Request for Information on 2020 and 2022 Meth Contamination Reports for HUD
NZ Association for Contaminant Free Properties made this Official Information request to Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited
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From: NZ Association for Contaminant Free Properties
Official Information Act Request – ESR Methamphetamine Contamination Reports for HUD (2020 & 2022)
Dear ESR OIA Team,
REQUEST A
Please treat the following as a request for official information under the Official Information Act 1982.
ESR were commissioned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to produce the following reports:
• December 2020: Methamphetamine Contamination in Residential Environments: Analysis of Evidence Related to Human Health Effects
• July 2022: Methamphetamine Contamination in Residential Environments: Limits for Contamination
I request the following information relating to the preparation, peer review, consultation, and development of these reports.
________________________________________
1. – Basis for Determining “Insufficient Information on Adverse Health Effects”
Page 21 of the 2022 report states:
“There is insufficient information on adverse health effects following third-hand exposure to methamphetamine residues.”
1. Please provide all information held by ESR that informed or supported this conclusion, including (but not limited to):
o scientific literature, reviews, or datasets
o internal ESR analysis, briefing notes, draft assessments, working papers
o internal emails or discussions by ESR scientists
o external consultation or correspondence with HUD, contractors, experts, or peer reviewers
o any caveats, limitations, or methodological notes relating to this conclusion.
________________________________________
2. – Correspondence Between ESR and HUD
2. Please provide all correspondence between ESR and HUD relating to the 2020 and 2022 methamphetamine reports, including:
o emails, letters, meeting invitations
o meeting notes, minutes, agendas, or summaries
o draft reports supplied to HUD and feedback received
o instructions, scope changes, or policy direction provided by HUD at any stage.
________________________________________
3. – Correspondence With Dr Jeff Fowles / Tox-Logic
3. Please provide all correspondence between ESR and Dr Jeff Fowles and ESR and Tox-Logic regarding both the 2020 or 2022 reports.
This includes correspondence with any company, consultancy, or entity associated with Dr Fowles (e.g., Tox-Logic Consulting).
Additionally, please provide:
o the details and amounts of any payments, contracts, subcontracts, or reimbursements made to Dr Fowles or associated entities
o any conflict-of-interest declarations, procurement documents, or engagement justifications held by ESR.
________________________________________
4. – Contributors and Advisory Input
4. Please provide the qualifications, CVs (or equivalent bios), and roles of all ESR staff, contractors, external experts, and peer reviewers who contributed to, or provided advice during the preparation of, the 2020 and 2022 reports.
This includes:
o internal scientific staff
o external subject-matter experts
o reviewers or contributors consulted by ESR
o any individuals whose input shaped the conclusions, thresholds, or health-risk interpretations.
Where CVs cannot be released in full, please provide:
• highest qualification(s),
• relevant scientific discipline,
• position held at the time, and
• a summary of relevant expertise.
________________________________________
Format & Clarifications
• I am happy to receive the information electronically.
• If any part of my request is likely to be refused or considered too broad, please engage with me under s18B to refine the request rather than refusing it outright.
• If any information is withheld, please specify the section of the OIA relied upon and the grounds for withholding.
Thank you for your assistance.
Kind regards,
Mike Holt
NZACFP
From: OIA & Privacy Requests
Dear Mike,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information dated
Thursday 20 November 2025.
PHF Science will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible
and in any event no later than Thursday 18 December 2025, being 20 working
days after the day your request was received pursuant to section 15(1) of
the Official Information Act 1982.
If we are unable to respond to your request by Thursday 18 December, we
will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
Kind Regards,
Wendy Chung
Legal Coordinator
[1]www.phfscience.nz
27 Creyke Road, Ilam
Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
PO Box 29181, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand
New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Formerly
ESR – the Institute of Environmental Science and Research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: PHF Science External Enquiries <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 20 November 2025 1:05 pm
To: OIA & Privacy Requests <OIA&[email address]>; Wendy
Chung <[email address]>
Subject: FW: Official Information request - Request for Information on
2020 and 2022 Meth Contamination Reports for HUD
show quoted sections
From: OIA & Privacy Requests
Dear Mike,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information dated
Thursday 20 November 2025.
PHF Science will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible
and in any event no later than Thursday 18 December 2025, being 20 working
days after the day your request was received pursuant to section 15(1) of
the Official Information Act 1982.
