Filthy, filthy NZ

We love to pretend that NZ is a green country, but ‘Let us Spray’ - one of the best documentaries I have seen in recent times last night on TV3, did an incredible job of demolishing the bullshit lies from the Ministry of Health over the mass poisoning of NZ through use of 245T over 25 years. 40 million tons of this lethal shit was sprayed over Vietnam causing unimaginable damage to that country, in NZ we’ve sprayed 20 million tons of it, entering the food chain and causing untold damage to the health of Nears with a tripling of birth defects in some centers during the 25 years of spraying. Watching previous Ministry of Health officials tell NZers that they could drink ‘gallons’ of 245T because it was so safe (a promise that the Official then refused to personally do himself) reminded me that the injustice of this dioxin poisoning scandal has been decades in the making and swamped by lie upon lie from the Ivon Watkins-Dow company and Government officials. It is a monstrous problem with monstrous ramifications to the ongoing health of every NZer in our country, to watch Ministry of Health officials lie on behalf of an American company, both of whom were aware of the lethal nature of dioxin poisoning makes me full of rage and demands action. The sad, sad reality is that these pricks won’t be touched for the damage and horror they have wrought upon NZ for the supposed benefit of our precious farming community. Next time someone starts the ‘we farmers make the money for this country’ bullshit, thank him for the dioxin poisoning as well.

After watching image after image after image of mutated babies and story after story after story of suffering NZers who have been robbed of their health and their dignity because this American company and their arse kissing Ministry of Health quislings, I’m prepared to make an exception to my dislike of vigilante justice. Firebombing DowAgro Sciences would make me happy, as would taking a crowbar to the back of the head of the Ministry of Health apologist, Dr Mark Jacobs. Watching this prick last night try to pass the buck, knowing he and his ilk will slip out of this again because NZ media are actually too stupid to continue with the story boils my blood.

I’m getting to the point where I’m realizing that there needs to be a new kind of direct action in this country against the powerful.

Health Ministry to probe dioxin 'errors'
The Ministry of Health will today ask for a copy of findings which suggest its report last year into dioxin levels at a New Plymouth chemical plant contained significant mistakes.

In a TV3 documentary last night, forensic accountant John Leonard said high levels of dioxin contamination at the Ivon Watkins-Dow factory in the suburb of Paritutu were obscured by poor methodology in the report.

Health Minister Pete Hodgson said a review of the original report was likely. "I think it's inevitable that ... questions have been raised that need to be answered," he said.

"It's clear that there's room for doubt so we better have another look at it and I need to satisfy myself that we've done it right and if we haven't we do it again."

Ministry spokesman Peter Abernethy said the ministry would ask TV3 for a copy of its assessment of the report today.

The ministry would wait until it had seen the assessment before taking further action, Mr Abernethy said.

Ivon Watkins-Dow, which is now called DowAgro Sciences, made the herbicide 245T from 1962 to 1987. A byproduct of manufacturing 245T was TCDD, a type of dioxin.

Dioxins are a family of chemicals which can cause birth defects, diabetes, endometriosis and some rare forms of cancer. All humans are exposed to dioxin in tiny amounts through food consumption, and products manufactured with plastics and bleaches.

Green Party health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said: "So far, all we have heard is that the Ministry of Health will 'look into' the claims. After decades of denying and covering-up this issue, the public can have no confidence in the Ministry of Health objectively investigating itself. Any follow-up study now undertaken must be totally independent.

"We also need a formal apology from the Government for successive Governments' roles in systematically downplaying the health consequences of living near a dioxin plant, just as it apologised to veterans exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam."

Dioxin campaigner Andrew Gibbs told Radio New Zealand this morning the ministry was not screening the right people to check if their dioxin levels were higher than normal.

"They've spent a heck of a lot more doing studies to reassure the unaffected... current residents who presented no evidence of exposure and, really, shouldn't we be looking at the people who were exposed?"

Paritutu residents who lived near the plant at the time should be tested for health problems associated with exposure, and genetic damage, Mr Gibbs said.

Health Minister Pete Hodgson said in April 2005 the Government had advice that suing DowAgro Sciences over dioxin exposure would almost certainly fail.