Council does about-face on sprays

Non-toxic alternatives to a spray linked to testicular and breast cancer are to be trialled on Bay playing fields to control earthworms.
Tauranga City Council yesterday cancelled the spraying of Blake Park's five playing fields with the insecticide Thiodan whose active ingredient endosulfan is under review by New Zealand's Environmental Risk Management Authority.
The council backed the call by Mayor Stuart Crosby to work with local environmental groups to review turf management practices to control worms.
Mr Crosby said groups such as Spraywatchers firmly believed there were non-toxic alternatives to Thiodan and they should be given the opportunity to work through alternatives.
He said there was a significant doubt surrounding the safety of Thiodan which had been banned in many countries.
"We need to make sure that all practical alternatives have been considered - it is an issue of major public concern."
Although Thiodan had been routinely used for 18 years to control worms, Mr Crosby said lots of sprays used for years had proved to be quite dangerous.
Cr Greg Brownless backed the called to investigate alternatives, saying it may be that the level of worm control would drop, but everyone would be happy.
Cr David Stewart said it was a difficult issue because he was not qualified to know whether what he had read about Thiodan was right or wrong. He read that the insecticide had been linked to testicular and breast cancer and had a very long half-life.
Cr Terry Molloy said it was dangerous to quote certain aspects of Thiodan and he urged leaving it to the experts to work out.
Mr Crosby said irrespective of the rights and wrongs, there was strong public concern.
The community groups he met with must be given the opportunity to trial alternatives.
Mount Maunganui councillor Bob Tulloch was pleased the issue had come to a head, saying the woman he met from Spraywatchers had been extremely polite and non-confrontational.
Cr Tulloch contacted the New Zealand Turf Institute about alternatives to Thiodan but had not received a reply.
The council also agreed to review its policies for the use of sprays in public places because the current policy comprised of a series of decisions, some of them quite old.
Protocols will be developed in association with Spraywatchers to address the use of chemicals in other situations such as controlling weeds.
A retired soil scientist has suggested an alternative to Thiodan that centred around soil acidity, aerating the soil, applying sand and using sulphate of ammonia and phosphates to help drive the worms underground.