asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the latest date and the location on which the herbicide 245-T was used in forests and forest nurseries; the nature of protective clothing issued to workers, the maximum periods of exposure to this substance, and the quantity used in the past year.
Written Answers. - Herbicide 245-T.
332.
Protective clothing made available to forest workers using 245-T is the same as that issued to forest workers using non-hazardous pesticides and comprise a mouth mask, oil proof suit, wellington boots and rubber gloves. Goggles are also provided for use when mixing the concentrate. Workers are also provided with soap and towels for washing of exposed skin after using chemical compounds.
The period during which forest workers might be involved in the use of the substance would not normally exceed four hours at any one time.
The Department do not monitor the use of chemical compounds at particular sites. However, my Department are in the process of making an inventory of the use of 245-T by forest district but this has not yet been completed.
Although I am assured by my officials that the chemical 245-T in the formulation in use here by my Department poses no threat to man or his environment, the Research Branch of my Department are continuing to seek an acceptable substitute for the chemical formulation which is used in State forests for the control of woody weeds.