Australian Defence Force over similar issues – has started meeting with people potentially affected.
"In addition to water use, residents have concerns about the future of their farms, and are asking for further testing of the soil.
The act notes it is illegal to discharge a contaminant onto or into land if it may result in the contaminant entering water.
Individuals can be jailed for two years or fined up to $300,000 for breaching the section about discharging chemicals.
Parker said he had asked for more information and wanted to pass that on to farmers and affected residents as soon as possible.