Volume One 15. Resource Quality (Water, Air, Soil) resulting from “backyard burning” of rubbish are the main source of air quality complaints received by the Council. Agrichemicals that spread beyond the property boundary can cause adverse environmental effects. Spraydrift has the potential to cause adverse health effects and damage in non-target areas, especially where the property adjoins residential areas or spaces frequented by the public (e.g. schools and reserves). Other adverse effects include damage and contamination of crops, waterbodies and sensitive flora and fauna outside the target area. A variety of small and medium sized industrial and commercial processes are located in Marlborough, including spray painting, abrasive blasting, food and beverage manufacture and processing timber mills that have the potential to have localised impacts on air quality. Disposal of organic waste arising from human and farming activities and industries processing agricultural products can also affect air quality. These impacts must be weighed against the need for these activities to occur. It is recognised that in many cases there are few alternatives. In some areas, “reverse sensitivity” issues may be a problem. Reverse sensitivity situations arise where lawfully established activities that have addressed offsite effects as far as practicable and reasonable are sought to be constrained with new and often incompatible land uses locating nearby, including residential development. [R] Objective 15.3 – Reduce the potential for nuisance and health effects from the discharge a ofcontminantsintoair. People should be able to enjoy their own property without the nuisance or potential health effects caused by smoke, spraydrift and other discharges to air from nearby properties. These effects can usually be minimised through appropriate management practices. The use of such practices should ensure that the potential for these contaminants to move beyond the property boundary and adversely affect others is reduced. Smoke, spraydrift and other discharges to air are usually created in association with particular uses of land. The following provisions aim to allow the continued use and development of natural and physical resources while ensuring that any adverse effects on air quality are avoided, remedied or sufficiently mitigated. [R] Policy 15.3.1 – Prohibit the discharge of contaminants into air resulting from the combustion of materials that will give rise to concentration of contaminants likely to be dangerous or toxic. This policy recognises that some people choose to burn inappropriate materials and that this practice contributes to excessive concentrations of air contaminants, resulting in objectionable or offensive smoke and odour and associated health and nuisance problems. Those materials inappropriate for burning are listed in the MEP zone rules. The policy implements Regulations 4 to 10 of the NESAQ. [R] Policy 15.3.2 – Require all discharges to comply with the ambient air quality standards established by the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality. The NESAQ sets ambient air quality standards that apply to both airsheds and open air. The standards include threshold concentrations for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, P M 10 and sulphur dioxide, and specify the number of exceedances allowed (if any) within a c erta in timeframe. All discharges are required to comply with the ambient air quality standards in orde r to protect the health and wellbeing of people in close proximity to any proposed discha rge. This policy will be implemented through the assessment of discharge permit appli cations , the imposition of resource consent conditions and the establishment of permitte d activi ty rule standards. 15 – 33