Changes could be on the way after a report revealed gaps in how we monitor chemicals in the environment and how we interpret their impact on living things The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is proposing changes to the way New Zealand manages chemicals to make sure their environmental impacts are not overlooked. Continue →

Crisis preparation and management standards are falling short in almost a third of businesses, a Chemtrec global study reveals The study asked respondents from organizations across the chemical industry anonymously to rank their organization’s emergency preparedness levels.   Continue →

Public consultation is now open on an application to reassess the use of hydrogen cyanamide, an active ingredient in sprays commonly used by kiwifruit growers Hydrogen cyanamide is banned in Europe, and its re-registration is currently under review in the United States. Continue →

The EPA is calling for a total ban on the ozone-depleting gas, methyl bromide, which is used increasingly in New Zealand to kill pests from trade cargo Methyl bromide is a toxic and ozone-depleting substance, which India and China require to be used on logs they receive from New Zealand. Continue →

The Ministry for Primary Industries has been fined $30,000 for failing to ensure workers were not exposed to hazardous chemicals while managing an outbreak of Mycloplasma bovis In 2017 in efforts to manage an outbreak of Mycloplasma bovis, MPI contracted biosecurity company AsureQuality who in turn engaged OneStaff to provide temporary workers to assist with cleaning and disinfecting work. Continue →

The draft new Standard for the Management of Agrichemicals is now available for public comment until the end of January 2021 NZS 8409:2004 (Management of agrichemicals) provides practical and specific guidance on the safe, responsible and effective management of agrichemicals, including plant protection products (such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides), veterinary medicines, and agricultural use of detergents and sanitizers. Continue →

A Manawatū farmer says his community wants easier access to a blood test for toxic chemicals from firefighting foam, but the Health Ministry is telling them not to bother according to RNZ News The groundwater around defence bases including Ōhakea in Manawatū have been contaminated with toxic and long-lasting firefighting foam chemicals. Continue →

As a formal investigation continues into the use of certain fire-fighting foams in New Zealand, airports are being identified as still having stocks of the foams, use of which has been restricted since 2006 Fire-fighting foams manufactured with the chemicals PFOS and PFOA were the standard from the 1970s until the early 2000s. Continue →

The advent of revised Hazardous Substances regulations in December passed largely unnoticed. Continue →