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A group of former sawmill workers look to have won a long battle to have their health concerns recognised after many were exposed to a toxic timber treatment more than 20 years ago.
Joe Harawira, a spokesman for Sawmill Workers Against Poisons, said more than 100 workers at the former Whakatane sawmill had long-term exposure to the wood preservative pentachlorophenol (PCP).
PCP was often contaminated by some types of dioxin during manufacture and was banned in 1988 for its toxic effects on people.
Mr Harawira said since the mill closed 20 years ago, several of his colleagues had died of cancer-related illnesses. Others had long complained of heart problems, diabetes, headaches, asthma, a loss of libido, lethargy and scabies.
Mr Harawira said that 22 workers had state-funded blood tests three years ago, which showed their dioxin contamination levels were two to three times higher than for residents and workers exposed to dioxin at the Paritutu chemicals factory in New Plymouth.
"We've been endeavouring to get some sort of recognition of the chemicals that we used to work with in the mill and in regard to the health complications that arose from that," said Mr Harawira.
He hoped the affected workers would be eligible for free ongoing medical monitoring and health checks after the Ministry of Health announced details this year of a $750,000-a-year scheme for residents and workers exposed to dioxin at Paritutu.
"The Government saw fit to put in place a health support system for them and they did likewise for the Vietnam veterans, to some extent."
Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor said the Government was committed to providing appropriate support to former timber workers who may have been exposed to PCP.
"Cabinet agreed that the Government would do further work and consultation on whether it would be appropriate to provide PCP-exposed workers with access to health services similar to that being offered to residents exposed to dioxin in Paritutu," said Mr O'Connor.
The Health Ministry was trying to identify eligibility criteria for affected workers and to develop and consult on options for health services.
But Green Party co-leader Dr Russel Norman said although he was obviously concerned for the workers' well-being, the issue was merely scratching the surface.
He said a Ministry for the Environment report which looked at more than 250 former sawmills thought to have used PCP showed that even at those which used only small amounts, the soil was likely to be too contaminated for agricultural use.
There were potentially hundreds of sites that had become toxic from toxic waste wood throughout the country.
"That report was supposed to have been comprehensive and it didn't even have the Whakatane sawmill in it," said Dr Norman.
"I think what we're seeing are the results of very short-term thinking by governments ... potentially we could be inheriting that liability and people who might be affected may need support."
