Heavy metal

Waiouru land has been contaminated with heavy metals from ammunition, but the Defence Force has not revealed details of other ring ranges.

It released one lot of tests showing limited contamination at Waiouru military training camp, but not the details about nding ‘elevated’ levels of lead, copper, and zinc elsewhere.

O cial gures for the decade up to 2012, show the NZDF released 450 tonnes of lead and other heavy metals onto the land and at sea from training and operations. An unspeci ed amount was retrieved and disposed of.

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