Archive for category: Health

Fumigation of logs with the highly toxic gas methyl bromide is intended to resume in a few weeks at Port Marlborough, Picton. On 14 February this year, fumigation with the neuro-toxic and ozone depleting gas is planned for a shipment of logs for export. In September 2007, this fumigation was stopped.

Methyl bromide gas used for export log fumigation has been vented from Port Marlborough’s Shakespeare Bay facility in the past. This is close to Picton’s wharves and township and was halted in September 2007 following major public meetings organised by Guardians of the Sounds in opposition to the fumigation.

Soil & Health Association spokesperson, Steffan Browning, who raised the methyl bromide issue in Picton, and Guardians Chairman Peter Beech, have been invited to a meeting at Port Marlborough. They will meet with Picton councillors, Port Company officials, the log exporter Zindia and fumigator company Genera on February 3rd (9.30 a.m.) to discuss the February 14th log fumigation at Shakespeare Bay.

“The anger of the community of Picton can be expected to be high,” said Mr Beech, “Port Marlborough, Genera and Zindia all know the feelings of the people, yet appear to be blinded by profit. The 2007 Picton public meetings showed the Marlborough District Council and the Council owned Port Company that the community’s level of tolerance to local toxic fumigation was at an end and public protest can be expected.”

“Log fumigation with methyl bromide at Shakespeare Bay is contrary to the undertaking by Port Marlborough CEO Ian McNabb, soon after his replacement of Des Ashton who had been CEO at the time of the 2007 controversy,” said Mr Browning. “Mr McNabb had told Mr Beech and me on separate occasions that while he was there, there would be no methyl bromide fumigations.”

“It is clear that the Picton community wants release of methyl bromide and its similarly toxic alternative phosphine gas to be permanently stopped in Picton. A public statement is now needed from the Port Company and District Mayor, that release of fumigants into the atmosphere at Picton will stop permanently.”

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an odourless, colourless gas, used as a pre-shipment (QPS) fumigant pesticide that kills all pests and is extremely toxic to humans. Human exposure to methyl bromide has potentially serious acute impacts on the central nervous system and internal organs that can be fatal, with a range of neurological and cancer causing effects associated with chronic exposure. Methyl bromide use is limited internationally due to health risks and its serious ozone depleting properties, although due to log exports a 300% increase in its use in New Zealand occurred from 2001 – 2007.

Previous log fumigations were under tarpaulins at the Port with methyl bromide gas being released to the atmosphere when fumigation was complete. Methyl bromide used to fumigate the hold of the Hong Kong registered ship Kang Shen on 14 February will also be released to the atmosphere.

“Responsible methyl bromide fumigators internationally are capturing the gas rather than participating in ozone depletion and risking the health of communities. Log exporters in clean green New Zealand need to lift their game. Methyl bromide is 50 times more damaging to the ozone layer than now banned CFC refrigerants,” said Mr Browning.

“The fumigation is contradictory to an Environment Court decision for Port Nelson which gave strict guidelines for exposure using ‘capture and destruction’ technology. Capture and destruction is light years ahead in safety than the archaic methods of releasing gas to air without any filtering or certainty of where the toxin is going.”

An international motor neurone disease expert, Canterbury University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Shaw, in 2007 said that statistically it appeared the Port Nelson motor neurone disease rate was 25 times the international average. At least six port workers had died from the disease, which causes progressive muscular atrophy.

“This ozone depleting neurotoxin should not be released anywhere, let alone near communities throughout New Zealand,” said Mr Beech.

“The log exporters concern about economic impact must be a very big second to the health risks posed to the community and the damage to the ozone layer, particularly relevant to Marlborough which has New Zealand’s highest level of melanoma, and in a year which has record ozone depletion effects,” said Mr Browning.

ERMA has recently begun a 2-½ year process reassessing methyl bromide’s use and controls, and the Pest Management Association has developed an interim Code of Practice – The Control and Safe Use of Fumigants. However the Code of Practice is only voluntary, not site-specific, and does not adequately address safe exposure limits or the release to the ozone layer, according to Soil & Health. The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act states that affected parties must be consulted in approval of Codes of Practice, but so far the Guardians of the Sounds, the Soil & Health Association of NZ and the wider community have not been consulted.

