Okato Residents Outraged Over Poison Laid On Walkway
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Okato Residents Outraged Over Poison Laid On Walkway
Date:
Mon, 26 Aug 2002 10:38:35 -400
From:
Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide
Regulation
cc: <clearance@inl.co.nz>
cc: Christine Whitman
whitman.christine@epa.gov
Okato residents outraged over poison laid on walkway
MONDAY , 26 AUGUST 2002
By SIMON O'ROURKE
Cyanide, a lethal poison that can kill within minutes, has been placed on a public walkway in residential Okato without warning or explanation.
Already, a pet dog has been violently ill after coming into contact with a packet that contained the toxic compound.
The presence of the deadly substance has sparked alarm among neighbours in the area.
They say no government authority has notified them about the bait ? which was presumably laid with the intent to kill possums.
Ross Smith, who owns a home that borders the walkway, yesterday counted the remains of about five empty paper packets that had contained the poison.
Print on the packets says: "Deadly Poison. 85mg of Cyanide Feratox in 20 grams of Ferafeed."
All packets spotted had been pinned to trees that lined the main walkway track.
Mr Smith was staggered the packets were so accessible, and said the health and safety of children in the area was being seriously compromised.
The natural curiousity of children could mean they climbed the necessary 2.5m to check out the highly visible blue-and-white packets, he said.
"Kids are no different today than when we were kids. They would check them (the packets) out."
It was thought the emptied packets contained some kind of nut or pellet, said Mr Smith.
The packets were first noticed last Wednesday. No warning signs had existed on the William Corbett Scenic Reserve throughout the latter part of the week, he said.
Another local, Ray Rook, owns the dog that was sick.
Mr. Rook erected his own cardboard sign at the weekend to warn track users about the poison.
A vet who treated his dog said the animal was lucky to be alive.
After the dog crunched into something it then "coughed and spluttered and carried on", said Mr Rook. "If he had swallowed it completely he would have died almost immediately."
Pam Street, a New Plymouth District councillor, said she spent six hours on the phone during the weekend trying to find out who had laid the bait.
"It wasn't DOC (Department of Conservation).
"We're going to look at the problem tomorrow morning. We'll be able to find out who got the licence and find out why it's on the walkway.
"People who lay the bait are meant to have a licence and be registered."
Police had been notified, as had the medical officer of health, said Ms Street.
Last night, The Daily News made several attempts to find out who had laid the poison.
Anthony Wilson, community assets manager at the New Plymouth District Council, said possum control was a problem and pinning bait stations to trees was common practice. It was doubtful the dog had come into contact with the lethal poison, said Mr. Wilson.
"It would be dead."
He did not wish to comment on whether the council had laid the bait.
Bill Bayfield, director of resource management at the Taranaki Regional Council, said organisations were only permitted to use possum bait according to the manufacturer's instructions.
The poison was controlled under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, he said.
Organisations which laid poisonous substances such as Feratox were legally bound to provide contact details to the public by way of clearly marked signage.
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