Greenpeace’s latest round of free drinking water testing for nitrate contamination kicks off today in Gore, Southland – just weeks after the town faced another nitrate contamination scare in the town supply over Labour weekend.
Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says “Everyone, no matter where they live, should have access to clean safe drinking water. But here in Gore, access to healthy water for all has been eroded as a consequence of dairy industry pollution.”
“The intensive dairy industry, led by Fonterra, has pushed extractive methods of food production that have contaminated people’s drinking water and made lakes and rivers unswimmable, and nowhere is that more evident than in Canterbury and Southland.”
“This is a growing health crisis in Aotearoa. Already, Canterbury has declared a nitrate emergency, and more regions will follow if the Government doesn’t act immediately to stop dairy expansion and phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use.”
Greenpeace will be in Gore at the James Cumming Community Centre from 10am-4pm today testing drinking water. Media are welcome to attend and are requested to identify themselves at the registration table. Preliminary results from today’s water testing will be made available in the coming days.
Further Greenpeace drinking water testing events this week will take place in Canterbury. Details are below.
Waimate – Waimate Event Centre – Saturday 22 November, 10am-4pm
Darfield – Darfield Recreation Centre – Sunday 23 November, 11am-4pm
