The Green Party says port workers and nearby communities are at risk of being exposed to a toxic gas used in wood fumigation.
A newly-released Customs Service report shows 90 percent of shipping containers surveyed in ports had dangerous chemicals present, including methyl bromide.
Six Port Nelson workers contracted motor neurone disease between 2002 and 2005.
Currently, it is the only port in the country that recaptures methyl bromide, rather than releasing it into the air.
Methyl bromide has also been shown to deplete the ozone layer and is colourless, tasteless and odourless, meaning it is impossible for people to know they are being exposed to it.
RadioLIVE
source: newshub archive
