Dr FRANK NICKLASON
It is simply not true that Prof Hayes’ data have not been reproduced by independent research. Where did you get that information from? Prof Hayes makes this point in the presentation. Dr Chrissie Picken (Acting Director of Public Health) was in the audience and can confirm this if you are not convinced. It is not the point really whether triazine contamination has it’s source in plantation forestry or in agriculture.The point is that it is extraordinarily toxic. My experience of the way these chemicals are used, monitored and regulated in Tasmania is often deplorable.
Julian
Thankyou for your prompt reply.
It should be understood that Professor Tyrone Hayes is the world’s foremost authority on Triazines and the sex hormone disruption they produce. Some extraordinary things do turn out to be true, the science presented by Prof Hayes speaks for itself, and was not disputed by a large audience of medical academics, clinicians, public health specialists and scientists at the RHH presentation.
It is simply not true that Prof Hayes’ data have not been reproduced by independent research. Where did you get that information from? Prof Hayes makes this point in the presentation. Dr Chrissie Picken (Acting Director of Public Health) was in the audience and can confirm this if you are not convinced.
It is not the point really whether triazine contamination has it’s source in plantation forestry or in agriculture.The point is that it is extraordinarily toxic.
My experience of the way these chemicals are used, monitored and regulated in Tasmania is often deplorable. The issues here are well out in a recent letter by Jim Harris published in the Mercury.
The community is increasingly sceptical, and I believe justifiably so, regarding the performance of the APVMA in all of this and the perception is that this body is simply not independent enough from the companies which produce the chemicals the are supposed to regulate.
The USA has LOWER limits than Australia does regards what is considered acceptable contamination of water.
I hope that the whole of the FIAT board is given the opportunity to view the DVD. I would like feedback as soon as possible about this.
It is pleasing that FIAT has an open mind about this issue and encourages community debate.. To this end I have dropped the DVD in to Sue Neales at the Mercury as she has expressed an interest in this issue and would certainly be interested in the FIAT (and TFGA) position on the use of these chemicals.
The research I have found on the efficacy of triazines as weed suppressants seems to suggest that the benefits are marginal, do you have diferent peer reviewed evidence? If you do I would like to see it.
Regards, Frank Nicklason
— On Fri, 8/5/09, Julian Amos wrote:
From: Julian Amos Subject: Fwd: atrazine APVMA MAY09.pdf
To: fnicklason
Received: Friday, 8 May, 2009, 3:35 PM
Frank
Thanks for dropping in the discs – so far I have played through the first one. And I will need to look at it again before making any judgment about Tyrone’s information. Certainly he presents well. However his thesis that such low levels can be a trigger for endocrine disruption seem extraordinary to me.
I am further advised that none of this data is able to be replicated by independent (not company) researchers, so I am in a bit of a bind over what to make of Hayes’ arguments.
Industry is generally most cautious in its triazines usage and application and we have as an industry established our own protocols which go beyond those of the APVMA to ensure usage is low and waterways are protected. I suspect these same low levels of application are not practiced in the USA, and indeed, in both countries agricultural application far outweighs forestry usage
That said, I will not dismiss your submission without further consideration, and will do so with an open mind.. Internally, FIAT has a structure that considers matters such as this, and although such things can easily be dismissed by outsiders as being “closed shop”, it does have an open mind and does encourage debate on these matters.
Further, I do know that APVMA will be in the State later this year, and I will engage with them prior to that time with the info you have provided to me.
Thanks and regards
Julian
The on-ground experience:
Last Saturday a crop duster flew right between houses within the town boundary and drift off hit me while I was just harvesting my organic vegetables. I have been sick ever since but I was told that nothing illegally has happen. Now I can’t even drink my rain water any more and the tao water is undrinkable. I moved to Cressy to live a healthy life style. Just a few month ago I lost my breasts to cancer and now I don’t know where to go any more. Damn the unscrupulous bastards who are responsible.
I do apologize if this is not the right spot to tell the story but I am new to this and I am ready to fight the ‘good fight’ if it means saving people to go through what I have been through.Posted by Ella on 26/04/09 at 04:44 PM
Comment: Here