“Clean alternatives to toxic or ozone depleting gases must be implemented in keeping with Brand New Zealand’s Clean Green 100% Pure image, and Soil & Health’s vision of an Organic 2020.”

Following two court decisions within a week, both strongly in favour of limiting the release of ozone destroying gases into the environment, the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand is calling on the Ministry for the Environment(MfE), the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) and Ministry of Economic Development (MED) to put an immediate stop to the reckless release of methyl bromide gas at New Zealand ports.

Methyl bromide is mostly used for log fumigation at New Zealand ports. Its use has increased by more than 300% since 2001, even though methyl bromide fumigation is no longer used in horticulture, and an alternative toxin, phosphine, is sometimes used for log fumigation. A further huge increase in log exports requiring phytosanitary fumigation is expected in the next few years.

The Environment Court made a decision limiting the permitted release of the neurotoxic, ozone-depleting methyl bromide fumigant at Port Nelson. This decision is premised on the introduction of the recapture of unused gas and includes strict limits on worker and community exposure.

Almost simultaneously, a prosecution brought by the Ministry of Economic Development for reckless discharge of an ozone-depleting substance, resulted in the conviction and fining of two refrigeration engineers $750 plus court costs each. The engineers had released the refrigerant chlorodifluoromethane, an HCFC gas, which must not be discharged under the Ozone Layer Protection Act 1996.

Although methyl bromide is also an ozone depleting gas, its use is less restricted, because of its frequent use as a phytosanitary fumigant. Soil & Health has regularly pointed out this contradiction.

“Regarding the charges of reckless discharge of an ozone depleting substance, the MED director was quoted as saying the protection of the ozone layer was an important priority, but MED is not charging those with a continuing history of releasing vast volumes of methyl bromide recklessly at ports throughout New Zealand,” says Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“While the refrigeration engineers deserved being convicted, MED should now look very closely at fumigating company Genera’s log fumigation operations. I suggest Port Wellington and Port Tauranga just for starters.”

“At the recent Rail & Maritime Transport Union conference’s methyl bromide forum, the Genera representative was challenged directly by Port Tauranga delegates, when the representative said all large fumigations were monitored closely. The delegates had never seen any monitoring by Genera when tarpaulins were removed from large piles of logs, allowing methyl bromide to be released into the air.”

“My experience with Wellington’s Centre Port was similar,” said Mr Browning. “Until Soil & Health began lobbying against the reckless discharge of methyl bromide adjacent to Waterloo Quay and Westpac Stadium, Genera rarely used any warning signage, failed to monitor correctly, and discharged near unprotected port workers and without stopping internal port traffic.”

“ All this, even though Genera were stopped from fumigation in Port Marlborough’s Shakespeare Bay because of a lack of appropriate controls. Soil & Health had brought this to the attention of authorities. At the same time Genera were involved with an Environment Court hearing in Nelson where substantive evidence pointed out the health risks and showed the unpredictable movement of the neurotoxic, carcinogenic gas that has no odour, taste or colour.”

“Genera appear to only take worker safety even vaguely seriously when confronted port by port. It is beholden on MfE, MED, ERMA and occupational health officers to lift their game and stop this company from its reckless behaviour. If its clean green approach to climate change is to be taken seriously, Government must insist that the log industry, fumigators, and the ports urgently implement fumigant gas recapture technology. Methyl bromide contributes to global warming by weakening the UV limiting atmospheric ozone layer.”

ERMA, who is to begin a 2-½ year process reassessing methyl bromide’s use and controls, is also developing an interim Code of Practice – The Control and Safe Use of Fumigants.

“If ERMA is to live up to its name, the Environmental Risk Management Authority, and not under a recent misnomer the Economic Risk Management Authority, it must implement urgent and effective environmental and community health standards. It must not recommend anything less than the Environment Court.”

“ERMA’s draft Code of Practice must urgently reflect the decision of the Environment Court. The most current and detailed evidence available on the safe use of methyl bromide was considered and accepted by the Court,” said Mr Browning. “However a strong direction from the Ministry for the Environment that an acute exposure level be incorporated into ERMA’s Code of Practise will be necessary for the Code of Practise to be effective.”

“MfE must also assist local authorities to ensure that commodity log exports do not come first, over community protection, and that local authorities air plans include ERMA’s Code of Practice and are not left impotent in enforcement proceedings.”

“Soil & Health is committed to removal of ozone depleting neurotoxic fumigants from our clean green environment and aims for an Organic 2020.”

