The National Environment Service has confirmed an anonymous complaint about mudflow on either end of the abandoned Sheraton hotel.

National Environment Service (NES) Director, Halatoa Fua said seven findings were made from the complaint.

Fua said the stream alongside the Sheraton hotel had been cleared to bare soil due to human activity. Fua said it would have “certainly impacted sedimentation of the lagoon during the heavy rains”.

He said clearing work undertaken in the streams was a concern under the Environment Act.

The complaint was made by a man who lived close to the Sheraton Hotel.

Speaking to Cook Islands News last week, the person said he saw, “huge mudflows going hundreds of metres out into the lagoon”.

“I've lived in that village a long time and I know that's not normal,” he said.

“This could have only been caused by machinery digging and exposing lots of loose soil and then the rain comes and washes it away.

“It was there even if a little bit of rain came, let alone a big storm.”

In a letter to the paper, the person pushed NES to address the issue: “Questions have to be asked of NES - are they aware of the huge mudflows down those streams, and into the lagoon? If so, what are they doing about it? Have they investigated?  If not, why not?”

Fua said the nearby Rutaki wetland clearings were also a likely contributing factor to the high levels of runoff seen in the lagoon.

He said mass clearings also provided opportunity for invasive plant species to take hold as there was no competition from other plants.

“Mitigation measures and best practices should be applied alongside any and all stream clearing, after receiving an approval permit,” Fua said.

In response, NES has sent out a letter to all key developers and consturction operators in Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Nga-pu-toru to ensure environmental compliance.

“The extent of construction work on land without obtaining the relevant advice and approvals from the appropriate government authorities prior to and post construction has become a high concern,” Fua said.

Cook Islands News reported on Monday that the proposed new development at the Sheraton Hotel had an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). However, the development does not currently have an EIA.