Dioxin report not secret – MFE

http://www.mfe.govt.nz

15 February 2000

Dioxin report not secret – Ministry for the Environment

A report assessing the health risks that dioxins pose to the New Zealand population will be made public as soon as it is completed – most likely in the next few weeks, says the Ministry for the Environment.

Senior ministry policy analyst Dr Simon Buckland says the timetable for the report’s release was approved in December 2000 by Cabinet. It was scheduled for release in mid-March.

Dr Buckland says the report – Evaluation of the toxicity of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs: a Health Risk Appraisal for the New Zealand population – will assess what the health risks from dioxins are for the general population.

The Ministry will use the information gathered as the basis for establishing a National Environmental Standard to regulate dioxin emissions from industrial facilities.

“The Health Risk Appraisal report brings together all the important literature on this subject, including information only published in the last few years on the toxicity of these chemicals,” says Dr Buckland.

The report is an independent report to the Ministry by international dioxin experts. Dioxins are very toxic chemicals that have been linked to a variety of health problems including cancer. A key recommendation of the report is that New Zealand, in line with the rest of the world, takes a precautionary approach in reducing exposure to dioxins.

“However, it should be noted that, from scientific studies carried out by the Ministry, we know that the background levels of dioxins in the New Zealand environment are generally low compared with the levels recorded in many other countries.”

Internationally, there is a move to reduce the level of dioxins that people are currently exposed to. This includes a convention on reducing Persistent Organic Pollutants (which include dioxins) released to the environment, and new standards on dioxin sources in Europe and America.

Dr Buckland says the report is one of a series on dioxins in New Zealand. Much of the information it contains is already available publicly and is published on the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

“The report is currently undergoing final peer review and will be released as soon as it is completed. Some earlier drafts of the report – while reaching the same general conclusions – contain information that is not up to date and in some cases may no longer be accurate.”

Dr Buckland says the United States Environmental Protection Agency released new international information on dioxins late last year – information that has now been included in the latest version of the Ministry’s report.

For more information, please contact:

Dr Simon Buckland Karl Ferguson
Senior policy analyst Media advisor
Ministry for the Environment Ministry for the Environment

(04) 917-7421 (04) 917-7482

See also www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/waste/organo.htm

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