ECOLOGY

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GREAT MOMENTS IN WASTE DISPOSAL

KIM RUSCOE, STUFF NZ - Auckland has come up with a novel plan for
getting rid of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of human waste - use it
to fill one of its many extinct volcanos, then turn it into a regional
park. Local authority-owned Watercare Services announced this week that
it had signed a $25 million, 30-year deal with Puketutu Island's owners
to dump the 61 tonnes of biosolids - cleaned, treated and dried human
waste - produced by its Mangere treatment plant each week. . .

Auckland University vulcanologist Ian Smith said Aucklanders need not be
concerned that they would be showered in "biosolids" in the event of an
eruption. Formed 30,000 years ago, Puketutu Island is one of about 50
volcanoes on the active Auckland volcanic field. The next eruption from
within that field was likely to form a new volcano, rather than come
from an existing one, Dr Smith said. "I think it is pretty safe."

http://stuff.co.nz/4024360a4560.html

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