Public Meeting concerning Methyl Bromide

Guardians of the Sounds Public Meeting held at Queen Charlotte College Wednesday 29 August 2007

Gary Lowe as facilitator welcomed over 100 people to the meeting and introduced the speakers.

Peter Beech, GOS Chairperson gave a background on the issue of using Methyl Bromide at Shakespeare Bay to fumigate logs being shipped to India. There was a lack of effective monitoring, no resource consent was required, the gas was not recaptured and there was a need for modelling to assess the extent of the problem. He also outlined the steps already taken and expressed his disappointment that nobody from the groups involved were present.

Those being;

Alastair Sowman Mayor of MDC

Des Ashton Port Marlborough

David Dew Port Marlborough Board

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board

Department of Labour

Sue Kedgley, Green MP detailed the Montreal Agreement which was signed by NZ to phase out the use of methyl bromide. However it is still widely used to fumigate imported fruit and vegetables and other imported goods. She explained that not only was it a highly toxic gas dangerous to humans but that it is a major contributor to depletion of the ozone layer. This results in increased ultra violet which causes skin cancers and melanoma, affects flora, fauna and marine life and adds to global warming.

Jon Humphrey, GOS Vice Chairperson read a report from Terry Brady an air scientist from Auckland which stated;

Monitoring being done is inadequate

Modelling of air dispersal should be first step inconjunction with independent monitoring

Steffan Browning gave a power point presentation to demonstrate the layers of government regulatory bodies involved. ERMA has not banned the use of methyl bromide and he supported Peter’s call for council to address their air quality policy and processes.

Jim Lutherus a methyl bromide victim explained his exposure and the consequences.

Gary then opened the meeting for comment and questions. The over whelming feeling from well informed people present was that methyl bromide should be banned. Rick Osborne from Zindia forestry company whose logs are the ones being fumigated, spoke from the floor and agreed as did Cliff Bowers local councillor.

Letters were read from Gerald Hope, chairperson of MDC environment committee, John Craighead councillor and environment committee member and Jill Bunting, councillor, also agreeing that methyl bromide use should be stopped.

Alan Perano moved a vote of No Confidence in MDC, Port Marlborough, ERMA, Nelson Marlborough Health Board, Department of Labour

Peter Beech concluded the meeting by asking for modelling of the drift from Shakespeare Bay, making the use of methyl bromide a discretionary activity and that a resource consent should apply. This would mean that the public would be able to have a say. We expect that site specific risk assessment would be undertaken by the Dept of Labour. We had hoped that the mayor would have acknowledged the inadequacies of the regional plan , that allows a company to discharge up to 2 tons of a dangerous nerve gas into the atmosphere over our town and agree to get his planners onto promulgating an Air Plan for Marlb that addresses the issue of spray drift.