3.10pm - By ELIZABETH BINNING
UPDATE - Residents will have to wait until tomorrow to learn if their properties have been contaminated by dangerous levels of levels of DDT, arsenic, lead and copper from dumped horticultural spray.
Mayor Dick Hubbard last week promised to reveal the areas where 1155 affected properties were
identified in a study as being effected by past horticultural activity.
That information was expected to be released this afternoon but a spokeswoman for Mr Hubbard said it would now be released at 11.30am tomorrow.
The delay occurred because the council wants to release maps showing where the affected properties are and data for those maps is being compiled on computers. Those maps will be included in letters which will be sent out to affected residents tomorrow afternoon, following a media briefing in the morning.
The council study found that between 4000 and 6000 hectares of land was potentially contaminated by elevated levels of arsenic, copper, lead, DDT and dieldrin from historic farming.
The contaminants, found in soil samples from 48 cropping areas on horticultural properties, all exceed conservative guidelines for the protection of human health and environment.
The council has been criticised for not releasing details of the contaminated sites earlier. It only decided to release information about the study, completed two months ago, after the Herald was tipped off about it last week.
Herald Feature: Conservation and Environment
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