Evidence of contamination
1. MYTH - Final tests were inconclusive.
FACT - Final tests confirmed that the corn
had GE contamination of less than 0.5%.
EVIDENCE
Lead scientists from ERMA considered the corn was contaminated
after the final test results had come in by 5 December, 2000.
Dr Hannah's report from the 5 December 2000 states, "…
with a considerable degree of confidence it can be concluded the
Novartis sweet corn … has less than 0.5% GM contamination."
Dr Hannah never concluded that the corn was not contaminated,
only that the level of contamination came under the Government's
then allowable threshold of 0.5%.
The Government still acknowledged that the corn was contaminated
in January 2001, as the Prime Minister's office, MAF, ERMA and
the Ministry for Environment were still considering crop destruction
at this time.
In a memo from Dr Oliver Sutherland and Lindie Nelson, Deputy
Chair ERMA to the ERMA Board on 15 January 2001 they state in
relation to the GE corn release:
'Since we know that the Novartis sweet corn is contaminated,
is it acceptable that it should remain in the ground?' and '…
it is a very substantial number of completely uncontrolled GM
plants now growing in the field. '
These statements are based on Dr Hannah's report, 5 December
2000. Bas Walker confirmed on 12 July 2002, that Dr Hannah's report
was "the final scientific comment" (Myth 2 below).
Evidence from the 400 pages released by the Government on Friday
12 July show that the GeneScan laboratory considered the corn
to be contaminated. In a letter to Novartis received by the 5th
December they state:
"Our experiences in qualitative testing leads us to believe
the samples received contain trace amounts of GM sweet corn".
Independent scientists have examined the evidence so far supplied
publicly and also reached the conclusion that the corn was contaminated.
Associate Professor Peter Wills, University of Auckland stated
on Wednesday 17 July, 2002 that:
"…there is not proper scientific basis for categorical
claims (such as those emanating from the Prime Minister and Minister
for the Environment) that corn from Lot NC9114 was not contaminated
with genetically engineered Bt11 kernels".
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