Appendix 1: Government Activity on the Stockholm Convention
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants raises issues that relate directly to activities undertaken by, or to the interests of, a number of government agencies.
Ministry for the Environment
Ministry for the Environment activity helping to achieve Stockholm Convention objectives includes:
- overall responsibility for administering the Convention as New Zealand’s designated national authority
- funding the disposal of obsolete agrichemicals (including chlorinated pesticides and PCBs)
- air quality – a national environmental standard for dioxins and other air toxics, and for PM10
- Warm Homes (reducing open fires) – a national environmental standard for new woodburners
- responsibility for policy on contaminated land, including the preparation of technical guidelines and standards, and administration of the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund
- The New Zealand Waste Strategy[See Ministry for the Environment 2004b New Zealand Waste Strategy 2002 – Reviewing Progress and Moving Forward.] – improved management of wastes to minimise open burning
- liaison with local government and industry concerning the national environmental standard and guidelines
- monitoring and reporting on Convention obligations
- administration of the HSNO Act 1996.
Table A.1: Government agency activity directly contributing to Stockholm Convention objectives
Government agency |
Activity |
|---|---|
ERMA |
Assessment and regulation of POPs under the HSNO Act 1996; administration of PCB use and storage exemptions (delegated to the Ministry of Health until 31 March 2007) |
Ministry of Health |
Advising on health policy and provision of health care; health protection criteria for POPs in drinking water; advising on historical residential exposure to dioxin from industrial emissions; Organochlorines Technical Advisory Group; Senior Officials Group on Organochlorines |
New Zealand Food Safety Authority |
Advising on dietary intake of organochlorines; monitoring of maximum residue limits in produce |
Department of Labour |
Advising on historical occupational exposure to dioxin from the manufacture of chlorophenols, and historical occupational exposure to PCP/dioxin in sawmills |
ACC |
Access to medical benefits for workers exposed to dioxin and PCP |
MFAT/NZAID |
New Zealand’s international involvement on POPs issues; co-ordination of the Government’s financial and technical assistance provided under the Convention (e.g. to SPREP countries in the Pacific region) |
Transport |
Vehicle fleet emission strategy |
Education |
Advising schools of best practice alternatives to waste incineration, including composting, recycling and landfilling |
MED |
Administration of Basel Convention for the export of hazardous waste |
Customs |
Border control of exports and imports of POPs |
Inland Revenue |
Improved tax deductions for the costs of remediating contaminated land |
Table A.2: Government agencies with an interest in Stockholm Convention outcomes
Department |
Interest |
|---|---|
Agriculture and Forestry |
Status of organochlorine substances previously used for agriculture, horticulture and timber treatment |
Building and Housing |
Administration of the Building Act 2004 in respect of the likely presence of hazardous contaminants |
Conservation |
Wildlife exposure to POPs, particularly the status of New Zealand’s marine mammals |
Land Information New Zealand |
Administration of POP-contaminated land if on Crown or former Crown land |
Office of Treaty Settlements |
Contamination status of land under claim, or land used for Treaty settlements |
Te Puni Kokiri |
Advocacy of Maori issues in health and a clean environment |
Tourism |
Enhancement of New Zealand’s clean, green status |
Veterans’ Affairs |
Exposure of ex-servicemen to Agent Orange (dioxin contaminant) |
Women’s Affairs |
Advocacy of women’s issues in health |
