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Cook Islands Investment Corporation board chairman Tapi Taio says its unfair for some people to criticise government for burying tonnes of asbestos waste at sea with the sinking of the vessel Miss Mataroa seven miles off the coast of Rarotonga last week.
Taio said that every effort was made to convince New Zealand to take the material back for disposal.
He said New Zealand refused as they have a law against ships entering their territory with hazardous materials.
The New Zealand Government imported the asbestos roofing at a time when it was an approved building material in the mid 1900s but had them removed and replaced when it was deemed a health risk.
The material was mainly used on school buildings.
Taio says that many local environmentists did not agree to the international best practice of disposing the asbestos at sea but people refused to have it buried on their land as well.
Meanwhile he said there were three container full of the stuff sitting on Aitutaki Island.
Taio said that he has plans to sink his own cargo vessel the Manu Nui within the next two months and if Government want to dispose the asbestos then he'll consider it.
He said while the asbestos is sitting there, it's costing Government money for storage.
Source: CIIC, CIs News and Govmedia
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