MEDIA STATEMENT
Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga
Friday 28 January 2011

Stop fumigating Picton with toxic gas – Katene

The Maori Party MP for Te Tai Tonga, Rahui Katene, says she’s very concerned at the threat to public health and the environment from the growing use of methyl bromide in Picton.

Methyl bromide is a highly toxic and ozone-depleting gas used to fumigate logs for export from Picton.

After fumigation the gas escapes from the port, which is close to the Cook Strait ferry terminal, workplaces and the town centre of Picton.

"The problem at Picton is getting worse because stricter controls on methyl bromide at Port Nelson make it cheaper to transport logs to Picton and fumigate them there,” said Mrs Katene.

"The Environmental Risk Management Authority has recognised the dangers and called for a requirement to recapture and recycle methyl bromide after fumigation, within ten years,” she said.

"More urgently, Picton's methyl bromide management regime must be brought into line with Nelson's, to reduce the incentive for Nelson logs to be fumigated in Picton,” said Mrs Katene.

"I also support the ERMA call for urgent investigation into safer alternatives to methyl bromide, for health and environmental reasons.

"I think the government should also consider imposing pollution charges on the use of methyl bromide, to increase incentives for recapture and recycling.

"This might also cut the overall use of methyl bromide by, for example, promoting the export of sawn timber instead of raw logs, which can surely be fumigated in other ways.

"Such a shift would also promote local employment in the timber industry, which has recently been hit by sawmill closures in several small towns,” said Mrs Katene.

ENDS

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