% 830 words \section{Proposed activities and their potential effects} All three major stations in the lifecycle of the proposed dairy factory have to be considered for an assessment of the potential effects of the project: preparation of the site and construction, operation, and eventual close-down of the facility. For the purposes of this assignment only the potential impacts of the first two stages shall be addressed as they dominate the life cycle effects. This includes the following activities: \begin{enumerate} \item clearing of the construction site (displacement of existing uses) \item construction work \item water allocation \item treatment of solid and liquid wastes \item waste water discharge \item packaging of produced good \item transport of raw materials and goods \end{enumerate} As the different activities at different stages may result in similar effects on a given component of the socio-economic or physical environment, it is more convenient to investigate the effects separately for each component of the environment than to list the effects by planned activities. The following components of the physical environment \parencite[adapted from][]{glasson} are to be considered: \begin{enumerate} \item Air and atmosphere \item Water and soil \item Vegetation and habitat \item Human health \item Landscape and cultural heritage \item Energy \end{enumerate} Effects on the following components of the socio-economic environment also need to be identified: \begin{enumerate} \item economic base \item demography \item socio-cutural \end{enumerate} \subsection{Expected effects on water} The proposed dairy processing facility is supposed to be located close to the river for easy access to water and for the convenient discharge of waste water back into the river. The preparation of the site for construction in proximity to the river as well as the proposed take and discharge activities during operation of the factory have direct effects on water quality parameters. Changes to the properties of the body of water (e.g. sediment load, changes in flow patterns, increases in nutrient levels) affect not merely aesthetical values of residents, but are likely to have impacts on the composition of aquatic communities and the health of riparian and aquatic ecosystems. \subsubsection{Construction} Preparing the selected site for construction requires the displacement of existing uses. On a site close to the river in a rural area, the site may be populated by riparian vegetation. Vegetation in the riparian area and the adjoining uplands may serve as a filter, reducing the amount of sediment, excess nutrients and other pollutants entering the river \parencite{riparian}. This filtering ability is particularly valuable in a region where dairy farming is expanding and with it the cumulative impact of non-point sources of farm effluent is increasing. \subsubsection{Water allocation} - Changes in water quality parameters - for example, turbidity and temperature levels can increase with reduced flows in rivers. \subsubsection{Discharge of waste water} The major waste material from processing milk in a dairy factory is contaminated water that has been removed from the milk or that has been used to sanitise equipment and clean the factory. The pasteurisation process that is used to kill off harmful bacteria in the milk results in heated waste water. As most aquatic ecosystems are very sensitive to temperature, discharges of warm waste water could significantly affect the composition and dynamics of aquatic communities around the discharge location \parencite{}. \subsection{Preparation and construction} - removal of riparian vegetation from NIWA: http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/tools/kaitiaki_tools/land-use/meat-processing/impacts/water-resources-and-MDP - Changes in flow - changes in water levels and flow variability alters available mahinga kai habitat and the invertebrates they feed on. - Reduction in habitat - a decrease in water levels reduces habitat for fish and can impact feeding and spawning success. - Reduction in specialist habitats - a decrease in water levels reduces flow to riparian wetlands, backwaters, and intermittent streams. - Decreases in species abundance and diversity - aquatic species have developed life history strategies in direct response to natural flows; for example, diadromous fish species migrate up and down the river at various times of the year and rely on preferred velocities and depths. - Changes in sediment accumulation - flow reduction affects movement and deposition of sediments in streams and rivers. - Increases in algae accumulation - algae respond to changes in temperature and nutrients, which are likely to increase with reduction of flow, especially during summer months. - contamination - nutrient overloading - \subsection{Transportation of raw materials and produce} \subsection{Cumulative impacts} - must consider cumulative impact of increased dairy *farming* - consider effects of existing factory with permits for another decade - farm runoffs pollute the river according to locals NZ water problems \parencite{cullen}: - agricultural irrigation increased by 55\% per decade - water quality: - non-point sources (e.g. nutrient run-off) - access to waterways by cattle - urban develpment - forestry - water management through regional councils: - regional policy statements + regional plans - unless authorised by plan discharges require resource consents impact of agriculture on water: - primary source of non-point discharges - application of fertiliser and pesticides - discharges from the soil and animals - materials move into surface and groundwater at higher rates than usual - discharge from animals increases E. coli concentrations - monitoring / significance implications: - lack of reliable data against which to draw conclusions for key parameters in all regions - lack of approved plans relating to water in some regions - require councils to set realistic goals and objectives; difficult because has to reconcile urban recreational and environmental requirements with rural economic demands - too little policy direction from central government - even without these plans, councils must process resource consent applications - lack of monitoring and enforcement - low compliance - impossible to determine the efficacy of management practices - limited knowledge on how to best deal with non-point source discharges - little knowledge about what the community wants and expects wrt water management % Dairy farming has recently expanded in the Waiwhetu region, providing % a boost to the local economy. To cope with the increased milk % production, a dairy company is proposing to set up a new factory. The % factory will be located close to the Waiwhetu River, the region’s main % waterway. To operate the new factory, the proponents want to take % water from the river and discharge wastewater from the plant back into % the waterway. - water allocation - 10,000 cubic metres - wastewater discharge - 10,000 cubic metres - 2 degrees warmer - effect on invertebrates - cumulative effects - social impacts - more jobs % % There is already a dairy factory in the area producing milk products. % The factory has existing discharge permits which are not up for review % for another 10 years. At present, it uses 10,000 cubic metres of water % from the river and discharges the same amount into the waterway. The % wastewater is two degrees celsius warmer than the temperature of the % river. % % Many prominent people are welcoming the growth of dairying in the % region and believe the new factory will bring more jobs to the area. % However, others are concerned about the potential environmental % impacts of the development. Environment groups and iwi argue water % quality is already being affected by waste generated from local farms % and want to see the river cleaned up. % % Note: Waiwhetu is a fictitious region