'Nobody wants to eat silica' - Locals fear deadly dust if Canterbury quarry goes ahead

January 16, 2018

Some are accusing Fulton Hogan of trying to get locals onside with gift hampers.

Residents in the Canterbury town of Templeton are outraged over plans to build a quarry nearby saying it could potentially stir up deadly silica dust.

The quarry plans have some people who rely on the land to make their living concerned.

"The silica dust from the quarry is very fine and it's liable to settle on the vegetables, especially leafy vegetables like silver beet, broccoli and cabbages. Nobody wants to eat silica on their vegetables," local resident Narrell Chand told 1 NEWS.

She has also accused construction firm Fulton Hogan of trying to get residents onside with luxurious gift hampers.

"I think they wanted to pacify the waters, so to speak, and no it wasn't going to work I'm sorry, on principal," Ms Chand says.

Fulton Hogan wants to use the Templeton land to supply aggregate for infrastructure projects in Christchurch.

In a statement the company said it would be using a range of measures to mitigate the risk of dust in the air, like using water to suppress it and limiting the area for extraction at any one time.

Health experts say long-term exposure to crystallised silica can be hazardous.

"Freshly mined dust is like sandpaper, if you get it on your face or in your eyes it is extremely unpleasant.

"It causes conjunctivitis, it can and does cause nosebleeds when you try and breathe it in, it can cause sore throats," Canterbury Medical Health Officer Dr Alistair Humphrey said.

Fulton Hogan hasn't yet applied for resource consent maintaining it'll consult with the community first.

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