[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Chemical Contamination of Tasmanian Rivers Worse!_T Morris MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

RIVERS OF POISON

Latest Test Results Show Chronic Contamination

Tim Morris MP
Greens Shadow Water Spokesperson

Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today described as "horrifying" the extent of new
chemical contamination of the State's waterways revealed by the latest
release of the pesticide test results, which show seven new
contamination events and two ongoing events; which show that our rivers
are getting worse and not better, and called on the Bartlett government
to take urgent action to curtail this unacceptable situation. 

Greens Shadow Water spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the latest
pesticide testing results show that the Coal, Meander (2), Macquarie,
Duck, Brid, Jordan, Montague and Rubicon rivers as well as White
Kangaroo rivulet were all contaminated in July, which is the worst set
of results in the three years of testing.

"The latest round of chemical testing demonstrates once again that the
existing Tasmanian regulations for the use of herbicides and pesticides
are totally inadequate and urgent measures are required to reduce the
number of, and extent of, contamination events in Tasmania's rivers and
therefore the government must move on introducing Chemical trespass
laws," Mr Morris said.

"This is the first time that these tests have shown contamination of the
Meander River and it is contaminated with Simazine and MCPA, also
multiple contaminations were found in the Coal River."

"Despite the continuing claims by the government that there are no
health concerns because these tests do not reveal the levels to be above
the Health Guidelines; we do know that these tests are only a snapshot
below the point of contamination, where the levels are actually higher."


"It is probable that the levels were higher either before or after these
tests were undertaken; depending on when the contamination occurred and
how much runoff had occurred."

"Clearly the spraying and pesticide application regulations that are
intended to prevent contaminations are failing and the Government must
move quickly to introduce the new regulations and not water them down
because of pressure being applied by representatives of those
responsible for the contamination." Mr Morris said.

"The latest round of chemical testing shows that Tasmanian rivers are
becoming more contaminated over the 3 years of testing and yet the Labor
government keeps playing down the seriousness of this for both human
health as well as putting at risk exports of both meat and crops that
may have been unwittingly contaminated by the use of contaminated water,
Mr Morris said.



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