Stephen Searle

RETURNING home from holidays, I sat down and proceeded to read my stash of Beacons.

Front page on one of them was the story, Whakatāne District Council concerned with the damage done by motorcycles to Mataatua Reserve.

The major concern was the damage would allow the leaching of toxin (Sodium Pentachlorophenol) as contamination from the Whakatane sawmill is in the soil used to reclaim the land.

The concern was the health and safety risk this toxin could pose to the public.

This is the same council that intends to dig up tonnes of the same toxic waste.

I would like to know how it intends to do this safely, preventing leaching into the river and the control of airborne toxins.

And, the safe disposal of waste.

As a ex-sawmill worker, I have seen what this toxin can do.