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March 7, 2005

DAY 2: People Poisoned in Rotorua

Day Two of the tour we held a meeting at Te Ao Marama Hall beside Lake Rotorua. Lake Rotorua is a sadly contaminated lake as at result of the PCP leachate from the Waipa Sawmill. About 40 people attended the meeting which was addressed by speakers from SWAP (Joe Harawira), Ngati Tuwharetoa (Tomairangi Fpx and Colleeen Skerrit), Greenpeace (Mere Takoko) and Vietnam Vets (Kingi Taurua) . NZ First MP Bill Gudgeon who supports the Vietnam Vets also spoke. The audience included sawmill workers, Vietnam veterans and their families. Their stories were all powerful and I felt like crying yet again when two men stood up to show us their black and swollen legs poisoned by exposure of dioxin contaminated PCP at the sawmills. The presentation from Ngati Tuwharetoa about their contaminated whenua at Kawerau was news to many people present who learnt about the true cost of many of our paper products..

Since 1952 the Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill has been dumping toxic waste onto the land belonging to the Fox whanau at Kawerau, covering their urupa and waahi tapu with a wide range of chemical including dioxin. The Fox whanau and tangata whernua lawyers have been fighting the mill owners. They are also fighting the Government who originally bank-rolled the whole mill development. It is a huge struggle to attempt a clean up this once fabulous area of hot springs and sacred sites. It will cost billions to clean up properly but with the company lease expiring in 2013 the last thing the whanau need is to have their land returned as a vast toxic waste dump. Greenpeace has been involved with this issue and with the fight for the Tarawera River since the 1980's when Gordon Jackman began working with the Fox whanau.

Gordon Jackman also spoke at Rotorua and expressed his frustration that the dioxin lies and denials continue. After two and a half hours we were all exhausted because it's not a pretty picture but the stories need to be told and the coalitions built to fight for justice.

We went back to the motel to eat vegan sausage boil up and deconstruct the patriarchy before the 5am start to Day Three - The Paritutu mission.

- Catherine Delahunty

On tour with People Poisoned Daily

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