Annual Ground Water Quality Survey<\/a> released this week shows that nitrate-nitrogen contamination is worsening across 62% of groundwater wells, while 18% show no change in contamination and 20% show a decrease, in sites where a ten-year trend can be established<\/p>\n\n\u201cThis data confirms what\u2019s been clear for years: nitrate contamination is a worsening crisis for Canterbury. Everybody should have access to clean, safe drinking water, but for many Cantabrians, turning on the kitchen tap means worrying about getting sick,\u201d says Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe ECan study directly acknowledges that the main source of nitrate contamination is intensive dairying and the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. It points out that most affected communities are those \u2018in areas around and downstream of intensive farming\u2019.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cDespite the worsening freshwater crisis, ECan has given approval for a wave of dairy expansions across the region, which will devastate freshwater ecosystems and increase nitrate contamination of drinking water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Since the start of the year, Environment Canterbury has approved over a dozen resource consents for dairy expansions, enabling nearly 16,000 cattle to be added to the region\u2019s dairy herd. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cTown supplies in Hinds, Darfield and Oxford have already exceeded 5 mg\/L, levels of nitrate associated with an increased risk of cancer and pre-term birth. As nitrate levels increase, it\u2019s only a matter of time before a baby in Canterbury is seriously harmed by Blue Baby Syndrome as a result of nitrate-contaminated drinking water,\u201d says Appelbe. \u201cThis is a serious health issue that Environment Canterbury should be deeply concerned by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not too late to turn things around. If we reduce the number of dairy cows and phase out the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, we can restore water quality and ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to clean, safe drinking water.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cEnvironment Canterbury is utterly failing in its responsibility to protect sources of drinking water. People across the region expect better, and are willing to stand up for safe drinking water. Candidates standing for the Canterbury Regional Council in the upcoming local elections must commit to clean drinking water for all, and to end the intensive dairy industry\u2019s contamination of groundwater.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling on Environment Canterbury (ECan) to put an end to dairy expansion on the plains to protect drinking water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":61943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[19,22],"p4-page-type":[7],"class_list":["post-73061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-food-and-farming","tag-freshwater","p4-page-type-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n
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