If we are unable to respond to your request by Thursday 18 December 2025,
we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
Kind Regards,
Wendy Chung
Legal Coordinator
[1]www.phfscience.nz
27 Creyke Road, Ilam
Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
PO Box 29181, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand
New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Formerly
ESR – the Institute of Environmental Science and Research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: PHF Science External Enquiries <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 20 November 2025 1:05 pm
To: OIA & Privacy Requests <OIA&[email address]>; Wendy
Chung <[email address]>
Subject: FW: Official Information request - Request for Information on
2020 and 2022 Meth Contamination Reports for HUD
show quoted sections
From: OIA & Privacy Requests
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Good Afternoon Mike,
Please find attached, a letter advising of a partial transfer of your OIA
request received by PHF Science on Thursday 20 November 2025.
PHF Science will be in touch with you before Thursday 18 December 2025
regarding the remainder of your OIA request.
Kind Regards,
Wendy Chung
Legal Coordinator
[1]www.phfscience.nz
27 Creyke Road, Ilam
Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
PO Box 29181, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand
New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Formerly
ESR – the Institute of Environmental Science and Research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: OIA & Privacy Requests <OIA&[email address]>
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2025 1:00 PM
To: [FOI #32934 email]
<[FOI #32934 email]>
Cc: PHF Science External Enquiries <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Request for Information on
2020 and 2022 Meth Contamination Reports for HUD
Dear Mike,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information dated
Thursday 20 November 2025.
PHF Science will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible
and in any event no later than Thursday 18 December 2025, being 20 working
days after the day your request was received pursuant to section 15(1) of
the Official Information Act 1982.
If we are unable to respond to your request by Thursday 18 December 2025,
we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
Kind Regards,
Wendy Chung
Legal Coordinator
[2]www.phfscience.nz
27 Creyke Road, Ilam
Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
PO Box 29181, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand
New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Formerly
ESR – the Institute of Environmental Science and Research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: PHF Science External Enquiries <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 20 November 2025 1:05 pm
To: OIA & Privacy Requests <OIA&[email address]>; Wendy
Chung <[email address]>
Subject: FW: Official Information request - Request for Information on
2020 and 2022 Meth Contamination Reports for HUD
show quoted sections
From: NZ Association for Contaminant Free Properties
Dear Wendy
We asked for ESR to provide the correspondence as ESR is the party that is producing the reports.
Can you please explain how our request is more 'closely connected' with HUD when our request is to ESR and about ESR's reports?
We respectfully request that ESR provide the information requested and not fob it off to HUD.
Yours sincerely,
NZ Association for Contaminant Free Properties
From: Wendy Chung
Good Morning,
Thank you for getting in touch with regards to your OIA request.
Under s14 of the Official Information Act 1982, we must transfer a request
to another agency if some or all of the information requested is more
closely connected with the functions of another agency.
In deciding whether information is more closely connected with the
functions of another agency, the ombudsman has indicated that the
following factors can be considered:
* Subject of the information - does the information relate to another
agency's activities or functions
* The context of the information - does another agency have overall
responsibility or leadership for the issue or leadership for the
issue.
As mentioned in your original request, ESR (now PHF Science) was
commissioned by HUD to produce the mentioned reports and as such, part 2
of your request is more closely connected to HUDs functions in context and
subject.
Please note that as part of the partial transfer process, HUD has
confirmed acceptance of part 2 of your request so you should expect to
receive a response from HUD in due course.
Kind Regards,
Wendy Chung
Legal Coordinator
[1]www.phfscience.nz
27 Creyke Road, Ilam
Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
PO Box 29181, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand
New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Formerly
ESR – the Institute of Environmental Science and Research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: NZ Association for Contaminant Free Properties
<[FOI #32934 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 11 December 2025 8:55 am
To: OIA & Privacy Requests <OIA&[email address]>
Subject: Re: PHF Science OIA Partial Transfer Letter - Information on 2020
and 2022 Meth Contamination Reports for HUD
Dear Wendy
We asked for ESR to provide the correspondence as ESR is the party that is
producing the reports.
Can you please explain how our request is more 'closely connected' with
HUD when our request is to ESR and about ESR's reports?
We respectfully request that ESR provide the information requested and not
fob it off to HUD.
Yours sincerely,
NZ Association for Contaminant Free Properties
show quoted sections
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