Findings Prove Government Lied
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Findings Prove Government Lied
Date:
Thu, 26 Sep
2002 10:40:54 -0400
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: Christine Whitman
whitman.christine@epa.gov
cc:
clearance@inl.co.nz
Findings prove Govt lied, says Gibbs
THURSDAY , 26 SEPTEMBER 2002
by LYN HUMPHREYS and ROCHELLE WARRANDER
The finding of dioxin in the soils at Paritutu proves an earlier Government report lied to the people of New Plymouth, Dioxin Investigation Network spokesman Andrew Gibbs says.
The 1987 Brinkman inquiry stated there was no evidence that the general population was exposed to 2,4,5-T or dioxin, Mr Gibbs said.
But yesterday's positive soil tests were conclusive proof that the whole of New Plymouth was affected by the emissions from the Ivon Watkins-Dow plant before 1985.
"They drenched us in the most toxic chemical known to mankind.
"The key issue is, they lied in the 1987 Ministerial Committee of
Inquiry when they said: `There is no evidence that the general population was exposed to 2,4,5-T, or traces of dioxin with it'."
The 1984 Hamburg Symposium of International Scientists agreed there was no safe exposure level to dioxin.
"I don't have confidence in this report because they haven't compared their tests with the 1985 levels.
Instead, they've compared carrots to pumpkins.
"The risk is not from the soil but from the historic airborne emissions."
The higher levels found at Mt Moturoa, where many people lived in surrounding streets, such as Port View Cres and Simon St, must be cause to investigate further, he said.
"They have to go back to Mt Moturoa and retest the adjacent residential area there."
Mr Gibbs called for all Government ministers concerned with the issue to respond to his claims that there had been a cover-up of the facts for the last 30 years.
However, Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) technical services manager Gary Bedford said that having previewed the soil results on Tuesday, he looked forward to the Paritutu community receiving the good news.
"From the TRC's perspective, we hope it puts an end to a lot of the uncertainty and anxiety that the community would have been experiencing," Mr Bedford said.
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