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Dumping Oil

By Tim Frederikson

Ever had the misfortune to be caught behind some oaf whose car is pouring out huge quantities of smoke? He could be doing you a favour -- he's probably burning oil and thus reducing some of the waste which might otherwise eventually find its way into your local river system.

Many people dump the used oil from their vehicles into the nearest convenient river either directly, or indirectly by way of stormwater drains. Recent spills into Christchurch's Heathcote and Avon Rivers have highlighted the problems inherent with do-it-yourself oil changes and the effects such dumping may have upon the local river ecology.

In a series of surveys taken in Canterbury, the following information came to light:

  • approximately 300,000 litres of virgin oils are sold each month in Canterbury, of which "take home" packs account for some 60,000 litres
  • over 2 million litres of waste oil are generated in the region each year, but less than 1.2 million litres are made available for recycling or disposal
  • NOT ONE "take home" pack of waste oil has been presented for recycling by a motorist doing an oil change at home

Waste oil contains a mish-mash of chemicals and compounds, many of which are toxic. There are very real problems with these leaching into drinking water sources. Areas served by large unconfined aquifers or drawing their water from rivers -- such as Hastings, Christchurch, and Invercargill -- are particularly susceptible to this.

Many of the compounds are stored in fat tissue. The long-term effects can be quite insidious, particularly for those who practice dieting as a hobby. The concentration of a particular compound in the body does not diminish when dieting. It merely makes itself felt by producing symptoms which generally increase in intensity as the diet progresses.

The New Zealand experience is shared by many countries. All have recognised that the problem has grown rapidly over recent years. Whether this is because more people are peforming their own vehicle maintenance tasks or whether it is a compounding saturation effect is not clear. Either way, communities and individuals must take a responsible attitude towards the management of waste oil.

One enterprising oil recycling company recently launched an advertising campaign, encouraging people to "Save a duck's life by bringing your used oil to us."

With the Resource Management Bill due to be passed in Parliament shortly, local authorities will be charged with protecting river and coastal environments. Many councils already have structures in place to manage waste oils in order to protect systems under their control.

As an individual, you can play your part by ensuring that your waste oil (or any other unsalubrious waste) is not tossed, tipped or leached into a water supply.

Tim Frederikson is a chemical safety consultant.