2. Medical Officer of Health and NZPA 1973

7/27/2019 2. Medical Officer of Health and NZPA 1973

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IN 1972 - DOCTORS SARE AND FORBES WROTE TO THE NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE ABOUT

TWO MYELOMENINGOCELE [NTD] CASES ON NEIGHBOURING TE AWAMUTU HILL COUNTRY FARMS.

A SUB COMMITTEE OF THE AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS BOARD FORMED IN APRIL 1972 CONCLUDED

THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATION OF WATER SUPPLIES OR DRIFT ONTO ROOF’S FROM AERIAL 2,4,5-T

SPRAYING, BUT THAT, ‘TWO WOMEN WERE PHYSICALLY CONTAMINATED WHILE ASSISTING [THEIR

HUSBANDS ] IN THE SPRAYING OPERATIONS.’ GIVEN ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ INCREASES IN NATION -WIDE

1960 TO 1970 CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS WERE ALSO PUBLICLY REPORTED IN JANUARY 1973

HAD THE PARITUTU NTD CLUSTER AND SIGNIFICANT NEW PLYMOUTH BIRTH DEFECT RISES ALSO

‘GONE PUBLIC’ IT IS LIKELY THE EXPORT EARNING HERBICIDE 2,4,5-T WOULD HAVE BEEN BANNED.



IN MID 1969 THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BUDGET HAD INTRODUCED A SUBSIDY PAID DIRECT

TO NZ AGRICHEMICAL MAKERS. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AGRICULTURAL

ATTACHE NOTIFIED NZ OFFICIALS OF US RESTRICTIONS ON 2,4,5-T USE AFTER ANIMAL STUDIES HAD

FOUND MALFORMATIONS IN OFFSPRING FOLLOWING MATERNAL EXPOSURE TO 2,4,5-T AND TCDD.

THE APRIL 1972 ACB SUB-COMMITTEE WAS CHAIRED BY DR ALLINGHAM [WHO CO-SIGNED THE 10

MAY 1973 LETTER TO THE NEW PLYMOUTH MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH] RECOMMENDED THAT -

2,4,5-T REGISTRATIONS FOR HOME USE AND USE ON APRICOTS BE WITHDRAWN AND CANCELLED.



THAT A CONSPICUOUS WARNING BE ADDED TO 2,4,5-T LABELS OF PRODUCTS NOT CANCELLED –

WARNING – WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE SHOULD AVOID EXPOSURE TO 2,4,5-T.

MEASURES BUT PUT IN PLACE TO REDUCE TCDD IN NEW ZEALAND 2,4,5-T TO LESS THAN 0.1 PPM

THAT THE WARNING TO AVOID CONTAMINATION OF ANY WATER SUPPLIES BE EMPHASISED

AERIAL APPLICATION BE DISCOURAGED AND IF USED - NOT WITHIN A MILE OF HOUSES OR TOWNS

AND ON-GOING INVESTIGATIONS WERE RECOMMENDED BY DR ALLINGHAM’S SUB COMMITTEE

THE ACB HAD BEEN TOLD OF 2,4,5-T RESTRICTIONS BY THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN NOVEMBER 1969.

IN 1970 THE EMBASSY SENT THE ACB THE REQUESTED SEMI RESTRICTED ANIMAL STUDY THAT FOUND

CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS AFTER MATERNAL DOSING WITH 2,4,5-T AND 2,3,7,8-TCDD [DIOXIN].

IN 1965 AND 1966 THE WESTOWN MATERNITY MATRON AND NZ HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXCHANGED

LETTERS OVER NEW PLYMOUTH BIRTH DEFECT RATES. HOWEVER - WHEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT

WROTE TO THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH ABOUT CLAIMS OF A LINK BETWEEN 2,4,5-T AND NEW

PLYMOUTH BIRTH DEFECT RATES IN MAY 1973 THERE WAS NO REPORTED - FURTHER INVESTIGATON.

INSTEAD THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH WAS ASKED - TO COLLECT CUTTINGS OF PRESS REPORTS.

THE LARGEST BIRTH DEFECT INCREASES OUTSIDE VIETNAM WERE KEPT OFF THE RADAR TO ALLOW

CONTINUED NEW ZEALAND USE OF 2,4,5-T BUT WITH 1973 TCDD REDUCED TO 5 % OF 1971 LEVELS.



THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AGRICULTURAL ATTACHE’S 5.2.1970 REPLY TO THE ACB

THE SIGNIFICANT 1965 TO 1970 BIRTH DEFECTS INCREASES WERE NOT REPORTED UNTIL NOVEMBER

2010. IN FEBRUARY 2001 THE LOCAL HEALTH BOARD AT FIRST IGNORED 1965 TO 1970 DEFECT DATA

THEN IN MARCH 2002 STATED THAT MALFORMATION RATES WERE NORMAL AND NOT ABOVE - THE

NATIONAL AVERAGE - THEN IN AUGUST 2002 PUBLISHED THE SAME DATA AND REFERENCES USED INNOVEMBER 2010 - YET - DID NOT REPORT NINE SIGNIFICANT 1965-1970 BIRTH DEFECTS INCREASES.

AS WELL AS DELAYING THE RECOGNITION OF SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN CITYWIDE NEW PLYMOUTH

BIRTH DEFECTS FOR 40 YEARS AND THE 1968-1972 NEURAL TUBE PARITUTU CLUSTER AROUND IWD

PLANT FOR 30 YEARS THIS ACTION HAS WITHHELD BIRTH DEFECTS DATA SUPPORTING THE CLAIMED

REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS AMONGST PATERNALLY AND MATERNALLY EXPOSED PARENTS IN VIETNAM.

AS VIETNAM VETERAN MAJOR [RTRD] JOHN MOLLER TOLD THE SELECT COMMITTEE IN 2003 - NEW

PLYMOUTH DATA ON MATERNAL AND PATERNAL OUTCOMES IS OF INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.

THE USA IOM EXPRESSED CONCERN AT THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF THESE VALUABLE RESULTS IN 2012.

2. Medical Officer of Health and NZPA 1973

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