List of contaminated sites due today

By ELIZABETH BINNING

Letters and maps pinpointing the locations of more than 1100 Auckland properties potentially contaminated by dangerous levels of DDT, arsenic, lead and copper will be sent to anxious residents as early as today.

The letters will explain how up to 6000ha may have been contaminated by horticultural activity and how the remains of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides now exceed guidelines for the protection of human health and the environment.

The Herald understands the letters will also tell property owners they will need to arrange their own soil tests to ascertain whether their property is affected.

Anxious owners have been waiting to learn exactly where the sites are since last week when the Herald published information about the soil contamination. The council has been criticised for not releasing details earlier of the contaminated sites - which were identified in a study completed two months ago.

It had originally planned to release the information only on LIM reports as owners sold their homes.

The decision to send letters to potentially affected owners was made after the Herald's story.