A West Coast Regional councillor says he will be abstaining from any vote at the council table because he cannot back a proposed sand mine at Cape Foulwind in Buller, claiming there is a "very serious" risk of carcinogenic material being exposed.
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West Coast Regional councillor John Hill, a Cape Foulwind resident, said he initially was excited by the proposal by Westland Mineral Sands to mine for heavy mineral concentrate at Okari.
However, after hearing the company outline its plans, he became worried that the effects would be "less than minor".
He did not think they had a dust management plan.
"They haven't considered microscopic particles which is the most important part of it when it comes to human health and they haven't considered RCS (respirable crystalline silica) as a potential carcinogen," he said, speaking as a resident.
"So when I hear air pollution issues as a result of this proposed mine as being 'less than minor', I will never accept that. They are not less than minor. They are very, very major and very, very serious," Hill said in closing his submission.
About 25 local residents originally met with the company at the Nine Mile Road property where the proposed mine site sits.
Hill said he, like many locals, were very excited initially, but felt let down when he realised the mine would compromise their neighbourhood.
"We found that the haul road was going through our pristine coastal marine environment, so suddenly this 'exemplar project' became a mucky industrial project that would cart dirty industrial rubbish through our coastal marine area."
The subsequent supporting reports for the company's application failed to acknowledge "fine dust" escaping the site including possible carcinogenic material, Hill said.
"I don't believe [the company] has put sufficient time or effort into a dust management plan."
He cited technical evidence on dust which emerged through the Environment Court as a result of the contentious Yaldhurst quarry case on the western edge of Christchurch.
"I believe that no discharge is impossible ... you can't guarantee no discharge of dust beyond the boundary."
Hill cited his professional background as an industrial chemist with years of experience in testing dust extraction systems.
Westland Minerals Sands plan to use water as a dust suppressant at the site was problematic unless chemical enhancers were used to permeate the dust, he said. Water alone was "useless", he said.
He also noted that quartz dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) was also likely to be a component of the sand at Nine-Mile but this had not been accounted for.
RCS was known to be associated with elevated rates of lung cancer from over-exposure, but a report in support of the WMS application made no mention, Hill said.
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