Official Information Act Request
Requester’s details
Date: 28 November 2022
Name: Amber Craig
Email: [FYI request #20881 email]
Reference number: ENQ-44902-Q4H6M2
Dear Amber
I refer to your request received on 17 October 2022.
“I would please like a copy of all correspondence between Environmental Protection
Agency staf , including Dr. Wayne Temple, and Monsanto employees and contractors
from 1 January 2015 to 30 September 2016.”
On 10 November 2022, we emailed you seeking clarification of the scope of your request,
because the volume of information would need to be collated to respond to your request as it
stood was quite substantial, and for this reason, we anticipated it could take some time to
make a decision on your request.
Then, on 15 November 2022, we made a partial release to you of some information, namely
correspondence with Monsanto about glyphosate, which we believed might be of particular
interest to you, given your specific reference to Dr Temple. We also notified you of an
extension until 20 December 2022 of the time to make our final decision on your request.
However, we undertook to respond as soon as is practicable.
The extension was necessary because your request required a search through a large
quantity of information and meeting the original time limit would have unreasonably interfered
with our operations.
We have now undertaken a search through our electronic files for information that is within
scope of your request as it stands, and there is a considerable amount of information that
would need to be collated and assessed to provide you with the information sought by your
request as it currently stands.
Therefore, your request is refused under section 18(f) of the Of icial Information Act 1982, on
the basis that the information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research.
However, if you were to make a new request with a more clearly defined scope, we would be
happy to consider this.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
You can contact the Ombudsman on 0800 802 602, or by email at
[email address].
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If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us via
[email address].
We may publish your request and our response on our website,
www.epa.govt.nz. We make
OIA responses available so others can read more about the work we do and the questions
we are asked. Any information that might identify you wil be removed to protect your privacy.
Yours sincerely
Dr Christopher Hill
General Manager, Hazardous Substances and New Organisms
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