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15: Discharge of contaminants into environment
or “This law explains when and how people can release harmful things into our air, water, and land.”
You could also call this:

“You can't throw away or burn stuff in the sea without special permission.”

You are not allowed to dump or burn waste or other materials in the coastal marine area. This includes dumping from ships, aircraft, or offshore installations, or burning waste in marine incineration facilities. You also can’t dump ships, aircraft, or offshore installations themselves in the coastal marine area. The only way you can do any of these things is if you have a special permission called a resource consent that specifically allows it.

It’s important to know that even if you have a resource consent, you still can’t dump radioactive waste or radioactive materials in the coastal marine area. There are different rules for that in section 15C. Also, you can’t release harmful substances that would go against the rules in section 15B.

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Next up: 15B: Discharge of harmful substances from ships or offshore installations

or “Rules about letting harmful stuff out of ships or oil rigs into the sea, land, or air”
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Part 3 Duties and restrictions under this Act
Discharges

15ARestrictions on dumping and incineration of waste or other matter in coastal marine area

  1. No person may, in the coastal marine area,—

  2. dump any waste or other matter from any ship, aircraft, or offshore installation; or
    1. incinerate any waste or other matter in any marine incineration facility—

      1. unless the dumping or incineration is expressly allowed by a resource consent.

      2. No person may dump, in the coastal marine area, any ship, aircraft, or offshore installation unless expressly allowed to do so by a resource consent.

      3. Nothing in this section permits the dumping of radioactive waste or radioactive matter (to which section 15C applies) or any discharge of a harmful substance that would contravene section 15B.

      Notes
      • Section 15A: inserted, on , by section 6 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1994 (1994 No 105).