Residents of the Southland town of Mataura have their bags packed ready to evacuate in case potentially lethal ammonia gas is released from toxic waste being stored there.
A nearby fire yesterday is the third incident in just six months that has threatened the dross, that was dumped there illegally six years ago.
Now the Minister for the Environment is joining legal action to determine whether the producer of the waste, Rio Tinto, is responsible for it.
Conan Young reports.
