Cherie Chapman
Mataura residents have bags packed ready to leave due to paper mill dross
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… Audio
Tiwai Point: Concerns over tonnes of potentially toxic waste
The closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter has raised concerns over what it will mean for the thousands of tonnes of potentially toxic waste stored in the small Southland town of Mataura. Audio
What will happen to the smelter dross?
Rio Tinto has rocked Southland today with the news it will close its aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point next year with the loss of more than a thousand jobs. Audio
Sort Out The Dross
On the banks of the Mataura River in the town of Mataura in Southland, there's an old paper mill where 10-thousand tonnes of dross from Rio Tinto's Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is being stored. Audio
Legal action looming over Rio Tinto's inaction
The government is considering taking Rio Tinto to court to get it to clean up hazardous waste from its Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.
Around 10,000 tonnes of ouvea premix is still sitting in a… Audio
Tiwai toxic waste only 'tip of iceberg' - campaigner
A $4 million deal that will send thousands of tonnes of toxic Tiwai smelter waste overseas has been welcomed by Southland locals, but some are warning there's more to be cleaned up. The liquidators of… Audio