Air Quality Legislation

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:47:34 +1200

National Environmental Standards

In 2004, National Environmental Standards for Air Quality were introduced under the Resource Management Act.

The standards:

ban particular activities that discharge significant quantities of dioxins and other toxics into the air
set limits for allowable levels of air pollution
set targets for meeting the air quality standards in polluted airsheds
require all new wood burners installed on properties up to 2ha to meet a design standard
require landfills over 1 million tonnes of refuse to collect greenhouse gas emissions

The Richmond Airshed is a Gazetted Airshed under this National Environment Standard.

The number of times the air quality standard is exceeded in the airshed must reduce to 3 times per year by 2016 and once per year from 2020

We use the following to meet our requirements under the Resource Management Act using the following:

policies to manage specific issues in our District
rules relating to wood burner upgrades at the time a house is sold
resource consents for discharges for industrial and trade premises
education campaigns and incentives to promote the use of cleaner domestic heating sources
the Good Wood Scheme

Richmond Airshed

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:55:02 +1200

Richmond Airshed

This page details the Richmond Airshed and links to air quality monitoring information.

What is an Airshed?

An Airshed is an area designated as a known high pollution area and gazetted to form part of the National Environment Standard for Air Quality. Richmond's Airshed was created in 2006. The standards aim to reduce air pollution over time. After September 2016 the National Standards require that there be no more than three high pollution nights a year.

Richmond Airshed

The Richmond Airshed project was initiated as part of a nationwide initiative to improve air quality in towns and cities where pollution from domestic woodburners is known to effect the way people go about their day-to-day lives.

Background Information About Airsheds

The National Environmental Standard (NES) aim at improving air quality were introduced in 2004 and require Council to improve the air quality in the Richmond Airshed. More information about the NES

An airshed is an area of generally similar air, the movement of which has a predictable pattern, and the area is often confined by geographical boundaries such as hills. Airsheds have similar concentrations of PM₁₀ and discharges to air in that airshed which contribute to the overall or ambient air quality in that airshed. Richmond is the only place in Tasman District where the air quality standard is breached regularly and by a significant amount.

The Council is required to report on any exceedences in the airshed. Council is also required to monitor levels of PM₁₀ in that part of the airshed where there is one or more people, and where the standard is breached by the greatest margin or the most frequently and must report on air quality when and if the standards are exceeded. The Council must also carry out monitoring to measure the effectiveness of the management options it adopts to improve air quality. The Council must reach a target of no more than 3 exceedences of the air quality standard of 50 ug/m³by September 2016. No more than one exceedence by 2020 is permitted by the NES.

Information and data about air quality can be found on this page; Air quality monitoring data

The Main Source of Pollution in the Richmond Airshed

Over 80% of the pollution in the Richmond Airshed is caused by smoke from domestic solid fuel burners - mostly wood burners but also from coal burners.

The Council has an air quality strategy focused on;

preventing the installation of new wood burners
encouraging people to replace non-clean air compliant burners with compliant wood burners - especially open fires and coal burners
operating wood burners efficiently to reduce smoke emissions
preventing use of non-compliant wood/coal burners after a house changes ownership
working with wood retailers to ensure people get dry wood to burn

Wood burners need to be well operated to minimise smoke or smell nuisance to neighbours and in a way that reduces air pollution. Council has The Good Practice Guide for Operating Wood Burners to help achieve this.

Good Practice Guide for Operating Wood Burners.

Other actions

Monitoring and compliance

The Council will ensure people who have bought houses with non-compliant woodburners follow the rules which prevent the on-going use of these woodburners.

Council will also assist homeowners with smokey chimneys to operate burners more efficiently. Where smokey chimneys are a persistent problem, Council will take enforcement action.

Home Insulation

The standard of insulation also has an impact on air quality. Less fuel is needed to heat a snug, well insulated home. Good insulation makes a house easier to heat and results in a drier, healthier home.

More information about the benefits of insulation can be found on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) website; Learn more about home insulation

Council also offers assistance with home insulation through its Warm Tasman Programme. It allows home owners to upgrade insulation and meet the costs through a voluntary rate. Funding assistance for home insulation upgrades

Boiler Tuning

Combustion processes produce the small particles that contribute to air pollution. Theses source include boilers used in industrial and commercial processes. Efficiently run boilers that are tuned regularly mean fuel use is optimised and emissions are minimised. EECA has useful information for boiler owners about tuning and fuel efficiency. Learn more about efficient boiler operation

Air RSS Feed - Tasman District Council

Air Quality

Related Links

Air Quality Legislation

National Environmental Standards

Related Links

Air Quality Management

Related Links

Richmond Airshed

Richmond Airshed

What is an Airshed?

Richmond Airshed

Background Information About Airsheds

The Main Source of Pollution in the Richmond Airshed

Other actions

Monitoring and compliance

Home Insulation

Boiler Tuning