Dear Environmental Protection Authority,

I have just read a reply you made to an OIA by Counclllor Kathy White dated 30 January 2019 where she queries reporting requirements for 1080 operations in New Zealand. In your response the EPA refers to an 1080 operation by Waikato RC at Piopio that was reported late by Waikato RC and which resulted in the death of at least two different groups of farmed stock.

I note that report states (see extract below) that there were no incidents from this operation. This claim is in direct conflict with a note in the report that sheep had access to the treatment area, sheep were buried- presumably indicating that the sheep died.
It also reports a dead bullock and a dead feral deer and that test results (from 2017!!) were awaited.

Please can you advise what action the EPA has taken to follow up the obvious contradictions in this report and to obtain copies of the toxicology test results and any other relevant information?

Please could you also advise what if any records the EPA keeps of 1080 and other VTA deaths from farmed and/or wild stock and also dogs, to help assess the scale of these unintended deaths, and the cost/compensation paid for this harm and steps taken to prevent any future recurrence.

Does the EPA have any records of sub-lethal harm to farmed or wild animals to help assess other costs of VTA use in New Zealand, including for animal welfare and also the economic risk to our food chain if for example traces of 1080 are found in domestic or export meat.

Please could you provide copies of any such records, analysis and/or follow up by or on behalf of the EPA and any recommendations made by the EPA to any Minister or other third party to help avoid further harm from 1080 and other VTAs.

Please also advise what if any consideration has been given to requiring any incidents to be reported to the EPA in a much faster timeframe to provide a better opportunity for real time analysis and corrective action to help identify any health and safety, food safety or environmental health risks and to help avoid future harm

Please could you advise if the above information about the death of stock at Piopio and other information held by the EPA about stock deaths or sub-lethal poisoning from 1080 will be made available to the EPA team investigating the deaths of the 8 cows and the three stillborn calves at Mapara as a result of DoC's 2018 Mapara 1080 Poison Operation, so they are able to identify any patterns of avoidable harm, poor communication, lack of informed consent and/or risk to human, food, ecosystems and/or other aspects of environmental helath from 1080 poison.

Finally, I have read claims in various public websites that 1080 poison use is "well managed in New Zealand". Do you agree that these claims are misleading, bearing in mind that these deadly poison baits are aerially discharged - often over public land and intentionally into waterways, that up to 1/3 of occasions are reported to have been misapplied and/or caused oral, dust or other harm to people, stock, wildlife and the foodchain? I note that even with self-reporting by poisoners, the EPA reports show up to 1/3 of the operations in some years result in poison baits being misapplied and/or causing unintended harm. Please can you provide any analysis by the EPA of these incidents and the risks, suspected and/or established harm from 1080 poison use in New Zealand and any actions being taken and /or proposed by the EPA to help avoid or manage this harm, and/or to help educate the public of New Zealand on the true extent of risks associated with the aerial use of 1080 poison in New Zealand

Thank you and kind regards
Sue Grey LLB(Hons), BSc, RSHDipPHI

:Extract from the report:
Were there any complaints about this operation? No Were there any incidents resulting from this operation? No Incidents Date (dd/mm/yy) 4/04/2017 Initiated by? Landowner
Alleged effect
By kill in target area
Alleged Cause
By kill in target area

Alleged Compliance Issues
Other (non HSNO)
Investigated by
Regional Council

Outcome of Investigation
Settled between parties Description of events
Landowner reported dead (farmed) sheep - on site visit was undertaken on 7/4/17 with WRC and sheep were found to have access to the treatment area. Bait was in a non palliative mushy state. Sheep were buried. No further action required. Date (dd/mm/yy) 4/04/2017 Initiated by? Landowner
Alleged effect
By kill in target area
Alleged Cause
By kill in target area

Alleged Compliance Issues
Other (non HSNO)
Investigated by
Regional Council

Outcome of Investigation
Settled between parties Description of events
Landowner reported dead feral deer and 1 bullock, a vet was contacted by the landowner to have a sample taken for testing and the deer was buried. Awaiting test results. No further action.

Yours faithfully,
Sue Grey