Several hundred kilograms of toxic methyl bromide gas were released into Wellington air from Port Wellington late Tuesday, according to the Soil & Health Association. Conditions were wild with a wind of about 50 knots that had tarpaulins meant to contain the gas, flapping and tearing.

Flags and sea spray in the Stadium-Waterloo Quay area indicated a potential wind direction towards Queens wharf.

The gas, which is a neurotoxin, and also depletes the ozone layer, was released from under fumigation tarpaulins on 11 log stacks and also possibly from the hold of the log ship IVS Hunter.

“This signifies a huge increase from last month’s gas release when just 3 stacks were fumigated, and when the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) misrepresented reality by suggesting all was well by quoting some misleading monitoring results,” says Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning. “GWRC must issue an abatement notice instead of allowing persistent and obvious noncompliance.”

The GWRC plan prohibits any fumigant at or beyond the boundary of the property.

“It appears that misinformation persists and very crude management of fumigation has occurred again.”

“Late this afternoon (Tuesday) I was called by the GWRC Environment Management Divisional Manager to let me know that the Port had just notified to say that due to the high winds the gas covers would remain on until Wednesday or Thursday. By 7 pm tonight (Tuesday) there were only remnants of damaged covers on the logs and all others were neatly rolled up. Effectively, while I was being called the covers were being removed. What sort of consultation is that?”
Lighter and more predictable winds were due Wednesday morning ahead of a lighter southerly change.

“GWRC, port company CentrePort, fumigating company Genera and the Department of Labour have organised an increase in monitoring methods in an endeavour to ensure the safety of the release of the gas. However, methyl bromide is one of the more harmful poisons known to humankind, and it can never be safe unless it is recovered from the fumigation facility.”

“All the gas released today would have swirled its way beyond the boundary without doubt and it will be interesting to get the monitoring data from the agencies involved.”

“Air monitoring at the Port does not equal air modelling. Air modelling could actually guide where monitoring should take place, but will actually indicate that fumigation cannot proceed unless the gas is captured after use.”

Failure to detect the gas at ground or near ground level at port boundaries does not constitute compliance, and GWRC knows full well that the gas doesn’t disappear instantly or go directly up to where it will ultimately damage the ozone layer. Depending on conditions such as inversion layers, breeze, humidity and temperature, the gas could be drifting, swirling anywhere. ”

“Will the GWRC serve an abatement notice on the activity if by chance they were so fortunate to get a whiff of the toxic fumigant at the Port boundary? Were they monitoring or did fumigator Genera just rip the covers off again without actually monitoring? It will be a good test of the integrity of the Regional Plan and council processes,” says Mr Browning.

“While Soil & Health is pleased to hear that the Port’s fumigation code of practice has been improved by not allowing gas release while cruise liners are moored alongside, CentrePort has yet to make that Code of Practice publicly available. We are absolutely sure that no credible Code of Practice was complied with in today’s conditions.”

“Fumigation in the centre of coastal cities is a relic of urban development surrounding ports that began in the days of sailing ships before the use of large volume super toxic synthetic pesticides on logs. Modern ships are welcome but not modern yet primitive phytosanitary practices that disregard human and environmental safety.”

“This log fumigation in Wellington should be stopped immediately.”

Soil & Health is committed to genuine sustainability, healthy people and an organic 2020.

NOTES:

Soil & Health has previously raised the issue of fumigation with methyl bromide gas at the Port, adjacent to Wellington’s Waterloo Quay and the Stadium, and very close to ferries, schools and university, railway station, Parliament buildings and business district. The toxic fumigant gas is released into the air in large quantities from under tarpaulins after hours of log fumigation.

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an odourless, colourless gas, used as a pre-shipment (QPS) fumigant pesticide that kills all pests, and is extremely toxic to humans.

Human exposure to methyl bromide has potentially serious acute impacts on the central nervous system and internal organs that can be fatal, with a range of neurological effects associated with chronic exposure.

Large volume toxic methyl bromide fumigation continued this morning at Wellington’s CentrePort with the cruise ship Statendam berthed today 140 metres north of the fumigation site.

Two log stacks fumigated under tarpaulins since Sunday evening originally were to have had the fumigant released to the atmosphere in the small hours this morning ahead of the Statendam’s arrival.

