24 June 2008

Dunne – 1080 double standard disturbing

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne remains disturbed at the willingness of DoC and Regional Councils to aerially drop 1080 in water supply catchments, while in Central Wellington today an entire office building was evacuated due to a parcel believed to be containing 1080 powder.

“Surely, this is a case of double standards,” said Mr Dunne.

“Next month there are two aerial 1080 drops planned, both of which are targeted in or around public water supplies.

One is down for the catchment area that feeds into Kumara’s water supply, while there is also a planned aerial drop on the Ohau River catchment, above Levin’s water supply.”

“Estimates I have received put the amount of bait used in the Levin drop at 9 tonnes throughout the 3000 hectares of the Ohau River catchment.”

“It is irresponsible to dump this highly dangerous poison in or around a public water supply. The temperature in the catchments in July-August will be very low, so the 1080 will decompose much slower than normal. Both areas are also subject to heavy rains, which can dissolve the poison and push it into streams.”

According to ERMA’s rules on 1080, a town’s water supply does not include the catchment – only the reservoir and its immediate intake.

“I would still like to know why ground application and bait stations could not be used in such situations - is this purely a cost saving exercise?”

“UnitedFuture is generally opposed to the aerial application of 1080 unless it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that the terrain in the treatment area is such that it would be impossible to carry out a successful ground baiting operation and it is far enough from population centres to present no danger to the public,” said Mr Dunne.

ENDS

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