Reply awaited on mushroom sterilising agent

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 5

Reply awaited on mushroom sterilising agent

The Paparua County Council wants an urgent reply from the Health De- ' partment in Christchurch on the use by Meadow Mushrooms, Ltd, of Prebbleton, of methyl bromide as a fumigating agent. This move was prompted by discussion at Mondav’s meeting of the council’s finI ance committee of a letter from two Prebbleton residents, Mrs M. J. and Mr I. Holdem, who said they and a group of Prebbleton residents still considered the use of the agent was contrary to the regulations governing fumigating plants. An application by Meadow Mushrooms to the Town and Planning Appeal Tribunal to expand had already been declined, said the County Engineer (Mr J. D. Annan). The tribunal had examined the fumigation procedures but had made no comment about its continuing use, he [said. Mr Annan had written tn ’ the then Medical Officer of [Health, Dr L. F. Jepson on

September 19 seeking clari-1 fication of the council’s position regarding the use of methyl bromide, after letters from Mr and Mrs Holdem on behalf of local residents. The letter was not acknowledged, but the council felt it was the Health De- [ partment that was respon-1 sible for administering the! fumigation regulations. In his letter of September 19 to Dr Jepson, Mr Annan had asked to be kept up to date with relevant information about the possible effects of the firm’s activities on the health of Prebbleton residents. Mr Annan told the meet-’ ing that it was impossible to act until the Health Department had replied. “I do not know if I have any right to ask the firm for [ certain work to be done, as it may or may not be re-1 quired by the regulations,” he said. "If I were to act without this guidance, I could well be acting im-j properly.” |