“The fumigant gas plume now due to be released at 10-30am today with the light northerly wind is expected to have headed seaward to the south of the cruise ship with dispersal in the direction of Oriental Parade,” said Soil & Health Association spokesperson Steffan Browning. “Fumigation last night would have had a dangerous gas plume headed into town.”

“It is positive to see that for a change warning signs and some limited precaution appears to have been used, however without modelling of air movement at a fumigation site, there is no certainty where the colourless, odourless, tasteless neurotoxin will go, apart from eventually damaging the ozone layer.”

“It is unknown where the gas will dissipate to safe levels and what boat movements or recreationalists are in the area. The gas dispersal does not comply with the Greater Wellington Regional Council Air Plan which disallows fumigation gas to pass the boundary.”

Another cruise ship, the Mercury, is scheduled to berth at the same site or immediately adjacent to the log stacks on Thursday, ahead of the log ship Lodestar Forest’s arrival on Friday morning, however CentrePort has now said that there is to be no more fumigation ahead of the Lodestar Forest’s arrival.

“That is good news for Wellington as generally 8 –10 log stacks would have been fumigated compared with the two that have been fumigated against the Air Plan rules.”

According to the shipping schedule the Lodestar Forest originally to arrive in Wellington from Qingdao appears to have now been diverted to Gisborne and is expected to return there after picking up Wellington’s fumigated logs.

“Soil & Health had called for a meeting with CentrePort, Greater Wellington Regional Council, the fumigators, port workers and other stakeholders ahead of any potential fumigation, and was disappointed that any log fumigation occurred ahead of roundtable discussions.”

“Capture and destruction’ technology that filters out methyl bromide gas from fumigation and other alternatives for phytosanitory fumigation such as heat treatment, are urgently required.”

The Soil & Health Association is appalled that large volumes of highly toxic methyl bromide gas from fumigation of export logs is being vented across Wellington’s Westpac stadium, cruise ships, ferries, Marae, schools, Wellington Railway Station, and Parliament Buildings.

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an odourless, colourless gas, used as a pre-shipment (QPS) fumigant pesticide that kills all pests and is extremely toxic to humans.

Human exposure to methyl bromide has potentially serious acute impacts on the central nervous system and internal organs that can be fatal, with a range of neurological effects associated with chronic exposure.

“Last week’s export log fumigation, just through the fence from busy Waterloo Quay, and less than 100 metres from Westpac Stadium, was completed just ahead of the Sevens, but the gas is being released across the public and workers in an uncoordinated and reckless way,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning. “Cruise ships with up to 1200 passengers have been berthed just metres from log fumigation.”

“When I observed fumigation last week, there were absolutely no warning notices, and car and rail traffic flow into Wellington is not halted as the fumigant is released for dispersal. Dispersal follows hours of fumigation, by tarpaulins being towed off log stacks or containers.”

“Depending on wind direction, in the relatively calm conditions experienced last Thursday, the gas could easily have remained concentrated for the less than 1km distance to Parliament, the Courts and surrounds, taking in the Wellington Bus Terminal and Railway Station on the way. With no air modelling for the Port and casual control by the fumigators Genera, everybody in the proximity is at risk.”

“Methyl bromide use is limited internationally due to health risks and its serious ozone depleting properties, and last weeks Environment New Zealand 2007 report skirts around the fact that there has been a more than 300% increase in New Zealand’s use of methyl bromide since 2001.”

“Huge increases of ozone depleting methyl bromide to the atmosphere, makes a mockery of clean green New Zealand’s commitment to the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement on reducing Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Not having a phase out strategy for methyl bromide makes forestry’s environmental footprint unsustainable.”

“Last week the Environment Court released an Interim Decision specifying very strict controls on fumigation at Port Nelson. Such controls extrapolated to Wellington would mean that fumigation so close to the public would need to be carried out in containment with ‘capture and destruction’ technology, not the reckless she’ll be right approach taken around the country at present,” said Mr Browning.

“Following Soil & Health and Guardians of the Sounds investigating the lack of precaution at Port Shakespeare, Picton, fumigation has stopped there and export logs from that Port are currently headed to Tauranga for fumigation. However the same fumigation company, Genera, is also the operator in Tauranga, and following alarming statistics of motor neurone disease among Nelson Port workers, much stricter controls including fumigant capture technology must be implemented around the country.”