In a scathing Environment Court decision, the Environmental Protection Authority has been ordered to pay $110,000 to an oil and gas company it prevented from disconnecting a floating production station from the Tui Oil Field off the coast of Taranaki.
Tamarind Resources FPSO Umuroa off the Taranaki coast.
Photo: Tamarind Resources
The EPA issued abatement notices to stop BW Offshore removing the Umuroa from the field early last year, saying the company could not rely on a 2017 EPA ruling allowing them to do so.
The regulator was concerned unplugging flowlines connecting the vessel to Tui risked spilling oil into the ocean.
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Government funds Tiwai Point study after being left blind on its condition
4 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
6 minutes to read
Environment Southland has been given $300,000 by the Government to assess the site of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, possibly duplicating work by owners Rio Tinto. Photo / Supplied Cabinet has agreed to give Environment Southland $300,000 for a study of the condition of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, amid signs that the Government has doubts about what its owners, Rio Tinto, will do when it closes.
In January Rio Tinto, which owns about 80 per cent of the smelter, announced a deal with its electricity provider Meridian Energy which would extend the life of the smelter until at least the end of 2024.