Resource Management Act 1991

Discharges

15 Discharge of contaminants into environment

  • (1) No person may discharge any—

    • (a) contaminant or water into water; or

    • (b) contaminant onto or into land in circumstances which may result in that contaminant (or any other contaminant emanating as a result of natural processes from that contaminant) entering water; or

    • (c) contaminant from any industrial or trade premises into air; or

    • (d) contaminant from any industrial or trade premises onto or into land—

    unless the discharge is expressly allowed by a national environmental standard or other regulations, a rule in a regional plan as well as a rule in a proposed regional plan for the same region (if there is one), or a resource consent.

    (2) No person may discharge a contaminant into the air, or into or onto land, from a place or any other source, whether moveable or not, in a manner that contravenes a national environmental standard unless the discharge—

    • (a) is expressly allowed by other regulations; or

    • (b) is expressly allowed by a resource consent; or

    (2A) No person may discharge a contaminant into the air, or into or onto land, from a place or any other source, whether moveable or not, in a manner that contravenes a regional rule unless the discharge—

    • (a) is expressly allowed by a national environmental standard or other regulations; or

    • (b) is expressly allowed by a resource consent; or

    (3) This section shall not apply to anything to which section 15A or section 15B applies.

    Section 15(1): amended, on 1 October 2009, by section 15(1) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).

    Section 15(2): replaced, on 1 October 2009, by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).

    Section 15(2A): inserted, on 1 October 2009, by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).

    Section 15(3): inserted, on 20 August 1998, by section 5 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1994 (1994 No 105).